Good lighting is not something people think much about until they don’t have it. Living in a well-lit room is a much more pleasurable experience than trying to cook, read, entertain, etc. in a dark, shadowy space.

The American Lighting Association offers these tips for improving the lighting in your kitchen, bathroom and bedroom:

1. Add to your task lighting. Many bathrooms and kitchens have plenty of overhead light, but are often lacking when it comes to task lighting, said Hubbardton Forge designer David Martin. “At the kitchen sink, for example, you can eliminate shadows by including two sources of light.”

2. Include mood-enhancing lights and dimmers. “Places such as bathrooms and bedrooms … now serve as an extension of our living spaces,” said Todd Phillips, owner and senior designer with Quoizel Lighting. The lights in those rooms should be both hardworking and mood enhancing.

3. Increase the size of your bedside task light. One of the bigger mistakes Phillips sees in bedrooms is the size of bedside lamps — they’re either too small or not adjustable. Go for a larger sized lamp with increased lumen capacity.

4. Install track lighting for flexibility. With track lighting, “you can direct one or two of the lights on the track and point them to a wall to add accent light for artwork, and use other lights on the track to create different focal points,” Phillips said.

5. Add a light fixture for drama. A side benefit of beautiful, light-providing chandeliers and pendants is that they provide focal points. “New light sources give homeowners some great options,” said Phillips. “You can drop in a chandelier over a bathtub to create drama and get mood and ambience too.”

6. Add a ceiling fan with a light source.With the flip of a switch, a ceiling fan with a light kit can improve a room’s livability with both comfort and light.

This article is courtesy of Brandpoint.

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