Five Common Lighting Mistakes to Avoid

While there are plenty of ways you can bring new life to your home through lighting design, there are also some common mistakes to avoid. 

If there seems to be a void or a piece missing in your home's lighting design, here are five common lighting mistakes to consider:

1. No Control Over Your Lights
It might sound simple enough, but light dimmers, motion sensors, timers and automated systems all help you stay in control of your lighting. When you're unsure if the room is too dark or too bright, dimmers help you solve the problem with a middle ground. Moods change, and so should your lighting. Additionally, having better control of your lights will help you save on your energy bills. The track lighting in this photo by WAC Lighting are fully adjustable and allow the homeowner to control the levels of light throughout the day.

2. Light Fixture is Not the Right Size
Another common mistake in home lighting design is using the wrong sized fixture. For example, when homeowners use too small of a chandelier in the dining room or bulky desk lamps in the living room, everything can seem disproportionate.

The best way to prevent buying irregular fixtures is by measuring them in the showroom and consulting a trained lighting professional before purchasing. Eyeballing is tough in showrooms because fixtures tend to look smaller with the larger space of the room. However, a lighting expert will be able to help you avoid purchasing something that won't work in your space.

3. Wall Paint Colors Don't Match the Fixture
When you try multiple different lighting fixtures in a single room, but still can't find the right light, it's likely due to the paint color on your wall. Even though this might seem obvious, slightly different hues in the lighting fixture and the color of paint can do different things. Usually, lighter colors work better with brighter fixtures.

4. There's Too Much Furniture in the Room
While having too much furniture in a room seems like it has nothing to do with lighting, it actually makes all the difference. In fact, the color and abundance of furniture can dictate the brightness of a fixture by having certain colors or items to bounce off of. The more items there are, the likelier your light will create shadows. With fewer items and brighter colored furniture, the light will bounce efficiently, illuminating the room.

5. Not Using Energy Efficient Bulbs
Homeowners are still slowly adopting new LED light bulbs, but these bulbs actually provide you with a better range of light. LEDs work off a larger temperature scale, which allows you to get better warm and cool colors.

Visit an ALA Showroom to speak with a trained professional to ensure you're avoiding all of these common lighting mistakes in your home.