Everyone is making an effort to improve their homes for holiday entertaining. According to the American Lighting AssociationYou can make your home feel warm and inviting with updated ambient lighting.
Start with the outside.
Holidays often involve large gatherings. Therefore, outside lighting is crucial for creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere in your home.
“Landscape lighting can solve a lot of different problems,”Joe Rey-Barreau is an education consultant for ALA and associate professor at University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design.
Rey Barreau states that this could include path lighting to direct visitors to your home. He suggests LED lighting as it is more energy-efficient and lasts a longer time.
Brent Protzman, Manager of Energy Information and Analytics at Lutron ElectronicsYou can also find some tips for exterior lighting.
“To create a magnetic, inviting exterior, first provide general facade illumination to highlight the form of your home’s exterior and avoid dark areas near the main entrance,” Protzman says. “Adding landscape lighting to trees, shrubs and walkways is also welcoming.”
As they enter, be sure to welcome them.
Your guests will be spending some time in your entranceway as they attempt to remove winter coats and boots due to the snow and colder temperatures. You don’t want them wandering in the dark. Rick Wiedemer is president of Hinkley LightingAccording to the ADA, your foyer should always feature a central fixture.
“For a two-story foyer, use a large hanging fixture,” Wiedemer says. “A one-story foyer is going to have a nice flush or semi-flush decorative piece.”
Protzman as well as Rey-Barreau suggest dimmers.
“Having the entry lighting too intense can be uncomfortable after coming in from a dark exterior,” Protzman says. “Consider using a dimmer in an entryway to cut the intensity at night and reduce potential glare and discomfort.”
Warmen the atmosphere.
The only way to beat the cold outside is with your home heating system or fireplace. Warm atmospheres can be made possible by the color temperature of your lighting.
“We believe 2700 Kelvin is the most used and most pleasant,” Wiedemer explains. “It is most like normal outside lighting without looking into the sun.”
You can also use LED light bulbs to enhance ambient lighting. Some LEDs have a tunable feature that allows you to adjust the color temperature via a dial or smartphone app. You can also purchase color-changing LED products to adjust the theme to suit the holiday.
Visit a local ALA showroom or americanlightingassoc.com to learn more.
