Lockdown has us coming up with all sorts of different ways to keep ourselves entertained. We’ve been dusting off old board games, gathering around puzzles, and watching home movies, among other things. There is no doubt you’ve found ways to keep yourself busy, but the question is, do you have the right indoor lighting to get the most out of these home-based activities? Odds are, even after lockdown, you will still be staying at home the majority of the time for the foreseeable future. So with that in mind, why not invest in some quality lights for a better home experience? We’ve got a broad selection of LEDs for you to browse online. Explore our quality range.
Enjoy being at home with these Indoor lighting solutions:
LED bedside table lights
If you’ve been spending your free time at home reading books, magazines and newspapers, you are probably no stranger to the bedside table lamp. But is yours bright enough, tall enough, positioned properly, and emitting a pleasing colour temperature for easy reading? If not, keep the following tips in mind before buying a new reading light:
The light colour: Pick a reading light that mimics natural light, with a colour temperature of 4000K. This colour temperature will be easy on the eye as well as make your reading experience effortless. (Learn more about colour temperatures.)
The lamp brightness: Ask yourself, how many lumens does the lamp emit? A good reading lamp should emit at least 600 lumens.
The fixture size: If your bedside table is the same height as your mattress, your reading light should be the height of your bedside table, plus two to three inches. You want it to be tall enough to shine down on your book without casting a shadow or being too close to you and over-illuminating the pages.
The position of the on and off switch: When you’re lying in bed about to fall asleep, you won’t want to have to get up to switch off your reading lamp. That’s just a pain. So, pick a reading light fixture with a switch that is easy to access, and once set up, will not be further than an arm’s length away from you.
LED TV room lighting
The best TV room lighting? We would have to say the lighting that doesn’t get noticed – you know, the subtle type that doesn’t get in the way of your viewing experience. This is generally ambient ceiling light, illuminating the room from above. Alternatively, a great idea is to have LED strips behind the TV, allowing for enough light to get rid of TV’s glare whilst still keeping the room nice and cosy – Think cinema cosy. If you’ve got DSTV, Netflix, home movies, and DVDs to watch, you’ll feel frustrated if your TV room is too dark or too bright – trust us. So, here are some tips for choosing the perfect TV room lighting.
The light colour: A warm colour temperature is ideal for watching TV, as it is softer on the eye and doesn’t detract from the screen’s brightness.
The lamp brightness: The lighting shouldn’t be too bright in your TV room, as it will disturb the ambience of the relaxing environment. Having dimmable lights would be an ideal solution in this regard, so you can adjust the light brightness as you see fit.
The fixture size: Small downlights make effective TV room lights, as the fittings are unobtrusive and lay flush against the ceiling.
The number of lights: To determine how many downlights you need for your TV room, first work out its square footage (multiply its width by its depth). Then multiply the answer by 1.5 to determine the total wattage needed to light up the space. Lastly, take the wattage number you calculated and divide it by the wattage of your chosen downlight bulb. And voila! The number you end up with is the number of fittings you need, generally.
LED living room lighting
The living room is a communal space for communication and discussion – the ideal spot for family game night. So, when planning your next Scrabble or Monopoly session, consider the indoor lighting in the space. If you are going to be reading cards, doodling little pictures, spelling out words, and matching numbers, you’ll definitely want to see what’s going on. There are multiple lighting options for family rooms, like free-standing lamps, decorative ceiling fixtures, and dimmable downlights. But our favourites are, for sure, colourful rope lighting! They are the perfect mood lighting to finish off a lounge area – and the perfect touch to your exciting interactive evenings. Here are tips for using rope lights at home:
The light colour: Go wild – but within reason! If your lounge is already a colourful space, we recommend you stick with shades of Cool White and Warm White for your rope lighting. If your lounge is neutral, however, then feel free to explore colourful rope lights in blue, red, amber, magenta, and green.
The light placement: There is no ‘right way’ to display ambient indoor lighting. You can install your rope lights wherever you want – for example, around cabinets, the skirting boards, and ceiling perimeter.
The light spacing: Now, this really depends on the effect you are trying to achieve. But when it comes to statement lighting like rope lights, we would argue that less is more.
Is your indoor lighting improving home activities?
If not, we can help you out. Take a look at our premium range of LED lights and upgrade your indoor lighting to better suit your current lifestyle. For more information about our products and delivery schedules, get in touch with us.