Decorating With Light

One of the most important elements in home interior decorating is home lighting. It is instrumental in setting the mood of any room. McKelvey Homes features the latest in lighting design and we can help guide you in choosing fixtures that fit your style, budget, enhance your architectural features and with new codes requiring LED lighting they are energy efficient and functional.

To ensure you create the right effect in every room, you should understand the four basic types of home lighting:

– Ambient or general lighting illuminates the whole room. Examples of ambient lighting are recessed, cove lighting, soffit lighting, valance lighting, wall light, sconces, surface-mounted lights, pendant lights, track lights, chandeliers, under-cabinet lights and portable fixtures. It’s a good idea to install a dimmer with your track and recessed lights so that you have the flexibility to adjust the brightness.

– Task lighting provides sufficient light to help you perform the task at hand, for example cooking, office/school work, reading, putting on makeup, etc. Task lighting should be glare free and it should make things easy to see without tiring or straining your eyes. Examples of task lighting are valance lighting, recessed lighting, pendant lights and under-cabinet lights. Since the kitchen has evolved as a social gathering place, multiple layers of function and ambience are necessary. One popular choice is using pendant lights, often set in a row over kitchen islands or dinettes.

– Accent lighting is focused lighting that is used to illuminate an object in your home like a sculpture, piece of art, or architectural element. Accent lighting is about three times as bright as ambient lighting. Examples of accent lighting are wall washers, sconces, track lights and under-cabinet lights. You can easily enhance the look of a room by using accent lighting to illuminate a decorative wall, bring focus to certain pieces of furniture like a wine cabinet, bookcase or curio. A great finishing touch to any space is wall sconces which create another light source and bring charm and style to the space.

– Natural lighting comes through windows and doors and depending on the time of day, season, or weather, it can vary in brightness and intensity.

Lighting is one of the key elements that helps make your house a home. The proper lighting enables you to perform tasks easily, makes you feel safer and more comfortable, and allows you to enjoy your home at its full potential. Each room, however, has specific and unique general and accent lighting needs. For more information about choosing the right fixtures for your new McKelvey Home, see our experienced community sales managers or to see the newest in LED lighting visit The Villages of Provence in St. Charles City or Muirfiled Manor in O’Fallon.