16 Ways to Update the Lighting in Your New Home

1. Fit a porch/front door spotlight

If your front door looks less than welcoming then adding a spotlight can help your guests find your house when it’s dark. Fit a light on, or near, the door that illuminates the house number, and also adds some style!

2. Light up your hallway

Without enough light, some hallways can feel like walking through a horror film. People tend to spend more time lighting the rooms they are going to spend the most time in, but spare a thought for how you are going to get there. Hallways are also the place your visitors will see first so you can really ‘wow’ them with your new home by fitting impressive pendants or lamps, or keep things more subtle with LED downlights.

3. Maximise the space in small rooms

Small rooms don’t have to feel small. All you need is a few lighting tricks and the room will suddenly feel a lot more spacious. For example, uplights stop shadows forming on the ceiling which can make it seem taller.

4. Make large rooms cosier

Spacious rooms might be the reason you bought the house in the first place but if not lit correctly, wide spaces and high ceilings can be a little overwhelming. Pendants or low-hanging decorative lights can lower the ceiling, as it draws the eye to their level. To find out more about lighting high ceilings, check out our advice 5 Golden Rules for Lighting High Ceilings.

5. Lighting design for dining

If you plan to design your dining room to perfection, then it’s important you don’t forget the importance of lighting. Once again pendants can be great in this situation, as they’ll draw focus to the table as the main feature of the room, or some unobtrusive recessed downlights fitted with LED bulbs.

6. Brighten up the bathroom

If you saw our post about Better Bathroom Lighting, you know we want to make sure everyone’s bathroom is a place they actually want to spend time in. Moving into a new home is an excellent excuse to create the bathroom of your dreams and revamp the existing lighting to make the ultimate space to relax in.

7. Make sure stairs are safe

Much like hallways, lighting your stairs isn’t the first thought most people have, the idea being that they will simply be lit by any residual light from the neighbouring rooms. However, stairs can be dangerous if not fully lit, and there are some really cool new ways to light them!

8. Brighten up storage areas

Unless your attic or basement have been converted, odds are that you’ll plan to use them for storage. Make the most out of the storage space available by fitting appropriate lighting. LED lights or fluorescent tubes are a good choice for these areas as they last a long time, meaning you won’t need to change them very often so you can avoid trips to the attic or basement in complete darkness.

9. Upgrade your outdoor lighting

Transforming your outdoor space might not be number one on your ‘to do’ list when you move into a new property but once you’ve settled in, it’s time to turn your attention to your garden and how you can enhance it with clever lighting. To help you expertly light your new garden, we’ve put together The Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Lighting for Your Garden.

10. Top-up task lights

From desks to under kitchen cupboards, moving into a new home is the perfect time to ensure areas where you need light for detailed work are lit correctly. If the light is not bright enough, or is creating shadows, changing the lights can help you be more productive in your new home.

11. Change existing bulbs to fluorescents, CFLs or LEDs

Fluorescent tubes, CFLs and LEDs are much more energy efficient that traditional incandescent light bulbs or halogen bulbs and can last much longer. These bulbs are also very affordable so upgrading your home with LEDs for example won’t cost a fortune.

12. Fit mirrors in the right places

Mirrors can both be lighting’s best friend, and worst enemy. Best friends because they can reflect the light given off, making a room appear bigger and brighter. Worst enemies because if the angle is wrong, shadows or glare can be created. Make sure to factor in any mirrors into your lighting equations in your new home.

13. Highlight shelving

Shelves are a great way to store and display things. What’s not so great is not being able to see anything under the top shelf because it’s taking all the light. There are several ways to correct this though, such as angling a spotlight to hit the lower levels, or getting creative with some LED ribbon lights.

14. Fit lighting controllers

With new technology speeding ahead, the things you can do with lights has become much more advanced than simply turning them on and off again. From sensors which have been around for years, to colour changes and dimmers connected to your iPhone, lighting controls, there are loads of options to make your house safer and smarter. You can find out more about adding dimmers to your new home with our FAQs on dimmable light switches.

15. Update accent lighting

Accent lighting is a great way to show off, and we love lighting that shows off. Whether it be a painting you just picked up for your new house, that house plant that is totally going to live this time, or some nice photos you want people to coo over, accent lighting is the way to draw people’s eyes exactly where you want them.

16. Create decorative feature lighting

Lighting doesn’t have to be boring or hidden away. Sometimes it can be a feature all of its own and can complement any style you are creating. Create a striking look in any room of the home with impressive decorative lighting that can double up as a piece of art.

Have a question? Talk to the LampShopOnline team today on 0113 8876270 or email sales@lampshoponline.com.