Open floor plans are a hot trend in real estate and interior design right now. An open floor plan can give a room a lot more light, space, and a modern feel. One of the challenges of designing for an open floor plan is how to light a big, open room that features multiple living spaces. There are different strategies for lighting an open floor plan. Here is some advice from the interior designer Pacific Palisades professionals to help create a seamless, gorgeous lighting plan.
Look for the Center in Each Living Space
The best place to start is to figure out the center or focal point of each part of your open floor plan, say Santa Barbara interior designers. Most homes with a first-floor open plan include spaces for the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Determine the center spot of each part of your home’s floor plan to get the perfect spot for lighting fixtures to keep the space open and bright.
Choose Ambient Lighting Options
The next step to get a great lighting design and look in your open floor plan is to start choosing some ambient lighting options. The ambient light is the first layer of lighting design and ensures each space gets enough general light. Ambient lighting that would work in an open floor plan includes recessed lighting, ceiling light fixtures, and floor lamps.
Opt for Task Lighting Fixtures
After you have your ambient light features set, the next step is to enhance the space with task lighting. Task lighting is especially important for places like the kitchen, where you’ll be doing your cooking and food preparation. The goal is to brighten places where you’ll be doing most of your at-home tasks, such as the kitchen island, desks, the dining room table, and cooking areas.
Add Accent Lighting
The third and final layer of home lighting is accent lighting. Accent lights aren’t necessary for getting things done or seeing the space. Instead, they make the visual appeal of the room much better and put the spotlight on specific features of the home. Accent lights can be track lighting, lights for artwork, and lighting inside of decorative cabinets.
Select Fixtures in the Same Finish
To unify the space and make the open aspect of it even more beautiful, it’s best to have a cohesive plan for your lighting design and fixtures throughout the large area. One option is to choose all of the fixtures in the same finish, such as chrome or brushed steel.
Use the Home’s Architectural Features
Don’t forget to consider your home’s architectural features, according to the top kitchen designer Los Angeles. Cathedral ceilings, high beams, large windows, and huge kitchen islands can help homeowners define individual spaces in their open floor plan. These architectural features can be paired with lighting fixtures to give the room more pizazz and beauty.
Lighting design for an open floor plan requires a little more thought and care than a traditional layout. With lighting, you can help enhance the space and create something special that maintains the openness and flow of a large space but also provides intimacy for each defined area of the kitchen, living room, and dining room.
