It’s that time of the year when daylight starts to disappear earlier and earlier in the day. Within the next few months we’ll be without sunlight by the ride home from work. Now is the time to change up the lighting and wattage around the house to accommodate for the darker days over the next few months. Every room needs three types of lighting; overall, task and ambient.
Here’s a list of light sources and the wattage needed:
Ambient Lighting:
Creates subtle amounts of light that brighten a dark corner or illuminate a dark hall or entrance. A great light to have on when entering your home after dark. Wall sconces in a dining room, night lights in the hallway and hidden rope lighting under a bed or on a balcony. The bulb wattage should be between 15-30 watts.
Designer tip: Using LED candles can add ambient light and sparkle to a room.
Task lighting:
This strong, directed light helps get tasks done. A swing arm lamp for reading in the bedroom, under cupboard lighting to illuminate the countertops in the kitchen and the Hollywood bar lights to help put on makeup in the bathroom are all prime examples. The bulb wattage should be between 40-80 watts.
Designer tip: Every comfy chair should have a reading floor lamp beside it.
Overall Lighting:
The strongest of lighting, the entire room will be illuminated to help when painting, cleaning, or doing crafts. The centre ceiling light in the bedroom illuminates for making the bed, recessed pot lights in the living room wash light around perimeters and a ceiling fan light in the family room helps when playing board games. Strength of bulbs to use: 60-100 wattage.
Designer tip: If you don’t have a light outlet in the centre of the ceiling for a light then use a floor standing torchier lamp to illuminate a room; it will shoot light up onto the ceiling and illuminate the entire room.
