How to Plan a Whole-Home Lighting Upgrade

How a Home Lighting Upgrade Improves Comfort and Functionality

A whole home lighting upgrade can make a vast difference in the feel and function of your home, improving comfort, making it more convenient, and enhancing its aesthetics. With some dedicated thought and careful planning, you can renovate the lighting in your home to save energy, complement your daily routine, and generally improve your life. You can even renovate your lighting to meet the needs of future you, with lighting that can adapt over time to meet your changing needs. Ready to get started?

Step One: Evaluating Your Current Whole House Lighting Design

This starts with a walk-through of your entire home. Take the time to really scrutinize your existing lighting, considering what works and what doesn’t. Ask yourself which rooms need more light, and how the current lighting adds to or detracts from the rooms’ aesthetic. This will start you thinking about what you need to change to make your lighting more functional.

Step Two: Defining Your Lighting Goals: From Energy Efficient Lighting to Convenience and Beyond

Now that you know what you like and don’t like about your current lighting, it’s time to set some goals. Is your primary objective to make your home more inviting, to improve energy efficiency, to make your lighting more convenient, or something else? Once you have a handle on what you want to accomplish, it will be easier to find the right lighting to help you achieve your goals.

Step Three: Deciding Between Lighting Renovation Ideas to Choose the Right Lighting Types

There are plenty of ideas out there for upgrading your lighting, and many of them could be viable options for you. Before you decide on a plan, though, it’s important to understand the three main lighting types. There’s ambient lighting, which gives the room its overall glow, task lighting to illuminate specific areas for activities like reading and cooking, and accent lighting to help make the most of your home’s focal points. Look for fixtures that balance function and aesthetic appeal, complementing the existing décor while making your home more comfortable and convenient.

Step Four: Improving Energy Efficiency: LED Lighting Installation and More

If one of your goals is to make your home more energy efficient, there are several different ways a new lighting system can be useful. Smart lighting controls can be controlled remotely with smartphone apps, and many offer features like motion sensors, timers, and dimmers, to reduce energy waste. Carefully choosing ENERGY STAR rated fixtures and incorporating LED bulbs can further enhance your energy efficiency. Work with your electrician, to make sure the fixtures, bulbs, switches, and other components are compatible with each other and your smart home system.

Working with Professionals to Upgrade Your Home’s Lighting

As you are thinking about your upgrade, you’ll want to budget properly, to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Think about the cost of fixtures, hidden costs like drywall repair, and the cost of professional installation. We strongly advise professional assistance on a project of this magnitude, because investing in professional installation is likely to save you money in the long run. Your electrician can advise you on fixture placement, energy efficiency, and how to best reach your goals, and can provide installation that’s efficient and safe.

FAQs

How Much Does a Whole-Home Lighting Upgrade Cost?

• This is a difficult question to answer, since lighting upgrades differ between houses and homeowners. The best option is to contact your local electrician for an estimate.

Can I Upgrade Lighting Without Rewiring?

• If all you want to do is switch out some bulbs or upgrade fixtures, of course! If you plan to go a little bit further in your upgrade, whether that means installing smart switches or adding hardwired fixtures, you will need an electrician to handle your rewiring.

How Long Does a Lighting Upgrade Project Take?

• This is another subjective question, because the length of the project depends largely on its scope and the size of your home. Lighting upgrades can take a few hours or several days, so it’s best to contact an electrician to get an estimate for your unique project.

Reach Out to Coffin Electric for a Residential Lighting Consultation and Let’s Get Started

Ready for a whole home lighting renovation? The experienced, reliable team of licensed electricians at Coffin Electric is ready to jump in with you and get excited about your project. Since 1920, our local, family-owned business has been providing comprehensive electrical services to our community, and we work hard to exceed our customers’ expectations.  Motivated and dedicated, we have the knowledge and technical skills necessary to provide quality service on every job, from upgrading electrical panels to installing generators and lighting fixtures to keeping the wiring in your home safe and up to date. We’ll always give you our full attention, behave with integrity, and stand behind our work. For all your home’s electrical needs, contact us and we’ll get the job done right.