5 Common Lighting Mistakes in Apartments That Everyone Makes

Often we choose lighting fixtures focusing only on design and forgetting about other details. Ruslan Kirnichansky in his blog "Diary of an Architect" talks about common mistakes in lighting and simple ways to avoid them.

Ruslan Kirnichansky — Expert, Architect, Interior Designer

Single Light Source

Frequently, a single light fixture — a chandelier in the center of the room — is installed in a space. This solution is not always ideal: if the room has several functional zones, it's better to accentuate them using different light sources. For example, in the living room — a chandelier, and in the office zone — accent lighting.

Too Bright or Dim Light

If you don't plan the level of illumination in advance, there's a risk of harming your health. Both dim and overly bright lighting negatively affect visual acuity.

Comfortable illumination level for living rooms is 150 lux, for hallways — 100 lux, and for children's rooms — more bright light is needed — 200 lux.

Irresponsible Economy

Manufacturers of energy-saving bulbs tempt us with savings on utility bills. But not all economy is acceptable. Energy-saving bulbs provide too cold light, distorting color rendering. Low-quality LEDs flicker — this affects visual acuity.

You can check for flickering with your smartphone camera: turn on the camera and point it at the light source — you'll see flickering on the screen. Try to use LED bulbs with frosted glass. The glass will scatter the light and eliminate flashes.

Mirrors Without Lighting

A mirror without lighting is a ruthless and unobjective critic. For an accurate reflection, provide lighting near the mirror.

Light Instead of Decoration

Purchasing a designer chandelier can lead to disappointment, as designers often want to surprise and their works look like art installations at the cost of functionality. It is much more practical to use designer lamps as decorative lighting and choose tested and functional fixtures for main illumination.