Home Office Lighting Project

Natural light is obviously the best one for both people and environment but it's not always possible in an office. Getting the right lighting for your home office is extremely important as your work effectiveness will depend on it.

It's a good idea to use the natural light as much as possible therefore moving the desk close to the window is very much recommended. On the other hand, the daylight might sometimes be too strong during some parts of the day (especially if you're using a computer) so a blind or a standing screen seems like a good solution to avoid the sun going straight into your eyes.

Good lighting can make any space look brighter, airy and productive. The very first thing to start with while planning your home office is placing good floor lamps, wall sconces, chandeliers or other overhead lights that will fill the work area. Fitting a couple of large ceiling energy-efficient fluorescent tubes, one on the left and the other one on the right, will provide well-diffused general lighting. That will eliminate shadows on the desk.

If you're planning lots of reading, writing or working on computer, consider fitting track lighting, pendants or a table lamp that gives concentrated lighting on the needed area. Adjustable halogen lamps are great as they provide bright light exactly where it's needed. LED desk lamps are also recommended as they are not only energy efficient but also cost effective. Just make sure the bulb does not reflect on the computer screen. For right-handed people, place the lamp on the left side to avoid shadows across notepaper.

Add accent lighting to your work area for visual interest. Consider adding LED picture lights or overhead track lighting, to accentuate pictures or other pieces of artwork on the walls, elements of décor or exotic plants.

Another type of lighting that is worth adding if you have a larger home office, is decorative lighting.

There are some things to consider while making a decision about home office lighting:

~~ Put sources of light at different heights for a better control of intensity of lighting. Another good lighting technique is to wash the walls with light (an uplighter or shaded fluorescent tube can achieve this). The wall becomes a source of light itself therefore prevents the eye strain from the contrast between a bright computer screen and a darker office.

~~ Your eyes will get tired if you work under the source of direct light. A way around it is to diffuse the light to prevent creating glare, contrast and shadows. You can put a mounted task light or a flexible desk lamp on your desk. They'll give you just the right amount of the light you need.

~~ Make sure your computer screen is brighter than the other lighting in the office but never it should be the only source of light.

~~ Consider LED lighting as it's environmental-friendly and longer lasting

With the correct lighting you can make your home office an inviting place to work, that is stress-free and very efficient. Just make sure you plan your lighting carefully and furnish the room wisely.