There are many indoor lighting tips you can use to improve the size of a room. Lighting is far more versatile than simply providing illumination to help you see clearly. Imaginative lighting used with other features, creates an optical illusion that extends the apparent boundaries of your living space. Here are some tips from an experienced electrician.
Multiple Lighting
Relying on a single light fitting in the centre of the ceiling usually makes a room seem much smaller. It’s not usually strong enough to illuminate the entire room, leaving it with gloomy outer edges. By using additional lighting in corners, alcoves and walls, you’ll immediately draw attention away from the centre of the room. It will also help eliminate dense areas of shade. Layered lighting effectively provides additional interest while increasing the room’s dimensions. Illuminating the different heights within a room by using lamps on tables, walls and ceilings, helps create a sense of space.
Upward Lighting
One of the best indoor lighting tips to focus on is creating a vertical optical illusion. It’s a simple trick that makes a room feel more spacious by channelling light towards the ceiling. A central pendant light fitting that directs a pool of light upwards instantly seems to extend the height of the room. Uplights fitted on a wall in tiered levels or in a slightly higher position than usual, pull your gaze upwards. Tall floor lamps placed in strategic positions add brightness to the upper areas of the room and increase its optical dimensions.
Practical Indoor Lighting Tips
Maintaining a sense of proportion with your new lighting is vitally important. For instance, a large chandelier will instantly overpower the room. Instead, choose a compact, unobtrusive lampshade that won’t take up valuable space. Lampshades for table and floor lamps should also be discreet and limited in size to emphasise the surrounding space. Even the colour of your lampshades can create the impression of your room being more spacious. Cream, light grey or pale gold help to diffuse the light, while dark colours tend to restrict it.
Controllable Lighting
Being able to control the light sources within a room helps you to improve its dimensions at different parts of the day. During daylight, your room will appear larger if you clear window spaces by removing obstructive blinds or curtains. Reflective surfaces and pale colours will help to increase the amount of daylight. At night, lamps with dimmers help you to adjust the ambient lighting in a bedroom or living room. By adjusting the intensity of the light, you can make the room look cosy and peaceful while creating a feeling of extra space.
Backlighting and Depth
Effective backlighting can immediately increase the dimensions of your room. The areas to concentrate on include the dark spaces lurking behind sofas or large houseplants. Small strips of LED lighting can easily be placed behind these objects to cast a soft pool of light at the back of them. By removing dense shadows, you instantly increase the depth of the room. It also adds sophistication to your interior design.
Illuminate Shelves
Bookshelves and cabinets often increase the amount of shading in a room. But instead of using backlighting, add lights to the front of these items to remove unwanted shadows. Slimline, fluorescent strip lights can be added to the underside of open bookshelves or those inside glass-fronted cabinets. You can also add a strip of light to a picture frame on the wall. By using this subtle form of illumination, you’ll help increase the feeling of space around your room while drawing attention to attractive paintings, ornaments and books.
Mirrors
One of the most reliable indoor lighting tips include the use of mirrors. The most effective trick is placing a large mirror opposite a light source such as a window, backlight, or table lamp. The reflected image and light instantly make the dimensions of your room seem to double. A full-length mirror helps make a small bedroom look more attractive. It also makes the room appear much larger simply by increasing the amount of illumination.
Conclusion
Using a few indoor lighting tips is an effective way to make any room appear larger than its actual dimensions. By directing light upwards and out towards the edges of the room, you’ll instantly create height and space. You’ll achieve greater success through multiple light fittings and lamps positioned to emphasise different heights. Eliminate gloomy shadows with backlights, add mirrors and use controllable dimmers. Simple lighting tricks can help your room look much larger by creating an optical illusion.
Author Bio:
John Keohane is the owner of JK Services, an electrical contractor who helps many houses and businesses with their electrical needs.
