When planning home office design, an important element that many take for granted is lighting. The importance of proper lighting is vital to prevent eye strain and create a comfortable, pleasing environment. The three types of lighting to consider for the home office are ambient, task and accent. Keeping these in mind will illuminate your path to a brighter, more productive office.
Three Ways To Brighten Your Home Office…
Ambient lighting is the overall illumination of the room, such as ceiling fixtures. This light provides illumination of your workspace and can be accented with task lighting.
Ambient light from overhead fixtures should be bright but not overly so. Glare reflected off your computer screen can cause eye strain, headaches and fatigue. Position your computer screen away from the direct line of the light to avoid this.
Task lighting is for those areas of the office where you will be doing most of your work.
For example, you can use a desk lamp to illuminate the work you do there, such as reviewing documents, reading mail and writing reports.
For this purpose you may want to incorporate a lamp that has multiple levels of light for your maximum comfort. Placing a lamp by your computer is good for focusing on work at hand.
Placing small LED lights at computer workstations works well to brighten the space without the risk of too much glare. Under-counter lights work well in this capacity as well, especially if your computer is set up inside a cabinet.
If you meet with clients in your office, you will need sufficient task lighting for conference areas. Torchiere lights work well to provide overall illumination and there are styles available that have adjustable side lights for targeting specific areas.
Accent lighting is just what the name implies. It accents areas of the home office to enhance the design and aesthetics. You may have a piece of artwork you want to showcase or a bit of sculpture. Accent lighting highlights those particular areas, bringing a pleasing warm glow to the room.
Lighting for the home office can be strictly functional in design or you can choose from a plethora of wonderfully diverse styles. Lighting is an integral part of the decorating plan for any home office and is instrumental in your productivity.
A poorly lit office can cause fatigue, eye strain and headaches. An office that is overly illuminated or has a poorly executed lighting plan can bring about the same consequences.
When planning your home office, remember to include ambient, task and accent lighting that illuminates the necessary areas without causing distracting glare and reflection.
The level of the lighting should be bright enough to work without strain but not so bright as to produce a large contrast. Also keep in mind natural light from windows. This will also play a part in your overall lighting design plan.
Proper lighting for the home office is an important factor in your long-term productivity. Taking care to assess your needs and plan accordingly will help you to create an office environment that is functional, comfortable and visually appealing.
With all of the elements of your lighting plan in place, your home office will surely shine.