More than ever, attics are becoming a perfect choice for the home office. Largely unused storage spaces in the past, you can create the perfect home office environment with your attic. You’ll need to consider some lighting options because some attics can be small, dark, and have fewer windows than other standard rooms. Let’s look at some easy and cheaper ways to light up your attic.
Table of Contents
- Attic Lighting Ideas
- Farmhouse Attics
- Recommended Lighting Types
- Essential Tips for the Best Attic Lighting Option
Attic Lighting Ideas
Deciding on the best attic lighting ideas can increase the value of your home and can help improve your interior design project. Attics have ample space but get used almost too often as storage areas. Consider unused areas like your attic as a potential work or living space.
An attic is an excellent way to use this extra space for a guest room, a rustic attic bedroom, a study room, a reading room, or even a new home office. As long as you consider the right lighting conditions. Home office space has been rising since the pandemic surprised the world. Attics can also be challenging because extreme heat and poor ventilation require central air or a ceiling fan.
If you have a crawl attic, which is a small space, it is better used as a simple storage area. Limited space is always a challenge, and why awkward spaces benefit from acting as storage.
Farmhouse Attics
I have used farmhouse attics as the master bedroom because of their unique architectural details. These attics have large windows, low ceilings, wooden beams, wooden walls, and dark hardwood floors for that ranch house attic space feel. In a large living area like this, there is plenty of natural light, too.
Others have transformed their entire farmhouse-style attic into a complete home theater experience, which serves as the room’s focal point with a retro-modern kick to the eyes.
Some have used modern accents in the right places for their farmhouse attic. This includes warm whites, a gray bed, white walls, a dark wood floor, and white window covers for a nice, cozy bedroom look and feel.
Some have used different colors for their finished attic. Some have installed shiplap walls, which are wooden panels that provide an effective seal and are becoming more popular in modern and rustic homes. With a special interlocking board, these walls integrate nicely with any attic which still retains some natural materials and a natural wood color throughout.
It is an excellent point to look at attic lighting in a way that considers the essential aspects that matter to you: we could design this based on how flexible or professional your lighting installation should be. These are personal decisions, but you will find great ideas from expert interior designers that can offer the best options for your budget. Lighting experts can identify the perfect setup for brick walls, accent walls, or attics with sloping ceilings.
An attic ceiling may benefit from floor lights, or a better choice can even be a light source as simple as natural lighting.
Some homeowners have even used narrow black metal lanterns as the best way to achieve proper lighting in a great place like an attic room. For really cool lantern-style lights, look at our article on Ambientec lamps, which have an industrial style built to last. These portable lamps do not use incandescent bulbs.
LED lamps use touch sensors and simple gestures to change light gradation. There is no light switch. They can place it on wooden floors and come in other colors. Not only black.
The size, layout, and overall state of the attic determine the lighting solution you will ultimately consider. Even if you end up hiring an expert to install attic lights, it would still be a good idea to decide on the lighting type to be installed. There are always different styles and a great option could be as simple as a work light, task lighting, strip lights, rope light for festive themes, or a light fixture set at different heights.
Some homeowners have preferred strip lights to keyless fixtures or keyless lamp holders because there is a risk of breakage by hitting one’s head on the lamp in a low-ceiling environment. So much for the freestanding tub! Strip lights and their watt equivalent bring as much light as a keyless lamp. What is a keyless fixture? It is one of the most straightforward ceiling solutions and gets controlled by a wall switch or cord switch. Keyless sockets are best used for hanging fixtures.
Recommended Lighting Types
Floor Lamps
I mostly preferred floor lamps since they are flexible and adjustable. You can quickly move them to fit your lighting needs. Floor lamps are versatile, and one can use them equally for task ambient lighting. I know floor lamps create an illusion of height.
Wall Lights
We have used this lighting solution for decades. Some with modern designs are being converted into wall lights. Wall lights can fit every home style, so there is broad consumer appeal. Have a lounge area? You may opt for this lighting solution. These energy-saving lights do not require you to light up the entire room for visibility.
Table Lamps
We primarily used table lamps in a converted attic space. They can light the entire room, making them super convenient. If you combine the table lamp with a dimmable light bulb and lampshade, you can use it for different lighting needs and a decorated effect.
