Lighting

How do you make a house feel like a home? One of the most effective ways to add ambiance to any space is lighting. Even if everything else about a room stays exactly the same, changing the lights can change the entire feel of the space.

When it comes to lighting your home, what rooms do you think of first? Most people focus their lighting efforts in living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. And while it is always important to have great lighting in these rooms, there are other spaces in the home that often get overlooked.

Laundry room, closet, basement, and garage lighting can all make a big difference in the look and feel of your home. Proper lighting makes doing laundry less daunting. Closet lighting makes getting dressed more fun and less stressful, since you can properly see every article of clothing. 

So, how do you light each of these overlooked spaces to make them the best they can be? Read on for lighting ideas for often-ignored rooms in your home.

Laundry Room Lighting

Some people can’t stand doing laundry, while others find it a calming task. Whichever side you fall on, having good lighting in your laundry room can make this household chore more pleasant. 

Overhead light fixtures common in laundry rooms include recessed ceiling flights and flush mounts. Recessed lighting in laundry rooms is a great way to add ambient light and make your laundry room a more appealing place to be. If you have extra space, you might consider adding a task lamp or accent light for added style and functionality. 

Be mindful of the light bulb color temperature for your laundry room. A crisp white light that isn’t too warm or too cool is perfect for spotting stains while also keeping your eyes comfortable.

Closet Lighting

If your closet is a dark cave, you may have gotten used to choosing clothing for the day without proper lighting. But you will be amazed at the difference you feel when you add closet lighting. Closet lighting helps you wear all of your clothing, not just the items you can see in the front. 

Cut back on stress while preparing for the day by installing recessed lighting in the closet. Installing plenty of ambient light will provide the general wash of light you need to see your whole wardrobe. Then, if you have drawers in your closet, consider accent lighting in each of the drawers to make it even easier to see the contents inside.

Flush mount and accent lights are enough for small closets. However, if you have a large walk-in closet, you might also consider a lower-hanging pendant fixture, like a chandelier or semi-flush mount pendant, for added style.

Basement Lighting

The best way to make your basement feel less like a basement is with lighting. Basements can be dark, damp, and unwelcoming. With warm, bright light, you can transform your basement into a comfortable, relaxing space. 

LED recessed lighting is the most common option for basement finishing. Recessed lighting in the basement provides a broad wash of light throughout the room. 

Next, if you have furniture in your basement, you can strategically place other fixtures like floor and table lamps accordingly. With a combination of ambient light from recessed ceiling lights and small pools of warm light from lamps, your basement will feel cozy and welcoming.

Garage Lighting

Garage lighting ideas will vary based on how you use your garage. The best lighting for a garage that is used as a workshop will be much different than the best lighting for a garage only used to store cars.

As a rule, you should install at least one eight foot fixture per vehicle space. Be sure that the bulbs you choose are rated for outdoor use and cold temperatures. LED lights are the best choice for garages, because they are available with these two specifications. On the other hand, avoid fluorescent lights, since many of them do not work below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. 

After you take care of recessed lighting in the garage, it’s up to you to decide how to add accent and task lighting in your garage. Some options include…

• Clamp-on task lights – These inexpensive, portable lights make it easy to shine light wherever you need it while you work on projects.

• Under-cabinet lights – If you use shelving for storage, under-cabinet lighting can take away the hassle of finding what you need.

• Task lights – Task lighting, including track lighting in the garage, is a safety necessity in spaces where you will be working with tools.