Maximum Value Budget Projects: Lighting

With many lighting styles to choose from including: ambient, task, aesthetic and accent lighting, there is an abundance of ways to brighten up a room with the best light for a particular space.
Repeating Patterns in Kitchen

Kitchen With Repeated Patterns

The design motif is repeated on a different scale in the kitchen’s marble backsplash and its curves are echoed in the silhouette of the glass pendant lighting.

Photo by: Joy Yagid

Joy Yagid

Home lighting does more than simply illuminate a room. Lighting can affect mood, comfort and livability while also highlighting the home's design and architectural features. Take on a lighting project to add lighting wherever there is a need and update old fixtures with newer models for a quick boost to your home's value.

CURRENT TRENDS

  • LED lighting. LED -- or light emitting diode -- offers many benefits. Longer-lasting and more durable than regular light bulbs, LED lighting can also avoid flickers that are common with florescent lights and withstand temperature fluctuations and vibrations. LEDs provide only directional light, not diffused light, making them ideal for under-counter task lighting or lighting a walkway. Indoors and out, more homeowners are now using LED lighting -- which can last up to 20 years before having to be changed -- for a safer and more sustainable approach to lighting their property and interior space.

BIGGEST MISTAKE

Understanding the different types of home lighting is crucial to brightening a space in the correct way. According to appraisal expert, Leslie Sellers, president of the Appraisal Institute, "lighting sets the overall mood for your home. Washing the walls with the correct light will make a room feel more inviting, and many times, much bigger."

Mistakes arise when a homeowner uses a source of light in an improper way for a space. Ambient lighting might not be the best lighting for a bathroom, while accent lighting in a kitchen could very well be a mistake. To better understand different types of lighting, consult with a lighting specialist or talk with a professional at your local home improvement store to make sure you are implementing the correct lighting in all areas of your home.

EXPERT TIPS

  • On a Budget: Decorative lighting can make a big impact, so if you can't change out all the ceiling fans or lighting units in each room, consider an attractive lamp that can accentuate a reading nook or wall sconces that can illuminate the entryway or hallway of your home.
  • Mid-Range/High-End: Create a lighting plan with a lighting specialist by working your way through every room in the house, deciding what each room is used for and if there is a certain point of interest you want to accentuate. Then, upgrade any outdated lighting fixtures with more modern designs to add major value to your home.

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