Five Ways to Create Light Layers in a Room

Over the past couple of years I have been exploring a curious Danish lifestyle outlook called “hygge”. Winters up north are long, cold, and dark…and yet the population is said to be one of the happiest in the world! What a bunch of weirdos, right?! But they seem to have learned a trick to cope with the long winters indoors. At the heart of this whole “hygge” thing is the idea that your life is enriched by surrounding yourself with simple things that bring you joy. As it pertains to interiors, this means lots of cozy decor that keeps you feeling safe, warm, and invited.

Before I get into the five ways you can create layers of light in your interior space, let me first just make a quick side note about color temperature and lighting. If your goal is to create a cozy space through lighting (which I assume it is, since you are reading this article) make sure to stay on the warmer end of the spectrum. Cooler lights tend to negatively affect mood (think of the blue light from computers) and disrupt sleep patterns. Light color is measured with the Kelvin scale—2000K-3000K range is the warmer more yellow range, 3100K-4500K is the white/blue range, and over 4500K is the “daylight range. Keep these ranges in mind as you’re making lighting choices, sticking to the lower end of the Kelvin spectrum for the softer, warmer lighting that will make your interior glow during the cold winter months.

All good lighting plans start with having a good grasp of how natural light enters your interior, the idea being to utilize as much free natural light as possible before turning on the lights. Electricity is not cheap these days!

You should be familiar with your home’s orientation for a couple of reasons…First, if you grow houseplants you will need to understand where they will “live” in your home and how much light they will receive to help them grow. Second—and the subject of this article—you will need to understand how to best utilize the natural light in your home to minimize dependence on artificial lights and the electric bills associated with their usage. Natural light is free don’t forget!

My personal opinion is that every room should have at least one overhead source of lighting. It just makes sense for general functions and traveling through a space. In addition to overhead lighting though, lamps and wall sconces can also serve as general lighting. General lighting simply serves the purpose of allowing you to see for basic functions, movement, and wayfinding, and can be as simple or elaborate as your budget permits. Ideally, general lighting should illuminate most of the space as evenly as possible.

Task lighting is exactly how it sounds—lighting that allows you see without straining when trying to complete specific tasks. This could be a desk lamp in an office or under the cabinet strip lighting in the kitchen, for instance. Task lighting used in conjunction with general overhead lighting will illuminate a small space better, facilitating work that requires attention to details.

Specialty lighting is that extra layer of lighting that takes things up a notch in your lighting scheme, usually used for dramatic visual effect. Use this added layer of lighting to illuminate decor or architectural elements and create visually appealing light pools on walls and floors. Examples of specialty lighting might include picture lighting for artwork, track and monorail lighting on ceilings, and up-lighting along walls, steps, and columns.

Mood lighting isn’t a specific type of light fixture, rather it is a careful combination of ambient and specialty lighting, natural light, lamps, wall sconces, and decorative lighting options. You could even light up or turn on a fireplace for that additional cozy ambiance. Your main lighting (like ceiling pendants) might have dimmer switches to bring the lights down to a moodier more relaxing level. Lamps might have options for lower light settings. And then there are candles (both real and LED), battery operated fairy strands, and warm white Christmas light strands. You could even incorporate a variety of special LED colored lighting options or even black light. It really all depends what type of mood you are looking to achieve.

Related blogs you may want to read:
Eight tips for assessing natural light in your home
Six tips to lighten up a dark room
Does bringing nature into the home actually improve your mood?
How to reupholster a dining room chair in 9 simple steps
Eight tips for creating spring vignettes
A spring decor makeover for my small rental bathroom
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Eight health benefits of decorating with plants
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Nine hygge decor ideas
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Eight ways to create cozy winter interiors after the holiday decor comes down
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