When you live in an apartment building, your lighting options are limited—and if you don’t like what the landlord or property manager has installed, you could feel doomed to live in a dim cave until the lease is up. Before you start browsing apartment listings and planning your escape, however, there are plenty of ways you can improve the lighting in your rental, without overloading your circuits in the process.
Here are some tips for great lighting design in an apartment building in Raleigh, NC:
- Dress up your fixtures: Do you have ugly overhead lighting? It’d be great if we could pull down the old lamps and install our own, but when you don’t own the building, you’re a bit more limited in your options. There are plenty of ways that you can dress up the fixtures you have, however. Pinterest DIY searches have you covered, whether that’s creating your own faux drum shade or a wax paper “oyster shell” chandelier. If you have flat ceilings, you can use Command removable hooks to install them.
- Try clip-on lights: Apartments often have weird shadow pockets—or the lighting overhead is too harsh. Try clip-on lights to soften the lighting and illuminate hidden corners.
- Use LED switches in the closet: Can’t see inside your closet? Get removable LED “light switches” to make sure you can see what you’re hanging up (or what’s piling up) in your closet.
- Switch out your bulbs: Sometimes the overhead artificial lighting is too harsh. To combat this, switch out the bulbs for something soft and warm. If it’s still more “office cubicle” than “cozy living space,” don’t use the overhead lights—opt for other lighting instead.
- Use floor and table lamps: Speaking of other lighting options, floor and table lamps go a long way toward creating flattering, warm lighting that you won’t get from your overhead lighting.
- Try a swing-arm lamp: Another solution for shadow pockets—or avid bookworms—is to use a swing-arm lamp pointed into the dim area. Many can be clipped onto shelves or other furniture to direct the light exactly where you need it to go.
- Use string lights: String lights are more popular than ever, thanks to LED technology and plenty of style options. You could hang traditional fairy lights or opt for a “light curtain.” Some offer large bulbs and other aesthetic options like decorative bulb covers; look for a strand that has a remote and dimming functions for even more control over your lighting.
- Hang accent lighting: Marquee-style monogram lights are all the rage these days, and they’re not just trendy—they can also be a practical way to bring some much-needed light to dim corners.
If you’re in need of an electrician for your apartment building, keep the team at Box Electric Company at the top of your list. We can help you with apartment lighting design in Raleigh, NC, as well as installation and inspections. Reach out to us today to get a quote and schedule an appointment.