From setting a mood and highlighting a room’s strengths to creating depth, improving functionality and regulating sleeping cycles, lighting is key.

But how do you plan a room’s lighting design? Use these tips, from installing window blinds on your Raleigh, NC home to choosing a mood and function, to create a good lighting design plan

• What’s the Light Like? – What’s the light in the space like already? The natural light in a room changes throughout the day and depending on the direction the windows are facing. Afternoon sun can be hot and intense, morning light is warm. North and south facing windows offer steadily regulated lighting during the day while East and West windows let in sharp slants of light and total shadow depending on the time of day.
• What are Your Light Resources? – What light sources and fixtures do you have to work with? Once you know what you have you can make adjustments as needed. You can add a dimmer switch to a lamp or install window treatments like window blinds. Blinds are like dimmers for natural light, allowing you to control the amount of natural light that comes into a room depending on how you adjust them. You can also install or remove windows as needed.
• Highlight Key Features – You can use lighting to highlight the best parts of a room and downplay the parts you don’t like as much. You can put a bright lamp by your favorite chair and angle it away from that corner that has all the kid’s toys or point a spotlight at that gorgeous piece of artwork. Don’t forget to light for function, too. Game tables or project spaces need bright light.
• What’s the Mood? – Different rooms necessitate different moods. For example, bedrooms should be cozy and relaxing while kitchen should be bright and cheerful. The lighting in a space has a big impact in its mood, so decide what you want the mood of your room to be before you make any lighting plans.
• What is the Function? – Similarly, the room’s function is also deeply tied to its lighting. Kitchens need to be bright and light for chopping, cooking and other daily tasks, while bedrooms need to have control over the light for sleeping and waking cycles. The same principles apply to TV rooms that need dim light to reduce glare or studies with plants or other light-sensitive items that need more or less sunlight.
• Variety is Vital – The eyes get tired if there’s no variety in a room’s lighting. Incorporate variety of light in the form of shadows, highlights and lowlights throughout the room by installing different kinds of window blinds, lamps and other lighting fixtures.

Kiwi Designs, Fine Blinds & Shutters is here to help with more design tips or information on Raleigh, NC window blinds. We have a long history of expert work and can help you design, choose and install the perfect window blinds to make your lighting design come to life. Call or visit us today to learn more.