Say hello to eating outdoors this summer
It's time to move your activities out in the open air! Even if city living and work limit your choices, long evenings offer plenty of time t...
How many times have you switched off the ‘big light,’ to turn on a few lamps and candles, and felt like half of your day’s troubles have just fizzled away?
Loads, right? Well there’s a rhyme and reason to it. Because of the way the receptors in our eyes work, light has a direct effect on our mood. A lack of it makes us sad, and more of it lifts us up.
We can’t stop it getting dark in the winters, but we can make sure what’s waiting for us at home can brighten our spirits. So let’s talk about lighting.
Credits: @ninageeathome
Layering your lights: the rule of 3
Rooms aren’t designed to have a one switch wonder; it’s actually recommended that a room has between 7 and 10 light sources (depending on its size). This doesn’t mean every room in your house should be so bright you could do a photoshoot in it, and it doesn’t mean having all the lights on at the same time. It just means there should be layers to your lights:
1. General lighting creates a room overview (AKA: ‘the big light’). It’s normally a ceiling light that aims to cover the whole room, leaving no shadows. Even from the small snippet of @homeatthewalk_1’s room we can see in the pic below, you can tell the warm general lighting makes the whole room feel cosy!
Credits: @homeatthewalk_1
2. Task lighting is next. It can be anything from spotlights above your hob to a floor lamp next to your reading chair. They help you do things! @1_farm_drive’s desk lamp makes every WFH moment 100% productive....right? 👀
Credits: @1_farm_drive
3. Mood lighting is the finishing touch. You might use small lamps to create hubs of shadowed light, fairy lights to illuminate a part of your wall, or candles (LED ones or the real deal) to make things cosy, like @farbverknallt has done.
Credits: @farbverknallt
What to look for in lights
The right Kelvin
The visual temperature of a light is measured in Kelvin. Warm lights (low Kelvins) feel relaxing and appear more orangey, whereas cold lights (higher Kelvins) are brighter, and can be a preference for productivity.
Energy efficiency
Energy bills are nobody’s friend, so let’s help each other save wherever we can.
We recommend LEDs over incandescent bulbs. In a nutshell, LEDs use way less energy. If you’ve got incandescent bulbs fitted, don’t panic. If the socket is the same size and type, you can use an IKEA LED bulb in the fixture you’ve got!
Bulb lifetime
How many people does it take to change a lightbulb? Don’t know, but it does take them too long and cost them too much. Which is why it’s easier to not do it very often.
Our #RYET and #LUNNOM bulbs have 10 year lifetimes, and #LEDARE and #TRÅDFRI bulbs have 20 years! (By the way, the estimated lifetime is based on the bulb being on for 3 hours a day)
Smart lights
Choosing lights based on the room’s purpose was a little more simple when our kitchen was for cooking and our bedroom was for sleeping. But now we take zoom calls at our counter and do workouts on our bedroom carpet.
We’re adapting our spaces, so it’s only fair we treat ourselves to having the right lighting at all times. Our experts suggest smart lights to double up the lights’ functions: you can play around with their temperature, colour, brightness, and timings.
Remember, if you’ve got any questions or queries about your lights, come in store and speak to one of our experts. Or pop a question in Ask Community!
What’s your go-to lighting set up? ⬇️💡
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