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Fade To Grey: Tips For Keeping Your Lighting Beautifully Subtle

Fade To Grey: Tips For Keeping Your Lighting Beautifully Subtle

There are many design cliches, from window treatments to everything having to match. Some are every interior designer’s worst nightmare, and some are unwritten rules that are just made for breaking. One cliche that should be followed, however, is the use of lighting to elevate a space. Good lighting has the ability to immediately transform the space and mood of any given room.

Of course, different lighting needs to be used in different rooms and positioned for specific purposes. Consider the spaces that natural light is unable to penetrate and fixtures that are likely to complement the size of the room, as well as its furniture and color scheme. The right placement allows you to completely change the look of any interior.

Kitchens Should be Bright

One place where bright light should be held in high regard is the kitchen – forget about ambiance. Flood space with recessed lights placed along the edge of the ceiling. If your kitchen is sporting an island, opt for hanging pendants overhead as this will light the space without reducing any space.

Under-cabinet lighting is also a great choice for the kitchen. LED light strips running along the bottom of your upper cabinets is an easy but effective way to create an evenly-lighted counter. And this will come in very handy when preparing and cooking food! The LED lighting is also recommended by energysavingstrust.org.uk as a way to save money throughout the year.

Bold Bathroom Lighting

Recessed lighting is acceptable in the kitchen but you should veer well away from this in the bathroom. Many homes sport recessed lighting fixtures over the sink; this should be a massive no, as it casts unflattering shadows. Instead, wall-mounted fixtures should be used, roughly five and a half feet off the floor – this height means your face will be evenly illuminated.

Motion-lighting at the base of your bathroom cabinet is also worth installing as this creates a subtle glow, acting somewhat like a night light if you’re to wake up in the dark, early hours. And if you’re after a sense of intimacy or luxury, a sculptural pendant lamp is the purchase for you. An attractive lamp, an abundance of which are offered by lighting specialists Pagazzi, will meet the eye on arrival in the room.

Ambiance

In any home, the lighting foundation should always start with ambiance. Ambient light includes natural lighting via skylights or large windows – fixtures that provide enough light for you to perform day-to-day household tasks such as laundry or cleaning. If you need artificial lighting to help you create ambiance, this is best achieved with ceiling fixtures like chandeliers, pendant lights or flush mount.

Tasking

Consider what activities you generally carry out that require focus, such as reading, remote working or applying makeup. From here, layer on top of your general lighting with task lights. Banish the traditional desk task light – modern task lighting is far more aesthetic. Bedside table lamps come in hundreds of different designs and you can even choose hanging pendants on either side of the bed or armchair. Sconces or wall mounted task lights also offer directional lighting and blend in wonderfully.

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