LED Panels
LED panels are a high-quality lighting solution for your attic space. They are also durable and produce less heat. Installing them is very easy when compared to ceiling lights. LED lights (panels) come in unique designs, sizes, shapes, and colors.
Sensor Lights
Sensor lights are standard for long corridors and in parts of an attic that are not frequently used. This has an apparent energy-saving benefit. Sensor lights are unique, practical, and great for families with children.
Industrial Pendant Lights
We use the lighting solution when optimal light is required. They are rugged, but clean aesthetics create an attractive lighting solution. We can use this lighting in a home office or office study. Industrial pendant lights are essentially a bulb hidden under a shade. We can suspend these lights using different materials and designs.
Led Strips
The LED strip is one of the most versatile and flexible lighting options. It is flexible enough to meet the structural features of the attic space, like a curved ceiling synonymous with a farmhouse or barn-style rooftops. These strips are easy to use and install. You can also cut them into desired sizes that work best for your personal needs. LED strip lighting is dimmable and is available in different sizes.
Low Ceiling Lights
This lighting solution can work in every room but is common in attic spaces because they made their design for low-ceiling rooms. This is great for homeowners seeking to lighten up their home bars, bathroom, and other storage areas.
Kanlux
They have recognized Kanlux as one of the most beneficial lighting solutions in the market. Deciding on the best lighting option for your attic can be difficult. Consider ceiling height, curved ceiling roofs, window trims, and other elements that can be disproportionate.
Low ceilings require homeowners to consider lamps with several light points, which provide flexibility in choosing directions. Light points are where the wiring runs to provide power for your lighting fixture. Attics can make things appear like an obstacle, but there are many options and lamp systems that can provide the light sources and allow you to save space and avoid wall lamp installations.
Kanlux provides homeowners with lamps with one-piece luminaires that can fit easily into decorated rooms.
Essential Tips for the Best Attic Lighting Option
The best attic lighting ideas focus more on function and safety versus appearance. Consider these tips.
Temperature
The best attic lighting option is heavily related to temperature. You ensure the fixture will last long, even with high and low temperatures.
Lamp Heat
Low heat emission lamps are best suited for crawl attics, given their small size. Compact LED fluorescent lamps to offer cooler operating temperatures.
Multiple Applications
We have used the light bulb for decades, and while the light source can be centered to provide a better light source for the entire attic, some lighting can create a shadow effect. Installed rope lighting throughout the attic could eliminate shadow effects.
Attic Room Size
The size of your attic will determine the best lighting option. If you have a low-ceiling, you’re not likely to install an extravagant chandelier with a long neck. Small attics could complement LED strip lighting or portable lamps for ambient lighting.
Flexibility
You should be able to control the amount of light you want in your attic space. Flexibility is paramount if you need to dim lights. Your lighting option should have a dimmer for this purpose since it helps save energy. Dimmable lights are not expensive.
Ceiling Height
A high ceiling will allow you to select narrower beams of high-intensity light. The light source considered should also allow you to cover every corner of the attic. Recessed ceiling lists help improve how the ceiling looks with no obstructions.
Theme
Lighting options should always match the decor of the attic. Steampunk-themed lamps have a retro-futuristic feel; a copper or gold metal appears, likely matching Victorian-style colors and wallpaper in an older attic design and shape. If this is your children’s playroom, and if they are a fan of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s hockey team, the last thing you’d do is add a Montreal Canadiens-themed lighting fixture. That would be war. 😀
Consider the Seller
This is the most overlooked option. People have become so accustomed to buying products from online stores but don’t realize the type of lighting imported is usually from manufacturers abroad. Sure, you can always hire an electrician to get the installation done right. How about considering a local, small business in your area.
If you run into a problem, you will have a better chance of getting the proper support in person or by telephone versus an online support contact form.
- About the Author
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John Thompson, Writer and Commentator, EvolutDesign.com
Soldier, writer, researcher, consultant, and bon vivant, John Thompson is the author of numerous columns, op-eds, reports, briefs, short stories and books as the “Felicity Files” and “Spirit Over Steel: A Chronology of the Second World War” (version III). Often found hunched over his computer, or in his garden, and now often found doing both. His diverse talent has led him to work in industries and projects such as energy, security and home construction and renovation. To see the entire team at Evolutdesign.com, visit Our Team page.
