Holiday Home Lighting Tips

If you’re planning on hosting guests during the holidays this year, you may be thinking about all of the home improvements that you’d like to make before they arrive.  One aspect of home décor that can make a huge difference in both comfort and design is lighting.  Not only will the right lighting help make your guests comfortable, but optimal lighting can also help the host in daily preparations, providing an ideal holiday experience for everyone.
 We all know that holiday gatherings aren’t limited to one area of the home; oftentimes family and friends have a fairly predictable migration pattern throughout the day, so we’ve decided to give you some tips on how to best light those areas in which your guests will inevitably find themselves so you can be sure to impress them every step of the way. 

The Kitchen:
Let us begin with the room in which most holidays revolve around: the kitchen. It is the place where all of the magic happens so you want to make sure that you get all the details right.  A good way to ruin grandma’s famous pie is to mistake 1 teaspoon for 1 tablespoon; proper lighting could be the saving grace that prevents that catastrophe.
As many elements there are to a kitchen so too should there be lighting.  Multiple layers of lights will help the cook with duties at hand while highlighting architectural or design aspects of the space.   First and foremost, the kitchen needs ample and uniform distribution of general light.  This can be achieved by using several sources from different angles, which will help reduce shadows, or it can be accomplished with a few recessed fixtures overhead.  Ambient light will ensure that your kitchen has a clean, welcoming feel and that all aspects of the space are visible. 
When it comes to more detailed task work, such as food preparation or recipe attention, it’s important to have abundant lighting focused solely on the workspace.  If you’re working on your countertops, for example, under-cabinet lights are a great choice because there are multiple options to fit your needs; various sizes, shapes, light source type, and output color temperature are available. With some versatile LED tape you can set the light to a crisp white color while you’re showing off your knife skills and then a warmer, more subtle tone on your down time.
If you have a kitchen island, consider adding some lighting over it to create a welcoming space for your guests to indulge in conversation with the cook.  The options here are endless, it just depends on your personal taste and the modernity and style of your kitchen.  If your kitchen is more up-to-date, pendant lights are a smart choice because they can add an interesting design element.  Small chandeliers have the same effect, but they are a more of a classical option.

The Dining Room:
The dining room is considered one of the more traditional rooms of a house and it’s common to have a hanging fixture above the dining room table.  Whether it’s a traditional chandelier or pendant light, this fixture will likely be the focal point of the room so choose according to your style.  If you decide to go with one of these options, it’s important to determine the size of the fixture or chandelier in relation to your table and room.  As a general rule of thumb, the fixture should be at least 1 foot smaller in diameter than the table.  The luminaire should be hung 30-34 inches above the dining table for a room with a ceiling height of 8 feet.  If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, add 3 inches (per extra foot) to the hanging height.  Lastly, the piece should be positioned at the center of the table unless you’re using two smaller fixtures, in which case they should be positioned at even distances across the table.  
The primary rule in dining room lighting is to make the space functional while keeping light out of diner’s eyes.  Down lights, recessed or otherwise, can create necessary pools of light at each place setting, while a hanging piece provides low level light for ambience.  Supplementary to the main elements, wall sconces are common additions in a dining room.  You can use these to flank a sideboard, cabinet, or mirror for a decorative flare.  Buffet lamps can also be used to provide a nice balance and an extra layer to the lighting in your dining room.  The proper lighting in this space should make the food and decorations look magnificent.  One of the best ways to do this is to set your lights on dimmers so you can control the feeling being produced by the light and change the functionality of it, as well.  While you’re setting the table, you may want bright lights but when your guests are preparing to sit, you can dim the lights for a calming mealtime ambience.

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