Lighting is key when it comes to the feel of your home. Light can affect your mood, productivity and even your overall health. Below we’ve listed some ideas and tips, we hope you’ll find inspiring to light up your own space!
Inside: In the living room, try lighting up three of the four corners, focusing on art, a plant or another object of interest. Play with a combination of lamps facing opposite directions to highlight different areas, paired with an overhead dimmer. Kitchens are a work space and should be respected as so; overhead lighting with a dimmer is preferable to offer maximum exposure, with lower task lighting located in focal points.
A tip for the best light to apply makeup: install sidelights like sconces to either side of the bathroom mirror (36-40) inches apart. Add an overhead light to fill in any uneven shadows. The addition of a soft pink bulb in an intimate space will create a rosy glow, great for mood lighting. Try it in the living room, dining or bedroom! Supporting lights like bedside lamps should stand between the 26-28 inch range, with the shade just below your line of sight.
Outside: In general, outdoor lighting can be broken up into three categories; ambient, task and accent lighting. Ambient lighting pertains to the general lighting of a larger area. Task lighting can include; pathway, deck, and security lights, while accent lights usually include solar or string lights, for example. An easy way to calculate and plan for your ambient light needs, is to multiply the square footage of the area you want to light by 1.5, this will give you a rough estimate of the total wattage. For example 50 square feet of space would require 75 watts.
LED lights are also a worthy investment for outside! They use less energy and last longer so you won’t have to change the bulbs as often. If the task of lighting your backyard feels daunting, there’s always landscape lighting kits available, plug in or solar. Lastly, when lighting the exterior of your home, it’s always important to focus on the points of entry to your home and garage, as an added security measure.
If you are interested in Manzanita Real Estate or Surrounding areas, please feel welcome to reach out.
Tosha Reinmiller
Principal Broker
Living Room Realty – Manzanita
(541) 231-5829
tosha@livingroomre.com