Five Tips for Lighting Up Your Home for Winter Warmth the Right Way

Light up your home the right way this winter to make the most of warming light.Source:SuppliedWHILE most of us would reach for warm white light globes to add some winter cosiness to our homes, there is a better choice.Beacon Lightings product knowledge specialist Denise Hammond said using a 2000k to 3000k warm white light source might not create enough contrast with the natural light filtering through the windows, a 'bluer' light is a better choice."To bring the clearest light into your home over winter, you'll need light sources that emit a cooler, light, around 3,700 - 4000 degrees kelvins or more," Ms Hammond said.To help keep the winter "blues" at bay, Ms Hammond gives us five tips:1. Emphasise Accent Lighting - focus light on small areas, for example, illuminating a corner, a piece of art or an item of furniture, with uplighters, floor lamps, table and desk lamps.During the winter months, when the amount of natural filtering into the home is dimmer or limited, you can use accent lighting to brighten your home during the day, to focus light on a particular task such as reading, watching TV or your favourite winter hobby.Floor lamps can provide accent lighting.Source:Supplied2. Task Masters - task lighting is your friend in winter, especially in places where over the summer months you can normally work or read without light - like the kitchen table or the lounge room recliner or study desk. Floor and desk lamps are portable and can quickly be moved out of the way as needed.Desk lamps can be the ultimate task masters.Source:Supplied3. The Bedrooms - to ensure you get the best night's sleep, your bedroom should be a tranquil space in which it's easy to unwind and forget about the stresses of the day. A brighter overhead light may be necessary for getting ready for the day ahead and other tasks, however adding a floor lamp to you bedroom as well as your bedside lamps will allow you to create a gorgeous setting of ambient light. Alternatively, try adding a soft glow with a garland of DIY Festoons or String LED lights place around a bedhead, window or mirror frame, or a large indoor planter.String LED lights can add some welcome bling to a bedroom.Source:Supplied4. The Hall and Entry - although you might not spend a great deal of time in the hallway of your home, creating lighting that is inviting from a street perspective will ensure that your home instantly feels warm and welcoming. A large factor in how welcoming lighting feels is the 'colour' of the light used - different colour temperatures can make us 'feel', perform and react differently; so don't forget the glorious warm glow of carbon vintage style filament globes, perfect for creating a cosy glow that is stylish and inviting. Also just the thing for those light fittings with clear or tinted glass.Filament globes can add a warm glow of carbon vintage.Source:Supplied5. Illuminate the Garden - you might not be spending as much time in your garden at the moment, but it can still be a winter wonderland. Give a garden a seasonal makeover by filling your trees with festoon lights, hung from the branches, or using DIY spotlights to highlight features such as benches, ponds or fountains.For more lighting ideas head to Beacon Lighting www.beaconlighting.com.auOriginally published as Light your way to cosy ambience