Better lighting can increase your home's safety—adding visibility will reduce trip hazards in dark hallways or stairwells, for example—and improve energy efficiency to save you money on your electricity bill. Upgraded lighting may also add value to your home when you go to sell. Here are six ways to improve your home's lighting.
Capitalize on natural light
Making your home brighter doesn't necessarily require adding a lot of artificial light (which will run up your energy bill). Natural light is free and good for your mood. You can capitalize on the natural light in your home by painting your walls lighter colors and your ceilings white, as well as placing mirrors strategically in hallways or corners and choosing sunshades or sheer curtains over heavy drapes. Keeping your windows clean helps, too.
If you have the budget for bigger renovations, larger windows and skylights as well as lighter floors and tiling can also increase how much light is let into and reflected around your home.
Keep light consistent from room to room
Having bright lights in one room and dim in another or frequent temperature variations from warm to cool requires your eyes to constantly adjust. You should consider lighting options based on the room's function and whether you need ambient, task, or accent lighting (or a mix of all three), but avoid sharp contrasts from one space to the next. Choose a consistent color temperature and wattage range—just make sure you choose the right bulbs (ideally more efficient ones) for your lamps and fixtures.
Install motion sensors
Motion-sensing lights can be a good safety upgrade for hallways and stairwells that don't need to be lit all the time. Good options include plug-in nightlights with motion sensors or battery-operated LED light strips if you don't have outlets where you need them. Contrast stripes can also make stairs easier to navigate in dimmer conditions.
Adjust placement of lamps and fixtures
Light fixtures that point toward walls and ceilings as well as frosted glass coverings and lampshades can diffuse harsh light and reduce glare, which is easier on the eyes. Install upward-facing lighting on the tops of cabinets as well as lighting at a range of height levels, from table lamps to floor lamps to wall and ceiling fixtures. Recessed ceiling fixtures can also create softer lighting.
Brighten your kitchen and bathroom
Your kitchen and bathroom come with potential hazards, such as slipping while bathing and handling sharp or hot items while cooking, that can be mitigated with better lighting. Light strips or LED pucks work well under cabinets to illuminate your counters as well as cupboards and pantries. It's also a good idea to have a separate light fixture in your shower or above your bathtub.
Increase flexibility with smart lights and dimmer switches
Upgrading to smart bulbs allows you to control your lights from anywhere via app or voice assistant as well as set up routines that fit your changing illumination needs throughout the day, whether that's brightness or color hue. You can also install manual dimmers to increase or decrease brightness of overhead fixtures as needed.