Lighting Design: Choosing Light Fixtures for a New Home

Building a new home is both exhilarating and daunting. Few things are as exciting as building a home from scratch, made to spec. It's rewarding to be able to choose everything from flooring, to plumbing, paint colors, appliances and light fixtures. Building a home is the ultimate opportunity to express style while meeting specific needs.

Lighting design may be something a homeowner has never before considered. This is particularly true if it's the first new home he or she has ever built. Light fixtures are first and foremost functional items. They provide the illumination that is necessary to go about daily life. Nevertheless, they do not have to be purely utilitarian. Light fixtures can be both functional and decorative. They can enhance the quality of a home and even add to its overall value. Choosing light fixtures knowledgeably can pay off in terms of quality of life and resale value. The following three considerations are the most important when it comes to choosing light fixtures for a new home:

* Choose light fixtures based on need/use. Evaluate each room in terms of the type of activity that will take place there. The kitchen is a prime example of form versus function in lighting design. Smaller kitchens may be able to get away with one light fixture in the center of the room. Larger kitchens, however, may require several banks of light fixtures. Track lighting can be useful in small kitchens even though it's more commonly associated with other rooms. Track lights allow you to adjust light positions to aim light where it's needed most. Remember to think about those areas of the kitchen that may need directed light for working purposes. The stove is usually one of these places. Another may be countertops where food preparation will take place. Apply these same principles to all rooms in the home. This will help you determine which type of light fixtures will be necessary and how many. It's okay to have light fixtures that are mainly for decorative purposes (such as sconce lights). However, be sure to supplement those with directed lighting.

* Choose lighting design based on the style of the home. Light fixtures should complement the style of the home's interior. For example, a contemporary home interior features clean, straight lines. Light fixtures in a contemporary home or room should do the same.

* Think about energy costs when choosing light fixtures. The cost of energy used to be an afterthought when it came to lighting design. This trend is changing considerably. Even those with deep pockets are concerned with the impact that energy use has on our environment. Just because a homeowner can afford to be extravagant with lighting design doesn't mean he should be. It's possible to achieve beauty, ambiance and value without doing extra damage to the environment. Homeowners should compare their budgets with the projected cost of energy use with any light fixtures they consider. They should also strive to be as energy-efficient as possible.

Homeowners can come up with a suitable lighting design once these priorities have been identified and determined. It may seem that a lot of factors are at play. However, it's possible even for the novice to choose light fixtures that are complementary and functional at the same time.