For New Homeowners: 5 Things to Consider Before Buying Your Lights
Lights are an underrated but important aspect of any home. New homeowners are often swept up in other aspects of interior design, such as choosing furniture or picking a colour theme for their home. Only to find that the bog-standard basic lights they’ve chosen do not provide the warm, cosy environment they are looking for in a place.
So, it’s clear that you shouldn’t forget about the effects of lighting when designing your new home — but what exactly should you be looking out for? Here are 5 things you need to consider before buying lights.
Understand the Different Types of Lights
Lights are more than just bulbs and LEDs. There is a dizzying amount of styles and variations to choose from. To prevent yourself from getting overloaded with information, do a little bit of research and familiarise yourself with the common types of lights and their terminology. This will help when speaking to a salesperson so they can better understand what you’re talking about.
To get you started, here are the different types of lights to start of.
1. Downlight
The downlight, as the name implies, refers to any type of lighting that points downwards onto a space or object. These types of lights are versatile can be used for general ambient lighting, task or accent lighting anywhere in the home.
They are typically recessed into a false ceiling for a flushed look that is both clean and modern, as only the light is visible while the fixture is hidden.
That said, there are times where the light housing itself is so beautifully designed and you want it out in the open as a showpiece. In this case, you can also install the downlight in the open, such as this LuminaWall Downlight from Light Makers.
2. Pendant
If you think big fancy lights, your first thought might assume they are chandeliers you see in grand halls. While luxurious to have, they are not exactly a practical choice for the modern homeowner who seeks fine aesthetic but also something easy to maintain. Pendant lights are decorative and functional fixtures that hang directly above to light up a specific area. Their most common use is presenting a standout accent piece at spaces where you entertain your guests as a conversational piece.
Just imagine this CosmoCanopy Pendant sitting pretty above your dining table. Perfect for minimalist, Scandinavian or industrial-themed homes and flexible in size.
3. Wall Lamps
Wall lamps are lights affixed to a wall to provide side illumination rather than from above. They’re great ambient lights and come in many snazzy designs that help them look like wall decorations rather than just plain lamps — such as this contemporary LuxeGlow Wall Light or BalloonSphere Wall Light which will make a fun addition to a child’s room.
Measure the Size of Your Room
Lights often come with specifications that tell you how powerful the light is (commonly measured in Wattage but more accurately in Lumens) and the area it is able to illuminate. Measurements like the overall size of the room and your ceiling height are important metrics to take note of when choosing a light to buy. Sharing this info with an experienced local lighting store like Light Makers, will help you have a better idea of how many lights you need for the room, and also pick out a fixture that is proportional to the size of the room you are installing it in.
Consider the Light’s Function and Flexibility
Where and what are you using the light for? Is it a bathroom where you need to see clearly for specific tasks such as putting on make-up and getting ready for work, or for safety reasons to assist elderly members of the household? There are 3 main colour temperatures that guide certain functions: warm white (colour temperature 2700-3000k), cool white (colour temperature 4000k) and daylight (colour temperature 6000-6500k).
Warm white, unlike brighter colour temperatures, does not suppress your body’s melatonin. It is great for a space like a bedroom, where you want to be comfortable, rest and recuperates. Cool white, on the other hand, is perfect for making everything brighter and visible while improving your concentration. It is a great choice for your kitchen, where you need to stay alert with knives and fire. Daylight colour temperature is the brightest and used for when you need a room to be productive with full clarity and contrast. It is great for spaces like your home office, or if you’re hosting a discussion in your living room and need a brightly lit environment.
To create a cosy ambience for the living room, Dimmability is an added useful feature which allows you to control its brightness that will also work best in bedrooms to tune into different moods.
Consider Your Design Theme
What’s your interior design style? Contemporary? Scandinavian? Minimalist? Industrial? Make sure the light you choose compliments your home’s aesthetic. Lighting is often taken for granted in the past to simply fulfill its purpose of providing light. It is however a critical element present in every living and working space with high visibility.
Downlights with exposed tracks are a great way to add a bit of contrast to a bare concrete wall in an industrial themed home. At the same time, minimalist homes typically choose to opt for recessed lights to ensure consistent clean lines across the room. The last thing you want is for it to stand out like an eyesore. If unsure, ask your interior designer for his or her opinion if the light you choose matches.
Your Budget and Timeline
Set a fixed budget for your lights to narrow down your options and be upfront about it whenever you enter a lighting store. In this budget, don’t just look at the cost of the fixtures alone too. You might have to add potential costs for additional electrical points or wiring to accommodate the lights you choose, and those costs should be factored into your budget too. If you’re unsure, speaking to an electrician and providing them with a visual mock of what you wish will help them assess and provide a quote more accurately.
If you are buying your lights online, do consider how long it will take to arrive, and whether that time is going to keep your project on schedule. The probability of delay and/or breakage is high when buying lights online and it creates added stress (and money) to rectify. Depending on the retailer, ready stock fixtures can ship in a few days, but made-to-order ones can take weeks depending on the complexity.
With all that has been said, so where should you go to pick up stylish lights with warranty assured for your home? Light Makers carries the widest range of modern and contemporary designs. From designer-inspired lights to downlights, pendants, wall lights, table lamps and even outdoor lighting — there’s surely something just for you.
Their price-match guarantee promises to beat any verifiable (or equivalent) quote for your desired light offered at a lower price by any online or other local lighting stores.
- Browse entire online store here.
- Download their extensive catalogues here.
- Request for a customised light of your own here.