Lighting is one of those things you tend to notice when it’s not right. If you ever house-hunted in Bellevue in the winter months, you know how dark the Washington days can be. If you walked into a house with shades drawn and dim lighting, chances are your impression of that property wasn’t very good. But if you walk into a home with beautifully layered lighting, it will just feel right. And it won’t matter how rainy and dark it is outside!
A home lighting consultant can help you design the right blend of lighting for every space in your home. With today’s LED lighting technology and sophisticated control, it's easier and more efficient than ever to create custom illumination for every area. Keep reading below to learn more about how great lighting design can transform the look and feel of your Bellevue home.
SEE ALSO: 5 Cringe-Worthy Mistakes in Common Home Lighting Plans
It’s All About Layers
Good lighting design is about a layered approach. Each layer has a purpose. Any home starts with ambient lighting, often consisting of overhead cans and downlights. Unfortunately, too many homes stop there with built-in lighting. Ambient lighting is but a base, functional level of illumination. A good design adds accent lighting for highlighting architectural detail, features, or furnishings. Feature lighting is the third lighting layer, with pendants, sconces, chandeliers, and lamps adding local lighting for aesthetic and functional purposes.
Using Color
Not that long ago, varying color with lighting meant colored bulbs. While you might want red or blue for a while, that bulb was fixed in what it could do. More importantly, the white light color temperature was also fixed. You could buy a "cool" light (think overhead office lighting) or warm lights that resemble candlelight. LED technology has changed the fixed nature of lighting to dynamic. You can now get fixtures that can transform a space with varying color temperature or real color. You can enliven a room with energetic, cool, bright light that mimics the sun and shift to warmer, redder tones later in the day that resembles a relaxing sunset. You can set a vibe with calming blue hues and change it when you want to set a different mood. Imagine what that can do in February in Bellevue!
Seeing Things in a Different Light
Art galleries use special lighting for a reason; they want you to appreciate the art in the best possible light. The mesmerizing piece you take home might not look the same with subpar lighting. The color might not pop the same way, or the texture is lost. The right color temperature or colored light on artwork and other special features can make you appreciate your spaces in an entirely new way.
Precise Control
What’s the last secret to great lighting design? Precise, easy control. A lighting control system can provide the automation and accurate control of all lighting layers to achieve the right look and feel in any space, any time of day. You don't want to fiddle with many dimmers and switches; you want one button or a command to execute the transformation.
Keep watching this space for more on smart lighting and design. If you can’t wait that long, please call us for a free consultation, contact us here or send us a message below! We look forward to working with you.
