When you think of home adaptations, the mind quickly fills with ramps and bars for handholds; bathroom conversions and walk-in-showers; stairlifts or widening doorways – it doesn’t often leap to lighting.

Yet lighting plays a critical role in your home, in terms of function, comfort and safety. Poor lighting contributes to falls and difficulties with everyday tasks and can make a home a frustrating and uncomfortable place to be.

Having the right lighting will transform how rooms can be used, make the house feel safer and ensure it’s perfectly suited to its occupants.

The Importance of Natural Light

It’s almost impossible to understate the importance of natural light. Rooms with no windows quickly become depressing, and while well-considered artificial light can do a fantastic job, it’s no substitute for the natural boost of sunlight.

Natural light performs so many functions:

  • It combats depression – We all know this instinctively, but there’s science behind it too, as sunlight increases serotonin and vitamin D production which are essential in maintaining calmness and a good mood.
  • It improves orientation – No one is expecting you to know which is North or South by looking out of the window, but your body will naturally sense which direction you’re facing by the light around you. In your home, years of experience mean that the light plays a key part in helping you know where you are.
  • Helps you track time – Humans have been using sunlight to track time since… well… forever! Being able to naturally know when it is helps promote wellbeing and mental health, as well as making sure you don’t miss important episodes of your favourite TV series.
  • It helps you see – Yes, we left it until last because it’s so obvious, but good natural light helps you see around you, and that’s really, really, important! More than artificial light, though, natural light can make navigating around your home more comforting and easier.

Lighting in Accessible Home Design

Improving the Natural Light in Your Home

There are a range of great ways to enhance the natural light in your home, including:

  • Improving windows – Larger windows, more windows, skylights… all of these answers will help transform your home in a clear way, bringing more natural light into the house and making things better in all those ways mentioned above.
  • Mirrors – A mirror opposite a window bounces the natural light around the room and can make a huge difference. They are easy to install and a very cost-effective way of enhancing your room.
  • Window coverings – Heavy curtains can make a room feel warmer and cosier on those longer winter lights, but they will also block a huge amount of sunlight during the day. Even drawn back, curtains can make a room oppressive. Consider shutters as a modern alternative that comes with many other benefits (including energy efficiency), or blinds for a cost-effective solution that gives better light control.
  • Pruning – If trees and bushes outside the window are blocking the sunlight, then it’s worth getting a little gardening done to trim them back. It’s another budget-friendly way to increase the natural light in the home.

Task Lighting: Illuminating Specific Areas

Task lighting are specific lighting solutions for key areas, such as lights for cooking, reading, or getting ready. With modern LED lighting an incredibly versatile solution for so many lighting needs, it’s easy to get some effective task lighting for your home that will help in so many ways. Consider:

  • Under cabinet lights in the kitchens
  • Desk lamps for writing and reading
  • Table reading lamps and standard lamps with adjustable brightness for comfortable reading in the living room and bedroom
  • Magnifying lamps for close-up tasks
  • Mirrors with edge lighting or backlights
  • Keyboards with built-in backlights for using the computer
  • Smart lighting that can be voice-controlled for comfort and ease of use

Nightlights and Motion-Activated Lighting

One of the biggest concerns for many is getting around at night. After all, you can have the largest windows with the best natural lighting in the world, but when it’s dark, it’s dark!

Modern lighting solutions are excellent for improving the home at night. You can opt for:

  • Soft nightlights to help with safe navigation at night, especially for those with vision impairments.
  • Motion-activated lights to illuminate hallways, bathrooms, and other high-traffic areas when needed. The motion sensors mean lights come on and switch off automatically, meaning there’s no fumbling for a switch or worrying about turning the light off and coming back to bed in the dark.
  • Track lighting, with LED strips to run alongside hallways, paths and stairs.
  • Security lighting for outside areas.

Avoiding Glare and Shadows

One of the problems that people face when improving their homes with lighting is that of glare and shadows. When lighting becomes a problem like this, it can feel very frustrating. Thankfully, solutions exist:

  • Light layering – Using multiple light sources, you can ensure that the room lighting is well-balanced, avoiding shadows through a range of ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting.
  • Anti-glare coverings – Sunlight can cause glare, especially on reflective surfaces such as the TV. This can be mitigated with anti-glare film or blinds on the windows, providing the natural light desired without bringing problems with it.
  • Light shades and diffusers – With a wide range of lighting accessories to improve your lighting, it’s easy to soften the room glare with light shades and specialist diffusers.
  • Matte finishes – One other option includes using matte finishes on your floors, tiles, and other surfaces to reduce reflection in the room.

Lighting for Accessible Home Design: Tips

Here are our top five tips for getting your lighting right for accessible home design:

  • Maximise natural light – As discussed earlier, natural light is key to good accessible home lighting.
  • Use a range of light sources – Different light is good for different purposes; to have effective all-round lighting, consider all options.
  • Consider the needs of the inhabitants – It’s important to take account of the people living in the home; a visually impaired occupant will have different lighting needs to that of a wheelchair user.
  • Think about switch placement and smart systems – The height and position of the switches are important, while dimmer switches can be difficult to use. Also, consider colour and size; for example, white on white is hard to see. Smart home adaptations can provide an additional layer of usability but should never completely replace standard switches.
  • Take the room use into account – Warm white light is better for living spaces with its comfortable, inviting atmosphere; however, cool white light helps with focus in reading spaces and offices, as well as visibility in kitchens.

Getting the Lighting Right with John Ford Group

At John Ford Group, we specialise in home alterations and work in tandem with occupational therapists to analyse the needs of the occupants and develop the right changes to best suit those needs. Our experienced team are experts in home lighting and can help you work out the most efficient plan for your home that considers need, budget, and future concerns. Contact us today to learn more.