As we approach the fall season, our designer brains are thinking about lighting. As the seasons shift, so does the light around us. It’s not just that the days are shorter, but the quality of light itself changes from summer to fall. It has a warmer, softer quality, and because the sun sits lower in the sky, shadows are deeper and longer. Lighting is one of the most important elements that shapes a space in design. As it shifts this season, it’s a great time to look around your home and take notice of where your space may need a shift, too.
Here are three lighting details to consider for your home this season:
1. Notice Where Your Home Needs More Light
As the days get shorter, you may start to notice corners and areas of your home that feel darker or more shadowy than they did a few months ago. Take a look around and notice where you could use a little more light. Sometimes, all it takes is adding an extra lamp or rearranging furniture to bring more light into a space and make it feel warmer and more inviting.
2. Refresh Your Lightbulbs
As the natural light shifts in the coming weeks, you may notice that some of the bulbs in your home suddenly feel too harsh or cool compared to the rest of the light in your space. Now’s the time to take notice of that shift and see where you may want to swap to a softer, warmer bulb. The right bulb can make a surprisingly big difference in how a room feels.
3. Rethink Which Lights You Use
Think about which lights you’re turning on and when. Overhead lighting can start to feel a little harsh once the sun starts setting, so try relying more on table lamps, sconces, and floor lamps after 5 PM. If you need to add another lamp to a room to create more layers of soft light, that’s okay! In this season, that will likely feel more comfortable and natural than using brighter overhead lights in the evening.
