Helpful Tips For Lighting A Home Or Commercial Office

Home and commercial office lighting is oftentimes overlooked, yet plays an essential role in your productivity and health. Poor lighting can hinder job performance and cause health complications, such as migraines and mood disorders. Before choosing your lights, you’ll need to know what type of lighting will help you create a glare-free and comfortable environment. Because an office is mainly used for task handling, functionality takes priority over form. Following the lighting tips provided will put you on the path to feeling better and performing better.

Plan Ahead

A big mistake that people make is selecting office lights without having a plan. Knowing your lighting goals gives you an idea of where to place the lights for your desired results. Evaluate the room, taking note of the natural light throughout the day and any shadows. Consider how you’ll use the space and the furniture within it. Make sure you put together a detailed budget! This will help you avoid buying cheap lighting. Good quality lighting is more expensive upfront but has durability and a longer lifespan. Cheap fixtures, however, will need frequent replacement which adds to future expenses. Failure to plan risks having costly lighting that may prove to be ineffective.

Lighting layers

Consider the different types of tasks performed in a home or commercial office. Lighting should vary according to the activity. Reading, meetings, phone calls, and computer use won’t all need the same amount of light. That’s why it’s important to have the three lighting layers at the ready to accommodate the task at hand. Make sure you place each layer on a dimmer switch to easily control light intensity.

Ambient lighting is the base and overall lighting for a room. It’s typically created with overhead fixtures, such as overhead spotlights or ceiling-mounted fixtures. However, a sole overhead light isn’t enough to adequately light the entire office. It’ll leave some areas in the shadows and other areas overly lit. So, you will need to supplement it with other fixtures for balanced, even light.

The most essential layer for an office setting is task lighting. It serves a functional purpose, providing the best lighting for performing office tasks, such as writing, reading, and filing. An adjustable desk lamp with a flexible arm is a great task lighting fixture. It gives you the freedom to adjust its height and angle for the task at hand.

Your home office lighting doesn’t have to just be about function. Enhance the look of the room by creating focal points or adding a dramatic effect with accent lighting. Use overhead track lighting with adjustable downlights to highlight artwork, architectural details, or other features within the space.

A common problem found in an office environment is glare caused by artificial and natural light. That’s why layering is a valuable tool. When they work together, lighting layers help combat gloss and glare which negatively affect us.

Avoiding Glare

Positioning your light fixtures

Frequent headaches may be a symptom of eye strain caused by glare and glossy surfaces. To avoid this issue, you must use the correct lighting layer. While your overhead lighting provides ambience, its harsh light causes glare on your computer monitor. Diffusing lights with lampshades softens and spreads the light. Another technique for fighting glare is indirect illumination. This is done by washing walls with wall sconces. Upward-shining floor lamps also provide indirect illumination. By bouncing light off walls and ceilings, these fixtures prevent glare, contrast, or shadows while lighting an entire space. It’s best to paint walls neutral colors. It causes low reflection that works with any kind of modern office lighting setup. Stay away from bright or dark colored walls in a commercial office setting. They simply aren’t flattering.

All workspaces should have task lighting. Be careful when positioning your desk lighting. Placing it behind you causes glare and contrast on your computer monitor, leading to eye strain. In fact, task lighting isn’t ideal when staring at your monitor for an extended period of time. To combat eye strain, turn down task lighting and add ambient light to soften the harsh light. Avoid placing desk lamps or other task lighting on the same side as your writing hand to prevent shadows cast by both your hand and arm. Put lights on dimmers to easily adjust the lighting layers.

When creating accent lighting, place your fixtures 24 inches from the wall to highlight objects and features. Mantel and picture lights may be used for spotlighting. When accenting with under cabinet lights, make sure you mount them as close as possible to the front of the cabinet. This prevents glare caused by light bouncing off the work surface.

