GET GLOWING
Although many people worry about having
enough light, the biggest challenge is usually
avoiding glare, says Bunsa. Many houses have
can lights in the ceiling which flood a room with
light. Make sure those are on a dimmer, and
then add other fixtures and lamps that offer a
softer glow.
Rather than choosing a fixture that functions like
a spotlight, Bunsa says, “I always try to shop for
things that are more like glowing globes that are
a little bit warmer.”
“Lighting can make you uncomfortable if it’s too
bright,” she says.
Griffin agrees: For a more appealing effect, she
says, you might choose a fixture with several
bulbs that give off softer light, rather than just
one very bright bulb.
And when choosing bulbs, consider their color
temperature. “The goal for really good LEDs is
to mimic incandescent lighting,” Bunsa says.
“Incandescent lighting is on the warmer side of
the Kelvin scale — 2700-3000 Kelvin.” Bulbs in
the 4000 K range, she says, give very cold light.
“It makes a space feel a lot warmer if you go with
the warmer color temperature,” she says.
FRAME ONE AREA
Lighting can draw attention to your favorite art
or furnishings, says Griffin, and create a strategic
pool of light in one part of a room.
For a client in Atlanta, she added sconces to
the sides of kitchen cabinets to give light both
practical and beautiful around the kitchen
sink. She also suggests hard-wiring some light
fixtures into bookcases to showcase items on
the shelves and bring an extra glow.