Illuminate Dark Corners with Contemporary Hall Lighting

Hallways are often overlooked when designing and creating focal points in a home. Whether your hallway leads to a living or private quarters, there’s ample opportunity to turn this space into one that enhances your home’s aesthetic and expresses your sense of style.

One of the most important facets of designing a hallway is the lighting. Not only is adequate ambient lighting needed for safe passage, but it’s also a great way to showcase important design elements as well.

A general rule of thumb used to determine the number of overhead fixtures required for ambient hallway lighting is to install a fixture every eight feet. Calculating the wattage required to amplify light in the space is simple. Calculate the area of your hallway using the length multiplied by the width, and then multiply that figure by 1.5. Dividing that number by the total amount of fixtures will determine the strength of each bulb required. Always round up to the closest wattage of standard bulbs, and if algebra isn’t your forte, be sure to work with an architect who can the task for you.

Once you know how many fixtures are needed and the amount of wattage required to light your hallway sufficiently, you can begin to plan the overall design. Hallways can be used to showcase family photos, wall accents and art pieces in collage-style groupings, such as a gallery wall. You can also create a focal point at the end of a long hallway to help provide a destination.

To showcase items on the walls, you may consider using track lighting as your main light source directed towards a piece, or you may opt for pot lighting to highlight certain items while using overhead fixtures as your main light source. To create a focal point at the end of a hallway, depending on the space available, you may add a chandelier that will draw the eye.

TMS Architects can help you design a beautiful home with functional lighting solutions. View our online portfolio and contact us to learn more.