Take advantage of natural light

Warm sunlight is a great source of vitamin D, which fights mood disorders and depression. These two things hinder work performance. Aside from enhancing focus and productivity, sunlight can help with eye strain. Position your desk so that you are facing the natural light. Your computer screen should either be in front of or next to the light to avoid glare. Do the same for other task areas. If the natural light causes glare, diffuse it with sheer curtains, shades, adjustable louvers, or translucent blinds. Even simple blinds will work. They will soften brightness and reduce heat from the sun. Tall indoor plants next to the window is another option.

Experiment with different angles and keep track of where the natural light falls throughout the day. Note any shadows. It may help to align your desk in north and south directions. Natural light should blend seamlessly with artificial light. If you can’t reposition your desk to face natural light or none is available, place an LED strip behind your monitor. Bulbs or lamps that mimic sunlight are good alternatives to natural light.

Bulbs

The wrong bulb can leave the space overly bright or dimly lit. The size and temperature of a bulb impacts your mood so choosing the right bulb is critical. Size determines bulb intensity. Small bulbs provide enough illumination for small offices. Larger offices, on the other hand, require higher intensity bulbs to fill the entire space with light.

All bulbs must have the same color temperature for balance, otherwise it can create a dull work environment. Fluorescent 6500K bulbs have the right amount of light intensity and resembles daylight. Distributing the lights evenly around the office eliminates dark pockets. Be mindful of where you plan to install the lights. Because entrance lighting is brighter than desk lights, 20 watt LED bulbs are ideal for that area. Desks and other workstations should have low glare bulbs that are 4-8 watts. When combining artificial lighting with natural lighting, use warm colored bulbs with low-wattage. Overhead fluorescent lighting contributes to health problems, such as hyperactivity and sleep issues, and can cause eye strain if overly harsh. Neutral lighting is best in a commercial setting because it offers lighting that is comfortable for everyone.

Consider halogen desk lamps if you want bright task lighting. However, if you’re looking for practical, LED desk lamps provide bright light while saving energy and money. LED bulbs don’t generate heat, making them perfect for task lighting that is near you when you’re in your workspace. Energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs are another good option. Install 2 large ceiling fixtures with energy-efficient fluorescent tubes for well-diffused lighting. Place overhead to the right and left of your desk. The light will spill onto your shoulders and eliminate desk shadows. Use energy-efficient fluorescent under cabinet lights when lighting work surfaces and shelves.

Choosing Your Fixtures

Incorrect fixtures can shorten bulb lifespan. They can also consume too much heat that is produced by the bulb, leading to malfunctions.  Fixtures should not have beam angles exceeding 120 degrees. Instead, use 60 degree beam angles, which are suitable for any office environment. If you don’t know how to determine beam angles, seek assistance from an expert. Consider dual-purpose fixtures, such as recessed lighting. It can serve as accent lighting to highlight artwork or ambient lighting for overall illumination. LED table lamps with color filters can be used for ambient lighting, as well. These filters are easy on the eyes.

Your fixtures should bring beauty and style to your home office. Since overhead lighting won’t be your only source of light, install a fun or unique fixture for visual intrigue. You can also create a focal point with it. Hang a sleek pendant in a contemporary room or use an elegant chandelier to complement sophisticated decor. Keep in mind, when hanging pendants and chandeliers, make sure they are centered in the room at least 6ft above the floor. Hanging fixtures also help declutter your workspace and open up the room. Another option is to use desk sconces with swing arms in place of table lamps for more space.

Add character with decorative wall sconces. Place them near a seating area for a soft, warm glow. Or put a floor lamp next to the chair, instead, to create an inviting atmosphere for reading. You can go for a trendy modern lamp and put it on a dimmer. Try fun adjustable track lighting to illuminate desks and shelves.

Proper Installation

It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to have a strategy before lighting an office. If you’re considering taking this on as a DIY project, first determine whether it’s doable. If you don’t have electrical experience, then hire an electrician. Improper installation can lead to breakage. You may also end up with lighting that is too dim or too bright. Or, perhaps the lights might be in the wrong location at the wrong angle. Hiring a professional ensures correct installation.

Remember, function is more important than aesthetics in an office. Focus on creating a healthy working environment using the above information as a guide.