Home and Garden Expo Guide Home & Garden Expo Guide 2020 | Page 22

BRIGHT IDEAS FOR HOME
INTERIOR LIGHTING
BY THE GREATER BRAZOS VALLEY HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
It’s hard to beat the great natural
light of spring and summer, but
fall and winter do not have to
be dark and gloomy. Take the
opportunity to add interest,
comfort, and function to a room
with lighting.
A lot of rooms are really a blank canvas
when it comes to lighting. You may have
recessed lights already installed, but not
much more. The multitude of styles of
lamps and fixtures give you the chance
to set a specific tone for the room, in
addition to helping tie together existing
chairs and furniture. Bulb choice makes a
big difference as well.
Lighting can be classified into three types:
• Ambient lighting creates a base layer
to establish the tone of the whole room.
• Task lighting illuminates a certain
area to address the room’s specific
function.
• Accent lighting draws attention to the
decorative features you love most.
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Home & Garden Expo Guide 2020
Here are some ideas to help give you a
little illumination inspiration for each
room of your home.
Ambient Lighting
For a room that is truly a blank slate
with no lighting, recessed ceiling lights
are an excellent addition for filling the
room with light without taking up what
is sometimes precious floor space. The
number of lights, the direction of the
lights, and a dimmer switch make it easy
to customize the amount and intensity
of light.
Pendant lighting comes in many
different shapes and sizes and is a great
way to create ambient light with fixtures
that make a statement. You can suspend
multiple light fixtures from the ceiling at
varying heights, which adds dimension
and visual interest to a dining area,
kitchen island, or hallway.
Task Lighting
Task lighting might include a table lamp
as a focal point to establish an inviting
conversation area, or you may want a
source of strong, white light over your
office table to give you full view of your
latest project. A floor lamp next to a
comfy chair is just the thing for curling
up with a magazine or book.
You can also use energy-efficient LED
light strips to softly illuminate rooms
from hidden sources. By placing an LED
light strip under each overhead cabinet
in your kitchen, you can brighten up the
countertops where you chop vegetables
or make a sandwich, or use it as a way to
keep the room gently aglow after your big
meal prep for the day is done.
Accent Lighting
Use accent lighting to draw focus to
details in a room or attract attention to the
lighting fixtures themselves. A chandelier
can be a classy and fun addition to a room,
and these days they come in a variety of
price points and styles from funky to retro
to ultra-modern.
Don’t forget there are also ways to
update or give a fresh look to existing
INSITE February 2020