Warm Light and Simple Controls for Shorter Days

By late October, the sun sets earlier each evening, and you start coming home to a dark house. You flip on the overhead light in one room, then the next, and each one floods the space with the same bright, flat light. In many New Orleans homes with tall ceilings, that fixture is the only light in the room, and it has two settings: on and off. 

The cozy glow you want as the weather cools isn’t possible. It is if you upgrade to smart lighting that layers light and runs it on scenes and schedules. The right glow is already on when you walk in. Keep reading to see how that layering works and how to plan it for your own rooms. 

Start Off With a Layered Lighting Approach

The first issue we often see in homes is relying on one ceiling fixture or four fixtures at each corner of the room. You may get decent lighting to move around, but you’ll let your decor waste away in the shadows and strain your eyes in the darker corners of the room. Instead, every room should incorporate three layers of lighting: ambient light for the overall glow, task light for reading and cooking, and accent light for art and shelving. When each layer is integrated with lighting control, you can lower the ambient light and keep the reading lamp bright while the bookcase remains lit to showcase your collection.

Color matters as much as brightness. Tunable white fixtures automatically shift from cooler daytime light to warmer evening light. The proper color temperature not only improves your mood but also helps colors pop in your favorite decor and artwork. 

Schedules Handle the Shorter Days

Daylight changes a little each week, and nobody wants to reset timers by hand. Lutron systems follow sunrise and sunset times for your location. Schedules automatically adjust as days get shorter, so entry and exterior lights always come on as the sun fades. When the clocks fall back in November, nothing needs reprogramming.

Set hallway and bathroom lights to a dimmed setting after dark, just bright enough for family members to find their way at 2 a.m. without bright lights jarring them and the rest of the family awake. When you leave town for a weekend, an away schedule turns lights on and off so the house looks lived in. Dimming also saves energy, since an LED at half brightness draws noticeably less power than at full output.

One Tap Sets the Scene

A lighting scene recalls the settings for every light in a room, depending on the time of day or activity. Press a keypad button or tap your phone, and the room moves to the look you chose. Are your hands full when you walk into a room? Use a voice command instead. 

A Cozy Evening scene might dim the living room to a low glow and lower the shades as dusk falls,with a brighter tableside lamp to help you read. A Dinner scene brightens the kitchen for cooking while the dining area dims for comfortable dining. At bedtime, a Good Night scene turns off the lights downstairs and leaves a dim path to the bedrooms.

Take it a step further by connecting lights, shades, and music under a Control4 system. At sunset or when you arrive home, the lights rise to a low, warm level and the shades close against the dark, while music starts in the rooms you use most. You get the same warm welcome every evening without touching a switch. 

We program each scene with you, and help you adjust it as your routine changes with the seasons. For more on managing your home from one place, read how whole-home control protects your daily peace of mind. 

Bring Warmer Light Into Your Home This Fall

Good lighting design starts before the first fixture goes in. Our team walks through your rooms, learns how your family uses them, and plans the layers and scenes to match. And we are available after installation if anything needs adjusting.

Ready to make your home feel cozier before the holidays? Contact our team here or use the live chat below to schedule a free consultation.