As you prepare for earlier sunsets this fall, adjusting your interior lighting can help your home stay well-illuminated and create the soft ambiance you crave as the weather becomes cooler. From light bulbs to lampshades and the lighting in between, updating your home’s lighting scheme can create an interior backdrop straight out of a rom-com set in the fall. Read on for accessible fall-inspired lighting tips and tricks.
Change the Lightbulbs
Soft, warm interior lighting can be achieved with an easy update: switching out the light bulbs. The temperature of the lightbulbs significantly impacts the feel of a room. Light bulbs between 2500 and 2700 Kelvins offer the warmest, coziest, golden glow.
Update the Lampshades
Swapping out your current lampshades for a pattern in a warmer color or a more textured option can give a table lamp or floor lamp an entirely new look and feel. A table lamp with a new lampshade and a light bulb with lower Kelvins can instantly set the scene for a cozy autumn evening at home.
Add More Table Lamps
Adding more table lamps can be a decorative element and provide much-needed light. Whether they’re grand or petite, additional table lamps can create a look that’s layered, collected, and styled. Countertops, tabletops, console tables, and corner tables are all perfect places to set a table lamp.
Turn Off Can Lights When the Sun Sets
When the sun sets, turn the big lights off. Turning off the recessed lighting and turning on the task and accent lighting can create a warm, glowy atmosphere that is still adequately lit. This task and accent lighting can help the entire space feel glowing from within.
Layer the Interior Lighting
A room with layered lighting is welcoming and feels complete. As you create a layered lighting plan, think about how you use the space. One approach is below:
- Ambient lighting: This should be the first selection, whether recessed lighting, a chandelier, or pendants. In a kitchen, this could look like a few recessed lights in the ceiling and pendants over the island.
- Task lighting: Task lighting could be either under-cabinet lighting or table lamps. In a kitchen, this means under-cabinet lighting under the upper cabinets, a few strategically placed petite table lamps on the counters, and sconces above the kitchen sink.
- Accent lighting: Accent lighting can be considered the room’s jewelry, such as art or in-cabinet lighting. In a kitchen, hanging an art lamp above a frame on the wall or lighting that illuminates the inside of cabinets adds the final glow to the room.
Replaced Recessed Lighting With Flush Mount Lighting
Replacing some of the canned lighting with flush-mount fixtures can help a room feel more inviting and custom. These additional fixtures will create a more designed aesthetic and lend to a warm and inviting atmosphere.
