The Importance of Lighting in an Aging-Friendly Home

Aside from non-slip flooring, wide hallways and bathroom safety features, what are other essential features of an aging-friendly home? Adequate lighting is one. Given that your vision will deteriorate as you age, you’ll need ample lighting to see clearly. As a general rule, the brighter the lighting inside your home, the better. However, keep in mind certain types of lighting are more suited to certain tasks and situations. That’s why it’s important to choose the right type of light source.

Natural lighting – Natural light can brighten the mood inside your home and give the illusion of a larger interior. Installing windows with wide glass areas (like bay and picture windows) is a great way of improving indoor natural lighting.
Layered lighting – Given that you can’t solely rely on sunlight for lighting, you need to install other types of lighting. There are three main types of lighting that can be layered: ambient, task and accent lighting.

The Three Layers of Home Lighting

Here’s an overview of the layers of home lighting:

Ambient lighting – Ambient or general lighting is the primary source of illumination inside your home. The first layer of lighting needs to be uniform, as seniors often have difficulty differentiating between light and dark objects due to weakened pupil muscles.
Task lighting – As the name suggests, task lighting illuminates certain features or places that have a specific function. For instance, it is often installed over seating areas in the living room and the desk in your home office.
Accent lighting – Accent lighting illuminates features you want to draw attention to and sets the mood inside a room.

Creating Layered Lighting

The main goal of layered lighting is to combine different types of lighting to help you see clearly and live independently in the comfort of your home. However, there are no hard-and-fast rules about which type of lighting you should focus on. For instance, most homeowners would focus on ambient lighting and then add task and accent lighting. However, in task-oriented rooms like offices, it makes more practical sense to focus on task lighting first. For more lighting tips, consult one of the trusted home renovation contractors at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Tyler.

Let’s Start a Conversation!

With Independence by Design service from DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, you can enjoy your golden years in a home that reflects your lifestyle. To learn more about our kitchen and bathroom remodel services, call us at (903) 255-7111. You can also fill out this form to get in touch with our experts! DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Tyler serves homeowners in Swan, New Chapel Hill and many surrounding communities.

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