Reports show that 29% of American homes are turning away from incandescent lighting. While many are focusing on other lighting options for their home.

Lighting is so important in a home, when it comes to comfort and visual appeal. That is why the lighting design process is so important for contractors.

You need to make sure you follow the correct steps to create a home or even commercial lighting design. This is more complex than you may think since there are several factors to consider.

Keep reading to find out more about the lighting design process that you need to follow.

1. Finding the Requirements

The requirements for an ambient lighting design are something that you need to consider. Every space is going to have different requirements for adequate lighting.

Some spaces may require more light than others, such as a bathroom. This is a space where brighter lights are often preferred as well that you won’t find in other areas.

A living room needs to have lighting that reaches all corners of the room. You will need to consider the layout of the living room and where lights would be most useful.

You may also need to consider focal lighting and design it for specific areas. High-traffic areas of the home may be best with specialty lighting that the rest of the house doesn’t have.

Depending on the design of the home, you may run into some issues here. Things like ceiling fans and slanted ceilings can all interfere with the lighting design process.

2. Choosing the Lighting Method

When you have considered your lighting design ideas for the space, the next step comes to play. You need to determine the method of lighting that you will use.

There is a huge variety of options when it comes to the types of lighting for a home. There are recessed downlights, surface-mounted, indirect, and direct options just to name a few.

You will need to step back and consider the space before choosing the method of lighting. You will also want to take into consideration the windows in the home.

Natural lighting and artificial lighting should create a nice balance together. Areas of the home with more windows may not require as direct lighting as other rooms.

The method of lighting is also going to directly impact the look of the home. The design of the home should be considered so that the lighting complements it.

3. Choosing the Equipment

One of these lighting design tips is to choose the equipment early on. Once you have decided on the lighting method, you should choose the equipment you will need.

This could include things like color characteristics, size, lifetime, light output, and so on. There are so many different kinds of equipment that you will need to pick from.

You will need to take into consideration the home and the rooms the lights will go in. Certain rooms may require specific types of equipment to be effective.

4. Determine the Shape of the Space

Part of the lighting design process is determining the shape of the space you are working with. No home is going to have the same design as another when it comes to shapes and sizing.

This is extremely important when you are putting in lights for a home. You will not be able to create a balance if you are not considering that individual space.

For instance, in bedrooms, lights are usually placed in the center of the room to create a nice effect. For a room like a kitchen, lights are usually spaced out more.

You also need to consider how the light is going to fill the room once installed. For oddly shaped rooms, you may need to add more lighting so that there are no shaded areas.

A room that is perfectly square will not require as much lighting. These are just things that you need to consider so that every room of the home is adequately lit.

5. Pick the Control Systems

The control system for the home lighting is usually one of the last things to decide on. This is important since it impacts how convenient the lighting is.

Most homes have control systems that consist of multiple switches for the lights. A room may have two switches for the same light depending on how large it is.

You should also consider the convenience and where the switches should be. For bedrooms, light switches are usually right near the door so that you can turn on the light when you walk in.

For something like a hallway, you may want to add it to individual light switches. One at the entrance of the hallway and one where you are exiting the hallway.

More and more homes are starting to use smart light switches as well. These are motion sensor switches that turn on and turn off automatically.

You may need to walk through the home to get an idea of where the control systems should be. This will help you to decide where they will be most useful for the homeowner.

Step-by-Step Lighting Design Process

If you are going to be installing a home lighting design, there are certain steps to follow. The lighting design process requires that you take several things into consideration.

Home lighting requires the right balance for it to be visually captivating and efficient.

Do you need to find lighting options and lighting or electrical equipment?

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