If you have basement rooms in your house or you’ve just moved into a basement flat how can you improve the lighting? Basement flat lighting is difficult to get right because of so many factors that influence the type of lighting fixture you need. The common problem is a lack of natural light coming into the rooms creating a cave-like atmosphere. Then there’s the low ceilings reducing the room available for hanging lights. How do you bring light to these dark rooms?

Lighting a basement room

The first thing to address is what’s in front of your windows (assuming there are some). Window treatments should allow as much access to natural light as possible so go for pale and partially translucent curtains which can be tied back. If you don’t want curtains then go for blinds so they can be pulled up or across.

Wall coverings should ideally be light in colour so avoid dark, bold and heavy patterns. Although this might not sound appealing from design point of view, lighting will be improved and you can add interest to the walls using art or photos.

Which lighting fixtures you’ll need depends on the space available in the basement and what the intended use of the rooms will be. If it’s a basement room in a house that is purely used for storage then lighting is less important. However, if you’re living in a basement flat then the rooms are living spaces which will either be functional (kitchen, bathroom) or used for relaxing and entertaining (living room, bedroom).

For larger basement spaces used for basic storage, recessed downlights are the best type of general lighting for a room. Installed in the ceiling, they will help to brighten a specific space below where the light is pointing. These lights also work well in bathrooms and certain products can be directional. Recessed lights are ideal for basements which have low ceilings as hanging lighting fixtures can be an obstruction in the room.

 

Track light provides targeted radiant white illumination and gives a basement room a more homely appearance (a better option for flats or living spaces). Adjustable spotlights along the track give the option of directing the light where you want it.

 

Spotlights offer a more decorative option to a basement and can be directed on to pieces of artwork or areas of the room where day-to-day tasks are carried out. Spotlights can be ceiling mounted or placed on the wall which is beneficial in rooms with low ceilings.

 

Comments are closed.