A home’s interior and exterior design consists of many important elements. One of those—the one this article will illuminate—is lighting.
Light sources make a huge difference in the comfort and safety of your home, as well as in its aesthetic value. In fact, light fixtures can even add monetary value to your property should you decide to sell. Plus, adding additional light to your indoor and outdoor spaces can increase the liveability and desirability of certain areas of your home.
Thinking of upgrading your home or yard with a few distinctive light installations? Here are some of the key ways that light design for your exterior and interior can increase the value of your property.
Increased Safety
Aside from their visual appeal, light fixtures can greatly increase the safety of a room, entryway, patio, or another outdoor area. This is particularly useful for locations close to or containing stairs, steps, and other changes in elevation, which could be a hazard when inadequately lit.
If you have an entryway or hallway within your home that contains stairs or steps—again, which are easy to lose track of in the dark—you may want to consider installing permanently illuminated or timer-activated light fixtures either along with the steps themselves or on the walls near the steps. This way, you’ll be able to maintain a helpful level of light in the area, and anyone walking there won’t have to reach or search blindly for a light switch, which could lead to tripping and potential injury.
Many homeowners also opt to install lighting fixtures along outdoor pathways in order to make the passage from the back door to the backyard patio or the front door to the driveway clear and easy to follow at night.
These lighting installations can ensure you won’t trip over or trample any rocks, plants, or other landscaping features in your front or backyard.
Ambiance and Aesthetics
Though safety in both indoor and outdoor spaces is a huge priority for most homeowners, the quality of their interior and exterior design is also important to consider when planning lighting.
The ambiance that light fixtures can provide to a space makes a huge difference in the mood that the space gives off to those within it. Plus, the appearance of a fixture can either contribute to the overall aesthetic value of a space or distract from it by not fitting in with the overarching design concept of the area.
There are countless ways to include light fixtures in your indoor and outdoor spaces, and most lighting choices combine aesthetic value with increased safety in the area, making the addition of these lighting fixtures a net gain for you as a homeowner. For fixtures of this nature, many homeowners will install small lights near stairs or steps, along pathways in the front or backyard area, or near doors throughout the home as well as the front and back entryways.
In order to combine aesthetics and functionality, certain fixtures in outdoor spaces, such as lampposts or draped lighting, can make patio and entryway areas much more inviting and pleasant to look at. Similarly, dimmable lights in areas like game rooms or home theatres can improve the overall usability of the room by adding nuance to the lighting options.
Usability
People tend to avoid areas that aren’t properly lit, especially at night. For example, even if you’ve put a great deal of thought and effort into your backyard landscaping, you may find it difficult to entertain guests or even spend time there yourself once the sun goes down if the space doesn’t have quality lighting.
Making sure that areas of your home and yard are properly lit with fixtures that satisfy your design tastes will make your property all the more usable, whether it’s for large events or simply for you and your family to enjoy. Plus, the addition of light fixtures will improve safety in the area.
Property value
One of the best ways to keep the value of your property high is to install light fixtures because, when a buyer is considering your property, they will value all the same factors you do when it comes to lighting: safety, aesthetics, and usability.
The existence of helpful light additions (e.g., lanterns) along the garden path, or the installation of small lights underneath the cupboards in the kitchen, will improve the safety and appearance of your indoor and outdoor spaces, therefore increasing the monetary value of your property.
Even if selling your home isn’t a possibility or a thought on your mind, it’s important to keep your property in great shape. This way, if you do decide to sell, you’ll be able to list your beloved home on the market at a price you believe to be fair. If you don’t decide to sell, you and your family will simply get more enjoyment out of your space! Either way, the quality of time you spend in your home will be greatly improved by quality lighting.