Lighting is one of the most essential and important ergonomic elements, and it’s about time you learned how to do it right!
1. Balance the Natural and the Artificial
As you are looking at ideas from custom homes or Room Additions for inspiration, the thought of the best way to light your home office is one that, while it may appear simple at first, can be very layered.
Effectively, there may be natural light filtering in from outside and artificial sources that you will also use. The big question is which one should you be using and when?
Truthfully, you really shouldn’t be looking to opt for one versus the other. Think of both types of light as part of a complete puzzle, and then you’ll start to see the improvements.
In this sense, you want to consider natural light as the base of the whole setup. From there, the idea is to use artificial light to whatever extent is necessary to complement its natural counterpart at any given time.
2. Layer Different Lighting Types in a Place with Natural Light
The good thing about this home office lighting journey is the extent to which you can control the artificial side of things. Natural light will be present to whatever extent based on how bright it is outside and to what extent light is being let into your office.
There’s not much control you can exercise over that, especially considering that when you work at night, you have pretty much zero visibility from outside.
This is where the artificial light control comes into the picture. There are three different types you want to bear in mind.
First, there is ambient lighting which is the general type for your workspace that you’ll get from fixtures, ceiling lights, etc. It’s the base that the rest is built on top of and tends to give an even level of illumination.
Read “5 Ways to Create Better Ambiance with Lighting” >>>
Task lighting is next, and as the name implies, it is what you’re going to need to enhance whatever task you’re trying to achieve. Effectively, these are more focused light sources designed to improve whatever experience you are currently dealing with.
Finally, there is accent lighting, meant to provide some level of highlighting to certain items and important architectural details in the office space. For example, if you are the kind of person who keeps your awards around you, this kind of light is what will help them to stand out.
3. Indirect Lighting, Glare, and Shadows
Overhead lighting can be excellent, but if used incorrectly, things could become problematic. What you never want is a setup that has you working under an overhead light’s direct glare.
There is a laundry list of custom designs meant to defuse such lights that are meant to illuminate the office space. For example, some of these may include lampshades. That’s because the shades are very effective at scattering and softening light sources that would otherwise be harsh on the eyes.
The use of an upward-shining floor lamp may also be implemented, as they’re very good at allowing the path of light to bounce off ceilings and walls. You want the entire space to be lit well, but you don’t want it to create a strong contrast or glare.
This is a principle known as indirect lighting since you prevent reflections from your screen. Glares are known to result in dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and other forms of discomfort.
Shadows are known for their eye strain-causing potential, and you get rid of this by preventing an inconsistent lighting scenario from being on your screen or in your workspace.
4. A Few Basic Lighting Ideas
The key point to remember here is that your artificial light sources are meant to help you maintain a constant state of visual comfort, considering that natural light’s state will change throughout the day or based on weather patterns.
LED panels are one option that may be considered as they’re pretty good at providing a uniform visual feel throughout the rooms. Not only do they provide great lighting, but they tend to be minimalistic, allowing them to be right at home in just about any environment.
Recessed luminaries are another such option, offering some of the same kinds of diffusion benefits. Bear in mind though that the design needs to account for the number of luminaries to achieve the desired effect.
It is also good to consider lighting that has color temperature adjustments ranging from daylight whites to warm whites.
Getting a Well-done Design Isn’t Hard
Knowing that some level of consideration must be placed into your home office lighting scenario, you may be confused. Thankfully, you have the incredible team at Paragon Builders by your side.
With over a decade of demonstrable experience in home customization and renovations, you are offered a premium product yielding a result beyond anything else you can get on the market.
Read “Try These 7 Tips for Creating a Functional Home Office” >>>
Home Office Lighting Frequently Asked Questions
In a home office or study, the idea is to have lighting that is at least 4,000 Kelvin. When the light is bright and there is high blue content, the person working can benefit from greater concentration and alertness.
The key concern here is ensuring that you avoid glare as much as possible. For this reason, you don’t want the light to be behind you, instead being at a favorable angle that covers your screen well. Consider mounting the light either just over or below the desk.
There are different options on your computer that you can tweak to make the display more appealing to the eyes. Consider switching to dark mode, adjusting your brightness settings and contrast, changing the color temperature, and even tweaking your font sizes.
It always starts with assessing the natural light and the overhead lighting available. From there, adding a task light with an ambient light finish is recommended. Additionally, consider complementing the setup with an LED strip.
