Using lighting and fireplaces to create a warmer feeling home
Make Your Home More Welcoming With Lighting and Fireplaces
Your home is your castle, and most of us want our friends to also feel at home in our castles. While paint and furnishings are selected with great care and thought, the lighting in our homes is often neglected. However, more than paint color or sofa selection, the proper lighting and use of a fireplace can be what really makes your home feel warmer and more welcoming.
Bright lights may be fantastic for sewing or doing other detailed work, but they are not recommended for general ambience. Having lights that are too glaring and bright can make your home feel as if it is under a microscope. When the home is clean and tidy, that light can make it feel sterile and barren, regardless of how welcoming the furnishings may be. When the home is less than clean, with some clutter on the counters, that same lighting can act as a spotlight, highlighting ever flaw in your furniture or house-keeping skills. A room that is large suddenly seems empty, and a room that is too small suddenly seems claustrophobic.
However, soft lighting can change all of these impressions. Lamps can be used strategically around a room to highlight certain things. Anything in your house can be complimented with the right lighting. The light should be bright enough to be able to see in, but soft enough that it does not hurt the eyes. Track lighting and adjustable ceiling lights give you the option of highlighting certain areas for added interest. When placing lamps, think about how the light will shine not only from the bottom of the lamp, but from the top as well. A lamp placed underneath artwork can be very effective at drawing attention to that art, even as it softens the edges of the room.
Large rooms can be made to feel cozy and welcoming by placing the lamps towards the center of the room. Smaller rooms can feel larger when the lamps are placed in the outer corners. Very clean homes will appear clean and welcoming, rather than sterile and intimidating. Slightly messy homes will enjoy the benefit of having the mess become less noticeable.
Fireplaces also make a room more inviting. Whether the fireplace is wood burning, gas, or an electric one is irrelevant. There is simply something very calming and soothing about watching a fire. Walking into a home that has a fire burning in the fireplace is always more inviting, regardless of the size of home or expense of the furnishings.
Take the time to shop for lamps when you are out. Switch your existing bulbs to a lower wattage. Think about track lighting in kitchens and family rooms. All of these steps will help you to adjust the lighting in your home to the perfect, warm, welcoming level.