Develop a Custom Lighting Plan with Ease

Today, it’s possible to get a custom lighting plan that caters to your individual needs, even if you’re working with a production home builder. There is no longer any need to settle for the “standard electrical package,” with no thought given to the way you actually live. But, before you begin, it helps to have a basic idea of what a custom lighting plan can accomplish. The best modern homes are full of light from natural sources. Large windows not only provide a window to the views, but they act as “mood-modifiers,” allowing a home’s residents to benefit from the natural effects of sun, daylight and landscaping. Those are the things, along with fresh air, exercise and healthy diet, that psychologists and medical professionals term essential for happiness and lasting wellness. The effectiveness of your home’s interior light also affects mood and lifestyle.

The Basics of Home Lighting The three basic types of lighting are:

• General Ilumination
• Specific task lighting
• Accent lighiting

Each has a specific reason for being, and rooms usually don’t feel complete until there is at least one example of each type of lighting installed. For instance, in most rooms you want some sort of general lighting to come on as you open the door and flip the switch. It might be light from a simple recessed can or ceiling-mount fixture in a small bathroom or in a large closet. One the other hand, in some rooms you might want that “first impression light to be from a unique pendant or a small lamp. Then there is the light necessary to make each room usable for specific tasks. Task lighting for a kitchen must shed proper light in the right places — over the sink or on a chopping block, to be sure. Task lighting is important for a child’s play area or at an office desk, for shaving and applying makeup. There are many other needs for specific lighting. Finally, there are the accents: decorative lamps, night lights, wall sconces to light a hallway, and dining table chandeliers.

Working With a Professional Lighting Designer

A professional lighting designer considers, with extensive input from each client, not only the fixtures that will grace each room, but also the electrical plugs, switches, dimmers, and capabilities that you take for granted. As you work to finalize your electrical needs for a new home, analyze your technology requirements and your “convenience quotient” as well. How often do you arrive home with your arms too full to flip a switch? Consider motion-activated fixtures both for outdoor safety and for interior ease. Count the computers and electronic devices that your family uses. What about charging stations, surge protectors and built-in speakers? Do you want to integrate your lighting systems to be monitored and controlled from a remote location? Or would you like the capability to program your lights (and your coffeepot) for early morning activity? The right lighting professional will help you sort out all your wishes so that your new home is the perfect expression of your lifes