8 Home Lighting Mistakes You May be Making and How to Fix Them

Lighting is more than just a functional piece of your home. It sets the tone for your entire space. Lighting can affect a space's mood, functionality, and style. Here are eight common lighting pitfalls many homeowners make and how to avoid them. 

Mistake #1: Relying too heavily on overhead lighting. Overhead lighting can be a great way to light a room. However, only ceiling lights can create harsh shadows and insufficient lighting for specific tasks. Instead, consider the three layers of interior lighting. Combine elements of ambient, task, and accent lighting to avoid creating these issues. For example, in a kitchen, you can use pendants over the kitchen island, undercabinet lights under your cabinets, and can lights for overhead lighting. See if you can spot all three of these elements in the below image. 

Mistake #2: Using only one light source in a room. In most homes, if you only have one light source in the room with one light bulb, there will simply not be enough lighting. In homes where lighting boxes are limited, opt for fixtures with two or more bulbs where possible. Additionally, things like table or floor lamps can help add necessary light to a room. 

Mistake #3: Ignoring dimmer switches. Dimmer switches can help you add dimension to a room. Don't be afraid to use them! Have you ever heard of mood lighting? Dimmer switches are the perfect way to select the amount of light needed for any mood. Utilizing them will prove useful in the long run. If a fixture has dimming capabilities and you don't have a dimmer, you can simply order one! A simple Google search shows you that dimmer switches can range from $25 to $100. Replacing a regular switch for a dimming switch is one way to solve this mistake. 

Mistake #4: Not considering light color temperature. This should be number one on our list because we could talk about this all day! Nothing kills a beautiful light fixture more than the wrong color bulbs. Lighting Design recommends bulbs with a color temperature of 2700 Kelvins to 3000 Kelvin for residential lighting. This delivers a softer and warmer light that is easier on the eyes and doesn't wash out the colors of your home.

For example, when you walk into a Walmart, you'll notice the bright white lights. These are likely a 5000K rating because they are lighting a commercial space. Your home is not a Walmart or a commercial space. Select your lighting temperature according to your space, not just what is readily available. 

Mistake #5: Failing to add task lighting.  Task lighting is exactly what it sounds like! Lighting that helps one perform a certain task such as reading, grooming, studying, working, etc. To avoid falling into the common pitfall, plan out what tasks you'll be doing and where. Then, add the appropriate lights to that space. For example, in a home office, you may want to add a desk lamp, or in a kitchen, you may want pendants or lights above where you will mainly be preparing food. Consider these points when selecting your home lights.

Mistake #6: Ignoring outdoor lighting. Many people take outdoor lighting for granted. Since homeowners tend not to spend most of their time staring at the outside of their homes, exterior light fixtures can sometimes be neglected. Outdoor lighting can not only help increase home value by increasing curb appeal, but it also offers safety by illuminating walkways, deterring intruders, and preventing nighttime accidents.

Sometimes, all that is needed is to simply replace burnt-out light bulbs. Other times it becomes necessary to replace entire outdoor fixtures. It's also a good idea to look at landscape lighting, such as path lights or spotlights that can help light walking paths or make obstacles like plants and trees visible. 

Mistake #7: Installing lights without considering room size. This is possibly one of the most common lighting mistakes we see. Understanding the room size that a light fixture will be placed in is crucial in selecting proper lighting.

When it comes to getting the correct sized light for a room, there are some fairly simple rules to follow. For chandeliers, simply add the length and width of the room and convert to inches to get the suggested chandelier width. So, a 10' x 10' room would be 10 + 10 = 20. 20" would then be the suggested chandelier width. All ceiling light fixtures should have a minimum of 7' of space between the bottom of the light and the floor. This provides ample room for people passing by or under. For more sizing tips, view Lighting Design's Home Lighting Sizing Guides. 

Mistake #8: Poor placement of light fixtures. Last but certainly not least is the mistake of putting the wrong lighting in different home spaces. Namely, you wouldn't put a bath bar over a fireplace, and you wouldn't put a small single pendant over a dining room table. You could have the most beautiful fixture in the world, and installing it in a place it doesn't belong will eliminate any benefits it could provide. It helps to do a lighting plan before selecting your lighting so you know what fixtures go where.

Have you made any of these mistakes before? Let us know how you fixed them in the comments!