Which
luminaire for which room?

Ceiling lights, wall lights, floor lamps... there's no shortage of lighting models to choose from! But how do you go about getting the look you want, and the right luminosity for the purpose? 

The importance of lighting care

Choosing a lighting fixture isn't simply a matter of taking care of the aesthetics of your decor, it's also about creating an atmosphere through the use of light. You can have a rough, directional light to illuminate a specific area, an indirect light that illuminates the room evenly thanks to the reflection of the light on the ceiling, or a diffused light that you can obtain thanks to a luminaire specifically designed to provide a soft light. The choice of bulbs and light color is also important.

Low-energy bulbs, which need time to warm up and light up properly, are not recommended for high-traffic areas such as corridors, as they won't have time to light up and the corridor will be constantly in darkness.

White-tone LED bulbs are perfect for spotlighting a work surface, for example, but should be avoided for lighting a room such as a bedroom. There are a host of possibilities when it comes to bulbs.

In short, there are many details to think about in order to achieve the ideal light in your home, and the right choice of lighting fixtures is obviously one of them.  

The living room and dining room

Whether with family or friends, relaxing after a long day or hanging out at the weekend, the living room and dining room are often the liveliest places in the house. The more time you spend in a room, the more important it is to take care of the lighting.

In the dining room, it's always nice to be able to see what you're eating, so a ceiling light above the table is a must. If you don't want to decorate the table, you can opt for a suspension light with character to decorate the center of the room. In recent years, the trend has been towards multiple, rather low hanging lights, allowing you to play with length. However, make sure that the ceiling height allows for this, and that the hanging light doesn't block your view of your neighbor across the table.

In the living room, you can opt for a more subdued suspension for a cosier, warmer ambience. For reading or any other activity, a floor lamp that can be oriented as desired is ideal. In one room as in another, accent lamps will also be appreciated for multiplying light sources and thus highlighting a dark corner or a painting on the wall. This is also the time to indulge in design, opting for lights that don't necessarily provide strong illumination, but which, once switched on, will make their mark thanks to the luminous patterns they project on surfaces.  

Kitchen and bathroom

The kitchen is a more demanding room in terms of light, and will allow less fantasy. As it's a zone of activity, there needs to be enough light to see what you're doing, and the spaces need to be practical and well thought-out. This means dispensing with floor lamps and accent lights - unless the surface area permits - in favor of ceiling, pendant and wall lights.

The ideal solution is to provide a nice central source of light, with additional touches at strategic points, such as above the worktop, using wall sconces for example.

The same applies to the bathroom, where adequate light near the mirror will be particularly appreciated when you want to shave or apply make-up (you can also choose bulbs with a color close to daylight to make it easier to apply make-up). However, the bathroom is also a place for relaxation, so you can opt for a softer light.

In addition to candlelight for relaxing in a bubble bath, you can also opt for specific relaxation lighting in the shower, with an LED installation for example. 

The room

Like the bathroom, the bedroom is used in two different ways. In the evening, before going to bed, to relax, and in the morning, before sunrise, to get ready and start the day. Both uses require appropriate lighting.

In the evening, soft light is best provided by wall-mounted luminaires (on either side of the bed, for example) or by accent lamps placed on the bedside table. The idea is that each light can be used independently, so that it can be adapted to your needs and switched on without dazzling your partner.

In the morning, you'll appreciate a slightly brighter light to avoid getting dressed in semi-darkness, but without opting for something too bright and letting the eye wake up peacefully. A ceiling light or suspension lamp projected upwards or covering the bulb will provide the perfect diffused light. 

For a child's bedroom, we'll opt for a light that illuminates the whole room, but also for an auxiliary lamp that will help them to relax and unwind at story time in the evening. Depending on the age of the child, a nightlight will ensure that the youngest are not left in total darkness.

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