Lighting

 

The Dining Room Light Fixture

The lighting is up and I'm thrilled at how it turned out! The style throughout the house is contemporary.  We like a clean line and timeless look.  All the bulbs are either CFLs or LEDs to meet the green criteria.  This time choosing lighting proved to be a little more difficult then it's been in the past. I really thought through not only the look for each room, but how to light each space properly for how it's used.  Of course I went over budget, but in the long run I think we will be happy because lighting is very important in any space.  It sets the mood of the entire room and it makes you feel relaxed in your home. 

 

Kitchen Island Fixture

There are four different types of lighting: Ambient lighting which provides illumination for the whole room. Task lighting is just that, intended to help in completing a task.  Accent lighting focuses on illuminating an object like wall art or an element of your space. Natural lighting comes through windows depending on the time or weather and varies in intensity and brightness. I took a lot of time to make sure I addressed all these levels of lighting.  Tony designed the majority of our windows to be on the south side of the house allowing for the most natural light possible.  We have overhead recessed lighting spaced throughout each room as well as overhead lighting washing down the walls, sconces at eye level, task lighting under cabinets and accent lighting for artwork.  Each room seems to be bright and well lit when you want it to be and soft and subtle when you want to relax. 

To help gather options for each room I spent a lot of time on line shopping and reading as well as working with a lighting specialist at Ferguson Enterprises.  Dawn, the rep at Ferguson, was very helpful (and patient) when it came to finding me what I wanted style wise, while staying true to function and our budget. Well, close to budget anyway.   I highly recommend getting help from a pro when taking on a whole house.  In past houses we've built, I just picked our fixtures based on what we liked, not so much how it functioned.  With a little research and much thought, I feel like we have created spaces that fit the way we live and look amazing!



Sconce in the Dining Room