Bring the Light-tastic to your Interiors

Life been feeling a bit dull of late? Then do something about it by illuminating every room in your home – or at least, altering the lighting so that it enhances your mood and overall wellbeing. How so?

Well, the following are some of our own Oka tried and tested tips for adding some atmosphere to your interiors. And, with winter now officially here in the UK, it’s the perfect time to think about some personal home lighting adjustment for you and your family:

Hallway lighting

Natural light floods into the hallway the minute anyone opens the front door. If you’re fortunate enough to have a window here then don’t cover it during the duller winter months (or if you do, make sure it’s with light see-through fabric) in order to catch as much of this calmness-inducing light as possible. If your front door has decorative glass and sits opposite a wall then hang a mirror there to reflect the daylight and double its impact.

If there’s no window in your hallway use uplighters and picture lights (accent lights) rather than a stark overhead pendant to create a nicer, more ambient light, and sit a mirror opposite any of these as well to amplify it.

Bedroom lighting

What you use to light your bedroom is incredibly important since this is the room where light really does come into its own in the sense dimmed lighting works with your body’s circadian rhythm to lull you into sleep. Bedside lamps with low–watt bulbs are best for this. This type of light will not only allow you to read but also create a soothing atmosphere.

On the other hand, in the morning when we need to get up and moving, a stronger light is needed to motivate us. This is when switching on an overhead pendant light or drawing back the curtains to allow natural daylight to light up the room, works best.

Kitchen lighting

Undercabinet strip lighting can be extremely effective in the kitchen as both task lighting (ie illuminating worktops to allow you to carry out tasks such as chopping vegetables etc) and ambient lighting (creating a cosy mood for a late night supper with friends). Strip lighting doesn’t just have to sit under cabinets though; it can also be very effective when placed around baseboards in the room, or the bottom of a kitchen island.

Bathroom lighting

The bathroom is another area where subdued lighting comes into its own, especially when bathing. This relaxing activity requires low light for full effect. A bathroom cabinet with lighting and a couple of wall lights would be enough in this scenario. For carrying out ablutions or applying make-up, use a picture-light type fixture over the mirror or daylight if it’s early enough in the day. In other words, stark ceiling lighting is rarely required for a bathroom.

We have gone on to expand these ideas on improving your mood via home lighting a little more on an infographic accompanying this article. Take a look and see if you agree with us.

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