I was recently asked what the single most cost effective ways are to spruce up a home with respect to lighting and so I wanted to share with you my opinions.
Firstly, I recommend starting at the front of your home, since that is the area you and your guests see first. From there you can set the tone or the mood for the rest of the house. If you already have sconces or pilaster lights, try updating them with something a little more modern. I typically recommend fixtures with seeded glass or bulbs with frosted lenses to reduce any glare. If you want additional lighting to accent trees or the architectural features of your home, well positioned 12 volt landscape lighting does a fantastic job.
Once entering your home, consider any chandeliers that may be immediately visible and whether they complement the rest of your décor. Again, perhaps a simple replacement of the offending light fixture may suffice since there is already electrical in that location. I’m not a big fan of traditional recessed down lighting in formal living and dining rooms as I don’t consider their light output to be very flattering. In these least often used rooms, I recommend simple table lamps, sconces and perhaps a chandelier or pendant fixture over the dining table and most homes are already pre-wired for these. Low voltage, adjustable recessed lights are wonderful for lighting artwork but by no means essential.
Moving on into the hallway, kitchen and family room, recessed lighting typically works best in these areas as they are extremely functional. Since many homes already have recessed lights in these areas, consider simply changing the old “yellowed” trims for new white ones and adding dimmers to help control the light levels. If your kitchen has the large central fluorescent light fixtures, consider replacing them with recessed lights or pendant lights over the island and since there is already power to the ceiling, this can be done fairly inexpensively.
Lastly, to tie everything together, I recommend replacing any old style switches and plugs with new modern Decora devices. They are quick and easy for a qualified electrician to replace and really make a difference, visually.
For more information or to schedule your own personal consultation, please visit us at www.brodieelectric.com or call Paul Brodie at 661-294-5001.