Light up your abode!

The lighting in your home needs as much thought as the colour or the furniture you choose if not more. Lighting can make or break the ambience of a room. Too often, you may think that you've chosen the best fixtures that will illuminate your space beautifully. But what if there's been a mistake?

Lighting expert Sanjay Gupta, Senior Vice President Wipro Consumer Lighting & Switches, shares, "Lighting can bring a space to life. It is the main element that gives the room a special look and transforms it into a seamless combination of functionality and style. From installing no dimmer switch to lights on a high ceiling, 1 out of 5 homeowners make some common mistakes that can easily be avoided with a little research, right guidance and understanding the needs of the room."

So, go ahead! Give your space a light makeover by avoiding these five common lighting mistakes that will help you design your dream space.

Using only one type of light

There are three categories of lights – Ambient, Task, and Accent lighting. Sometimes people only use one of these three. This makes the room look very flat and can cause inconvenience most often. For example, if you use only ambient lighting in your living room, it might end up looking like a retail store, an institution or even an industrial area.

Installing lights on a high ceiling

Putting recessed lighting on a high ceiling wouldn't work very well because the light is far from the activity area and isn't focused enough. It can turn a naturally bright room into a dimly lit dungeon after sunset. The key to avoiding this is by dividing the space into three parts also called as the 'Rule of Thirds'. For example, while decorating a living room with a high ceiling you should divide it into three parts. The first one is the ceiling itself, the second is where you hang wall art and the third is the floor and furniture. Use hanging pendant lights or chandeliers for the ceiling, scones for walls and lamps for the floors.

Ignoring the importance of task lighting

Task lighting is extremely important as it helps to put the focus on certain chosen areas, the kitchen is one of them. They help avoid shadows and mishaps. Lights on the kitchen countertops or track lights pointed in a different direction might help you achieve a focused source of lights.

Making the bathroom/vanity too bright

It is a common mistake people make while lighting their bathrooms/vanity. Ceiling lights in a bathroom tend to create shadows while you are close to a bathroom mirror. This could cause a problem while you are applying makeup, tweezing or shaving. To correct this, the lights need to be installed at an eye-level ensuring that no shadows get cast. Scones on the mirrors or task lighting on the side walls will illuminate the space and still make it look bright and clean.

Improper selection of dimmer switch

The dimmer switch is something every home should have in almost all the rooms. As the name suggests, it helps you dim the lights according to the required mood. Dimmer switches help you conserve light bulbs for longer by reducing the stress put on incandescent and halogen bulb filaments. They help make a room look more inviting and make the atmosphere relaxing while improving your sleep cycles during bedtime.