Spring is officially here and the beautiful sunshine has been hanging around longer and longer each day. This is the perfect time of year to enhance your in-home lighting plan. Everyone knows that sunshine exposure effects people’s (can affect a person’s) mood, but did you know indoor lighting can also have an effect?

Whether you are remodeling your current home or building a new one, the layout of your lighting should never be an afterthought. You need to create a lighting plan to achieve the best atmosphere in your home. Consider these steps when developing the perfect home lighting plan.

1. Red Versus Blue Lighting

The color of light has a profound effect on our mood as well as our health. A study conducted by Harvard concluded that blue lighting has the ability to suppress the secretion of melatonin. This is an important fact since our electronic devices have blue tones. Exposure to this blue toned lighting at night is linked to several types of health problems such as cancers, diabetes and obesity. You can counter act this effect by adding yellow or red-toned lighting to the areas of your home where you enjoy relaxing in the evening.

2. Quantity of Lighting

The height of the ceilings, size of the room, and tasks performed in that area all affect the amount of lumens needed for proper functionality. Often homeowners initially choose lighting during the day when sunlight is pouring into the home. This may mean a poorly lit space on gloomy days, in the evening, or early morning. Consider adding additional lighting to your space to provide a warm, welcoming feeling even when the sun is not readily available.

3. Task Lighting

Homeowners spend countless hours folding laundry, washing dishes, and doing other daily tasks in their homes. Enhancing these spaces with task lighting can make your chore easier to see and easier on your eyes, which will and perhaps make it just a smidge more enjoyable. Consider adding task lighting in areas that you will be using regularly such as above the counter, next to your washer and dryer, or perhaps over your kitchen sink.

4. Lighting to Define Your Room

Lighting is also a great way to accent the areas of your home that you love! Your lighting should help further the design and style of your space. If you have a stunning dining room don’t sell the space short by only lighting it with a single chandelier. A single lighting source can cause undesirable shadowing. Instead consider having multiple sources of light such as wall sconces or table-top lighting on your hutch. If there is art in the space, accentuate it with additional lighting as well! A space with multiple sources of warm and inviting lighting can change the mood of a room instantly.

Now that spring is here, it is the perfect time to consider complimenting the beautiful sunshine outside by adding mood enhancing lighting inside your home. It is always best to have a mixture of warm lighting as well as a cool or neutral light available. Also having a variety of lighting sources in any space can make a room more inviting and beautiful.