As the days get shorter (read: darker), now is the time to begin making a few key lighting changes around your home. After all, it’s still imperative that your space feels well lit and cozy all evening long, even when it’s pitch black outside. Below, designers share a few key tasks that you will want to check off now that the clocks have moved back.
Adjust Your Home’s Lighting Schedule
Take advantage of technology—if you have an automated lighting system at home, it’s time to get it set up for winter, says designer Tracy Morris of Tracy Morris Design. “Program it to gradually bring up the interior lights earlier in the afternoon, helping maintain a consistent rhythm as natural daylight begins to fade,” she says. “This can make the transition to shorter days feel less abrupt and help counteract that gloomy feeling we sometimes experience in November.” No such system? No problem. “Simply start turning on your lamps around 3:30 p.m., before the house begins to feel dark,” she says.
Use Layers of Lighting
As you brighten up your home in the late afternoon, make sure that you’re using a layered lighting approach. “Relying entirely on overhead fixtures can feel harsh as the evening approaches,” says Tracy. “The goal is to create a home that feels bright and welcoming throughout the afternoon and then gradually transitions into a softer, more relaxing atmosphere in the evening.” And, she offers, be sure that you’re paying close attention to color temperature—2700K bulbs “create a much softer atmosphere.”
Sconces are one form of layered lighting that designer Ashley Macuga of Studio Collected particularly loves. “In a dining room, brass sconces placed between drapery panels or above a sideboard at eye level, paired with a chandelier with linen shades, cast a diffused glow around the room and over the table,” she says.
Unable to hardwire sconces in your space? Ashley recommends opting for rechargeable options as an alternative. Either way, she recommends turning down the overhead light before a dark evening sets in and relying more on the softer light provided by sconces.
Say Yes to Little Lamps
Scattering small lamps, in particular, throughout the home can also work wonders. “Think the bathtub ledge, bookshelf, kitchen countertop, or even a window ledge,” says designer Brooke Mennen-Talsma of Brooke MT Interiors. “These little lamps add so much charming, unexpected detail while creating soft pockets of light that make a home feel warm and cozy.”
Tackle Your Exterior, Too
It’s important that the outside of your home is also appropriately lit this time of year. “Dark evenings can make windows look like cold, black voids from the inside,” says Shannon Kadwell, the kitchen and bath director at Anthony Wilder Design/Build. As such, she recommends using warm-tone bulbs in outdoor sconces to ensure that the pathway to your front door feels safe and inviting. Another tip? “Use low-voltage path lighting or soft outdoor uplighting against tree bark, stone walls, or architectural details,” says Shannon. “Seeing a soft glow just outside the glass eliminates the feeling of being closed in by darkness.”
Sarah Lyon, Country Living