Your basement can be one of the darkest areas in your home and it can become very depressing if you don’t arrange for the right lighting. These days, homeowners want to utilize their basement space fun and/or productively. They want add a playroom, or an entertainment room, etc, to this space.

At Basement Finish Pros, we know that lighting is one of the most important aspects of basement remodeling. It’s something that makes the basement comfortable and more welcoming. Here are some tips:

• Arrange for Natural Light- Any designer would tell you that no man-made light can compete with natural sunlight. This is one of the reasons why designers and architects always encourage windows, skylights, and sky tunnels in your rooms. Exposure to natural sunlight is healthy. It can help keep depression at bay and create a cheerful atmosphere in any room. 

If your basement has no windows or very few windows, you should consider adding some. This will allow the natural light to flood in and brighten the room. You can also add accents to enhance the brightness. For example, you can add mirrors, paint the walls in a lighter color, and add pale carpets.

• Brighten Every Corner- A good rule of the thumb when it comes to basement lighting is to not leave any dark corners. The entire basement needs to be well lit and that can be done by using overall lighting. This lighting would ensure that all corners of your basement are strategically lit. 

They will also allow you to control the amount of light you need. For example, if you’re hosting a party in the basement, you might want it well lit. But if you’re the only person in the room, watching a movie, you might need a gentler light. Installing a combination of different lights would help.

• Add Warm Accents- The overall lighting spreads evenly across the room, brightening up every corner. That’s its purpose. But that can leave the room looking a little clinical and bland. To prevent this, you need to add accent lighting (more on accent lighting here…). These aren’t overhead, but rather placed in strategic corners. For example, you can place a lampshade by the couch, by your desk, by your entertainment system, etc. You get softer, warmer light that adds a different glow to the basement. These accents are important because they highlight areas of interest and soften the entire ambience.

• Focused Lights- This lighting creates a focused light for places that need it. For example, if you have placed a desk in your basement, you need to make sure the work area is well lit. The same can be said for a dining table. You’ll need to add a focused overhead light for game surfaces like pool tables as well. You should be able to see the task before you clearly, without straining your eyes and that’s the purpose of a focused task lights.

The Bulbs 

When homeowners plan lighting, the bulbs are one of their most important concerns. Most homeowners would like to save on energy bills, but would love to get a warm ambience as well. There are several types of bulbs available in the market. If your goal is to save energy, it would be a good idea to install LED or florescent lighting.

• LED or light emitting diode is one of the most energy efficient lighting technologies available in the market today. It can save up to 30% on your energy consumption for lights. Until recently, LED had a cold, bluish light that wasn’t to everyone’s liking. Now LED is available in warmer tones as well.

• Florescent bulbs offer energy savings, but their light is cold and bluish too. They’re similar to similar to LED, only less energy efficient and more cost effective. Unlike LED, florescent bulbs aren’t as expensive but would be lead to reduced energy bills.

• Incandescent bulbs offer a warmer light, which most homeowners and designers prefer. But they don’t last long and will add to your expense. Most people find it cumbersome to replace the bulbs so often. 

• Halogen lights provide brightness and a beautifully warm light. Homeowners love this light for its hue and tone. Unfortunately, halogen lights are the least energy efficient lights of the lot and can make your basement too warm on hot summer days.

At Basement Finish Pros, we believe that a combination of LED and halogen or something similar would work best. We suggest you visit the Connecticut Lighting Centers website for or their fabulous showrooms for advice on the matter.   

If you have any questions about basement lighting or wish to hire our services, you can get in touch with us. All you need to do is fill in this contact us form or give call on 413 642 2012. We’ll be happy to help you.