Gone are the days when lights were just meant to illuminate corners and aid basic tasks at home. Lights today go way further than just functionality – they add aesthetics, colour, design, and can make a personal statement about the owner. Used well, the right kind of lighting can truly uplift the energy and mood quotient of your home. Having said the above, there are still many who tend to overlook the lesser-used spaces in a home while they spruce up the mainstream areas of the house. For instance, when was the last time you really paid attention to the lights in your bathroom? Or chose a suitable set of bollards for your garden area?
While deciding on what light fixtures will go where, we tend to concentrate on the spaces we spend most of our time in. However, the in-between spaces deserve just as much attention. In fact, some of these overlooked spots can create far more precious and beautiful corners than you might imagine. Vikas Gandhi, President and Business Head – Lighting (Tisva), Premium Fans, and Water Solutions Business, Usha International gives us tips on how to use the right lighting to transform often overlooked corners of our home.
The Foyer or Hallway
The foyer area is one of the first places you enter, essentially in residential structures, and it instantly sets the tone for the rest of the house. That is why it is so important to light it up just perfectly. The correct hallway lighting not only helps your guests navigate the area better, but it also influences the initial impression of your home.
Tip: Use a soft spotlight to highlight a piece of artwork or a sculpture that you want people to stop and pay attention to. Use a focal chandelier or a set of three ceiling pendants to create a striking entrance at your foyer or hallway. You could also use specialized lighting to illuminate a mirror or a console table in the area.
Kitchen and Dining Area
One of the most action-packed places, the kitchen is the heart of the house. And while task lighting is the most important layer required to conduct activities in the kitchen, lighting can most definitely be both utilitarian as well as attractive. You don’t need to sacrifice either. While designing the kitchen, many people make the rookie mistake of thinking of it as merely a functional component. A good way to rectify this is to fill the gaps in your kitchen and dining space with a mix of ambient and task lighting options.
Tip: While dimmers can be used in the kitchen to suit the mood as the day winds down, a series of elegant pendants can be placed over the dining table to light up your meals. Furthermore, tunable LED-ceiling lights are also a good choice for your kitchen or dining room and helps set the mood to festive or everyday ambience.
The Bathroom
In many homes, the term bathroom lighting is unheard of. Bathroom lighting, when done effectively, sets us on a good foot for the rest of our day. It is also the place where we wash away the stress of the day to set ourselves up for a relaxing evening ahead.
Tip: While above-the-mirror vanity lights, as well as cool-toned, bright ceiling lights are considered bathroom essentials, you can also take the décor up a notch by incorporating versatile options such as corner-wall-pendants, rustic or vintage-style wall lights made of durable materials, as well as LED downlighters. A utility tip is to add motion-sensor night lights that can be automatically turned on when you enter the bathroom – especially handy if you have small kids or seniors at home.
Porch Area and The Garden
By far the most under-utilized and overlooked space of one’s home, in our opinion, is the porch. Adding outdoor lights allows you to create an inviting and refreshing impression for your guests and neighbours. It also makes for a more amiable and alluring environment for you to sit and relax. In addition to this, lights in the porch area can also add a layer of security to the outdoor space of your home.
Tip: You can style the exterior of your house in multiple ways to turn it into a mini-retreat for yourself and your loved ones. From wall lights, LED strings and pendants near the seating area to landscape lights across the garden fence, and motion-sensing LED strips and bollards, the choices are many.
Our homes today have become a place of work and our space to unwind. It is the place where we entertain, bond, and create cherished moments with our family and friends. Picking the right lights to illuminate corners can completely change the look and feel, and it takes just minutes to do this.
Now take a walk around your home to see which corner is neglected and light it up right. Rest assured, it’s going to light up your life, literally.
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