Making the Most of your Basement

How to make your basement lively.

 

Natural Light

Of course, maximizing the amount of natural lighting in your basement is a must. Natural light refers to the light that comes from the sun. If you have windows or transparent doors in your basement, do not cover them up. If you end up needing to cover them up, make sure that you have the options to open them and close them in order to allow natural light in the room(s). Natural light is a good way to fill the room with a lot of gentle, but bright light.

 

To amplify the effect of natural lighting, try bringing in furniture and carpeting in the basement that is light in color. Lighter colors--such as white, light blue and tan--reflect more of the natural light, creating a brighter area.

How Many Lights Are Enough?

 Overall lighting typically comes from ceiling fixtures and wall sconces which are often connected to wall switches. Overall lighting is very useful and practical because it fills the entire basement with light. Make sure that your basement has enough light so that it can be fully lit during night time. However, most of the lighting tends to be strong & harsh, so if your eyes begin to feel strained due to excess lighting or if your basement simply feels too bright for you, feel free to reduce and add the amount of overall lighting anytime.

Accent Lighting

A basement with nothing more than overall lighting can feel very artificial and empty mostly because of the harshness of the lights can really accentuate different parts of the room. Lamps can improve a harshly lit environment by introducing soft, ambient lighting. This type of lighting works by placing the lights in certain zones of the room. For example, a lamp on a table by a couch can make the area around the couch feel livelier. Placing accent lighting is up to your personal preference, but in most cases, you would want to place them in areas that make sense or that you want to emphasize, such as a desk or a media corner.

Task Lighting 

 Something that a lot of people don’t consider is task lighting. Utilizing lighting for under cabinets or in storage closets. If you have a workstation in a corner of the basement, you'll need a desk lamp. A drawing board may need strong overhead light. If an area isn't getting enough light, add more task lighting until you can see clearly without straining your eyes. Task lighting can really make or break the atmosphere of a basement

 

 

 

 

Incandescent Bulbs

• Incandescent bulbs are very popular because they produce a bright, warm light that helps with creating a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. Recently they've been proven to be energy inefficient and often short-lived. These types of bulbs work best in areas where the lights will be turned on and off frequently. If you have concerns about long-term cost or environmental friendliness, skip the incandescent bulbs

 

Fluorescent Harsh White Light but Great for Energy

• Fluorescent bulbs are the standard in energy efficiency, because they last almost 10 times longer than the popular incandescent bulbs while requiring a third less energy. They give off a harsh white light reminiscent of warehouses and office buildings.

 

Use Halogen for Task Lighting

• Halogen lights are more efficient than incandescent bulbs but not as efficient as fluorescent bulbs. However, halogen lighting produces warm and radiant light. it works best for task lighting. If you are going to use halogen lights, it is recommended that you complement them with other types of bulbs.