The Importance of Lighting in Interior Design

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This post is sponsored by Babbleboxx on behalf of Soraa. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hello my friends! Today I want to talk about one of the most overlooked design elements of a home: lighting. The importance of lighting in interior design is not top of mind when the average person considers design elements. However, it can make or break a space when it comes to color selection and highlighting art, decor or furniture.

A couple of days after my kitchen remodel, (you can find all 5 of the DIY posts for how to do a budget kitchen remodel {HERE}) I was frustrated that my white cabinets appeared to have yellowed quickly. And then I turned the lights off and the beautiful white shown through again. I quickly realized that my lighting was the culprit.

The Importance of Lighting in Interior Design

Different bulbs will cast a different color tone. Warm light, soft light, LED, fluorescent, lumens, watts, standard…the jargon quickly gets confusing and complicated. All I know is that I love how the cabinets and the decor around them look in natural light. And that is where SORAA came in.

I was excited to partner with SORAA to try out their Radiant LED bulbs. The Radiant bulbs offer full spectrum color technology which means true whites and colors the way they were meant to be seen in natural light. So I decided to do a little experiment and see the difference between Radiant and generic LED bulbs.

Light is more than light. Light can help you see the true beauty of every color and every moment. Or calm your mind for a good night’s sleep. Light can give you more than you ever imagined. – SORAA, Light that Loves You”

First, here’s a little disclaimer. I never photograph my home with the lights on. In photography, leaving the lights on creates shadows and causes other issues. But real life isn’t about photography! It is about seeing your home, whether day or night, in full vibrant colors and the truest whites!

Designing With The Full Color Spectrum In Mind

The importance of lighting in interior design should be based on how you live in your home, where you need supplemental lighting, and what color selections you want to highlight throughout your spaces. So as I share some design tips on the importance of lighting in interior design, I’ll showcase some before and afters from my experiment so you can see the difference a high quality bulb makes in showcasing the full color spectrum.

Pure Paint Colors

How many times have you picked out a paint color and then gotten home to discover it looks nothing like you expected? That unfortunate phenomenon is due to lighting! Natural light will make your colors appear differently throughout the day and artificial lighting can do the same. Let’s take a look at my white paint with the standard LED that was making my cabinets appear yellow.

Now, let’s look at the after with the SORAA LED boasting full spectrum color.

These photographs were taken at the same time of day with the same natural lighting cascading in. The only difference is the artificial lighting from the canned lights! It amazed me to see the difference.

Highlighting Decor

Now let’s look at another use for artificial lighting: highlighting decor. I created open shelving in place of an existing cabinet because I love using open shelving in a kitchen to display decor. Beyond the practical needs of easy access to dishes and pitchers, I want to showcase paintings, plants, signs and anything else that I love. One of the ways I can do this is to illuminate that decor in an otherwise dark area.

As you can see from the before photo, the standard LED casts a muted glow. Yes, the white dishes appear more yellowed, but more importantly the beautiful colors showcased in my painting and planter are duller than they appear in natural light.

After updating to a full spectrum LED I now have vibrant colors, even with the lights on.

Day v. Night

Another consideration when thinking through the importance of lighting in interior design is how you will use light during the day versus during the night. As I said, I prefer the way my home looks in natural light. However, once dusk hits using artificial is unavoidable! Using artificial lighting that will highlight your home’s true colors, even in the evening, is important if you want to keep your design pure and as intended.

5 Tips for Using Artificial Lighting

So now that my experiment has showcased the importance of choosing full spectrum color lighting, I thought I’d share 5 quick tips for how to use artificial lighting in your home.

1. Use pendants or sconces to create focal points with lighting. This can be over a kitchen island, showcasing artwork on a wall, or in a cozy corner to create a reading nook.
2. Incorporate floor or table lamps in addition to overhead lighting to cozy up a space. Think of these sources of light as opportunities to create mood lighting.
3. Use full spectrum bulbs in canned lights in basements or other areas with a lack of natural light to make it feel like you have daylight pouring in.
4. Line a hallway with sconces to illuminate the path but also add interest in an otherwise tight and hard to decorate space.
5. Hang small pendants over kitchen sinks, as bedside lamps, or in unexpected places like a laundry room. Use lighting to make a statement and designate zones!

What is your favorite way to incorporate lighting in your home? I hope this has been helpful to you as you consider the importance of lighting in interior design!

{Color does not add a pleasant quality to design – it reinforces it. – Pierre Bonnard}