Providing a soft glow that will prevent stubbed toes and stumbles in your new home hallway lighting has never been easier. Effective lighting will keep you safe, but it can also make a personal statement and add to your pleasure. No matter how subtle or dramatic you choose to be, you can create pools of light in all the right places to light up your life, enhance the architecture and illuminate your surroundings in unique ways.
Hallway Lighting Dual Considerations: Safety and Utility
There is little reason to rely solely on recessed ceiling lights. Hallway lighting can be installed in the floor and on the walls as well; each location can serve a specific purpose and all can be dazzlingly appropriate. In every area of your home, from entry foyer to basement staircase, here are eight ideas you might want to consider as you get down to the nitty-gritty of planning your home’s electrical needs and decorative lighting:
1. Motion Activated Lights. If you’ve ever had to “feel your way” to the hallway light switch in the middle of the night, why not install some subtle motion-activated lighting at floor level. Spaced at intervals along the length of the hallway, it’s especially helpful in a hall leading from bed rooms to a bathroom.
2. Soft Glow Indicator for Dimmers. At the very least, select wall switches (preferably dimmers) that emit a soft glow so that you can find them easily even in the dark of night.
3. Uplighting. Consider wall sconces to soften the light and add attractive design elements to a hallway. Uplighting can make a narrow hallway seem more spacious, and sconces that aim light both up and down create a balanced effect.
4. ‘Eyeball’ Lights. Use eyeballs or directed spots to light artwork in a hallway or foyer in addition to simple recessed downlights.
5. Motion Detectors. Add motion detectors or door jamb switches to make lighting up passageways trouble free even when you’re carrying things. This can be especially helpful and convenient for hallways leading to the garage, or stairwells that lead to a basement or attic.
6. Step Lighting. For added drama in a hallway, or wherever there is a change in floor level, install in-floor or step lighting to highlight the path and call attention to potential danger spots.
7. Add a Chandelier. Call attention to high ceilings, and “humanize” an oversized space by adding a chandelier.
8. Lantern Lights. For an outdoor breezeway or a covered porch, patio or upstairs deck, consider lantern lights or pole lighting in addition to ceiling fixtures and floor or ground-level lighting to provide ample illumination at night.
Future Technology Comes Home
As you plan the electrical needs for your new home, be open to new products and the wide array of options that will help beautify your home, simplify your life and create the perfect environment for enjoyable living, no matter what season or time of day it may be.
At Aterra, we work with many of the world’s most innovative lighting and technology companies; we are confident that we can help you with all your home lighting needs. We specialize not only in innovative lighting techniques, but we can also assist with smart home technology and automation installations that will simplify your everyday lifestyle. We’ll help you find the right mix of technology and comfort, designing electrical solutions that exceed your expectations.
We work with architects, designers, builders and electrical contractors throughout the area. Are you ready to light up your life in the best way possible?