With shorter days approaching, it's essential to enhance the lighting in your home to maintain a cozy atmosphere in the evening. Designers recommend several key changes to ensure your space remains well-lit and inviting as darkness falls.
Adjust Your Home’s Lighting Schedule
Utilize technology by programming an automated lighting system to adjust for winter, suggests designer Tracy Morris. She advises setting the system to gradually raise indoor lights earlier in the afternoon, helping ease the transition from daylight. For those without such systems, simply turning on lamps around 3:30 p.m. can keep your home feeling bright as natural light diminishes.
Use Layers of Lighting
Incorporate a layered lighting approach to avoid harshness from overhead fixtures, according to Morris. The aim is to create a welcoming environment that shifts to a softer, relaxing vibe in the evening. She highlights the importance of using 2700K bulbs for a warmer atmosphere. Ashley Macuga, a designer at Studio Collected, favors brass sconces as part of this layering. Placing them at eye level in dining areas can enhance the ambiance.
Consider Small Lamps
Designer Brooke Mennen-Talsma emphasizes the impact of small lamps throughout the home. Areas like bathtub ledges and window sills can benefit from these fixtures, creating charming pockets of light that contribute to a warm, cozy environment.
Illuminate the Exterior
Proper exterior lighting is also vital as evenings darken. Shannon Kadwell, kitchen and bath director at Anthony Wilder Design/Build, recommends warm-tone bulbs for outdoor sconces to create a welcoming path to your front door. She suggests adding low-voltage path lighting or soft uplighting around landscape features to enhance visibility and comfort.
These adjustments can help ensure that your home remains bright and inviting during the darker months ahead.
