Your interior lighting sets the tone inside your home. Without proper lighting, your rooms won’t feel special. If you’re having trouble choosing the correct fixtures and properly placing them, consider the following suggestions.

You Have Too Much Light

Your pendant lights and ceiling-mounted fixtures need to suit the proportions of the room they’re in. Oversized hanging fixtures will overpower small spaces, creating a bright glare. This can lead to headaches as well as looking too sterile. Replacing those huge lights with smaller pendants will help.

Recessed lighting requires careful planning. Unfortunately, many homes have too many recessed lights or ones that are placed too close together. If you have a room that’s too bright due to too many recessed lights, add a dimmer switch.

You Need Fixtures for Low Ceilings

Low ceilings create a dark, crowded feeling. Balanced lighting can help open these spaces. Avoid pendant lights and chandeliers that draw the eye up toward the ceiling. This makes the room feel small. Recessed lights are a better option. Angle them toward the walls. Directing the light in a way that allows it to reflect off the walls creates a soft, warm appearance while making the room visually larger.

Your Countertops Are Too Dark

Kitchens need adequate task lighting. While you may have excellent overhead fixtures, the cabinets tend to create shadows that make it hard to use the countertops as a workspace. Under-cabinet lighting will brighten this area, which makes it better for food prep. If you still have dark corners, use a strategically placed small accent light.

Your kitchen island may have the same problem. A pendant light hung directly over it should resolve the issue. There are several styles to choose from, making this a wonderful addition to the kitchen’s existing decor.

You’re Having Trouble Illuminating an Open Floor Plan

Open floor plans are wonderful, but they’re tricky to illuminate. Instead of treating it as one big room, use lighting to create a distinct kitchen, dining room and living room. The kitchen should have ceiling-mounted light fixtures as well as task lighting.

Hang a chandelier over the dining table and use track lighting in the living area. The track lighting can be balanced out with table and floor lamps. You’ll still have an open feel, but each area will have a distinct purpose and a character all its own.

With the right lighting, your interior spaces will feel warm and inviting. If you need help with your interior lighting installation, call JD Ensz Electric in Hesperia, CA today.