Struggling to properly light your office space? You’re not alone! Lucky for you, this blog is here to help!
Whether you’re partially or fully remote, your home office space is important. And there are multiple ways to go about lighting it. This is a process that can be both exciting and overwhelming.
Not knowing where to start can be a roadblock for a lot of people. Trust me, I know. But that’s why this blog exists! So you can skip the struggle of searching.
So, let’s get into it!
Cozy vs. Commercial Lighting
Light has the ability to affect us in many ways. It can impact our mood, productivity, and even our circadian rhythm.
When looking into cozy and commercial lighting for your office space, it’s good to note the differences between the two, and figure out where they should be used.
Commercial Lighting
Often used in business settings, commercial lighting usually rests in the 3500 to 5000 Kelvin range. Due to its cooler tones, it is known to focus more on improving performance and productivity. Therefore, aesthetics are likely to become an afterthought.
Commercial lighting can be implemented in your office, but there are some things to consider.
It is very likely that your home work space is confined to one room. Commercial lighting tends to operate best in large spaces. If too strong of a light is used, your space could end up feeling too bright.
To maximize its benefits, you’ll want to make sure that it can properly light your room without stifling the overall feel. To do this, either use less intense lights for your office, or focus on using it in particular workspaces, like garages, and workshops.
Cozy Lighting
Unlike commercial lighting, cozy lighting tends to fall on the lower end of the Kelvin range, settling between 2700K and 3500K. Because of this, cozy lighting has a warm and dreamy glow, hence its name.
If you’re after an inviting environment, then this might be the light for you. The softer tones of cozy lighting will be kinder to your eyes after long hours of exposure. And it’s safe to say that a pleasant atmosphere and lessened eye strain can help brighten your mood.
The intensity that brighter and cooler lights offer is not appreciated by everyone, and that’s okay! The evening charm of cozy lighting is there as an option for anyone who wants to bring an air of relaxation and comfort to their office space.
However, during the earlier hours of the day, it’s at least worth considering using a bulb that better mimics the natural daylight cycle. To figure out why, check out the next topic!
Natural Light
Out of all light, natural light offers the most benefits. That’s why it's ideal to have window access in your office. The more the merrier!
If you don’t have windows, or if the natural light you currently have isn’t enough, you should consider the next best thing: Daylight bulbs. They aren’t a one-to-one copy when it comes to the benefits of natural lighting, but they’re still a suitable replacement.
Some daylight bulbs utilize color tuning, which is perfect for simulating the day-night cycle with your lighting. With CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) light bulbs, you can change your bulb from the cool whites needed for the earlier hours of the day, to the warm whites needed for the evenings.
When properly used, these lights not only look wonderful, but they can also lead to healthy sleep patterns and increased focus.
Some Fresh Ideas
Whatever kind of lighting you decide to go with, you’ll still need a way of adding it to your room. Besides the traditional light bulb, there are many fascinating fixtures that can give your room the touch you’re looking for.
If you want more practical lighting, desk lamps, overhead lamps, and table lamps can easily illuminate a focused area, providing ample lighting for the task at hand.
For more of a decorative or ambient touch, try hiding your lighting. By placing tape lights behind or beneath your furniture, you can add a splash of light without taking up space.
Thanks to the wide variety of bulbs that are available today, we now have access to numerous colors. Warmer and cooler white lights remain the most popular, but colored lighting continues to be adored.
If you want some flare added to your office space, try experimenting with your favorite colors. Colored light bulbs, string lights, tape lights, you name it! There is no shortage of fixtures that can be used to illuminate your room.
Other Ways to Brighten Your Room
Light isn’t the only thing that can be used to brighten your room. There’s a lot of decorations, both big and small, that can add a “pop” to your space.
Plants can offer a lot. Not only do they add visual interest, but they also offer some health benefits!
However, live plants aren’t for everyone. As a failed plant mother, I can confidently say that artificial foliage seems to better suit my living spaces. So, if you’re anything like me, you might find that fake plants are a better alternative to the real thing.
Figurines can also be placed in your shelves and among your decor for some added fun. For those who want to go all in on decorating, I’d recommend trying the 3-5-7 rule. It’s a good way to display balance and intentionality through your decorations.
Conclusion
When it comes to lighting your office, you’ll want to strike the right balance. Commercial lighting works best for task focused spaces, cozy lighting is great for warm environments, and daylight bulbs nicely simulate the day-night cycle. With the fixture of your choice, the lighting you prefer, and maybe some fun extra touches, you can create a space you look forward to working in each day.
Want to start lighting your office? Visit lightbulbs.com and take a look around!
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