The basement is one of the most neglected areas in our house and it is often excluded from our interior design plan. In reality, the basement can be compatible with our overall design so it will have equal functionality and liveability compared to other rooms in our house. As an example, we could convert the basement into a recreation area or family room.  By its very nature, the basement is darker, more humid and cooler. The lack of exposure to sunlight is one defining thing about basement and this present a unique challenge when we want to light up the basement area. Just like in other rooms, the first thing that we do is to improve the natural lighting, so we don’t need to depend too much on electricity. We could do this by clearing away shrubbery and other small plants, as well obstacles to sunlight. This is a simple step that can often make our basement much brighter, less humid and warmer than usual. If possible, we may also add new small windows in the basement, but this is suitable only if we have more flexible budget. Even so, we should prioritize on natural lighting first before doing anything else.

In many basement areas, the usual lighting solutions are usually low-end and simple, such as long tube fluorescent fixtures or bare incandescent light bulbs. In many cases, although these solutions are functional and affordable, they won’t make our basement area an inviting place for recreation and leisure. In general, we should know what we want to obtain from the basement area, especially if the upstairs living space is getting too limited. It would be nice if we have an area where children can play happily during vacations. If we want to make the basement area more liveable, we could use a proper combination of recessed and track lighting. Installing dimmer should also be a good idea if we want to make the basement more versatile, such as for watching movies. If you want to make the basement a cheery and bright area, we should use the right kind of fixtures. There are low-energy light fixtures that can provide us good balance of color. There’s a wide variety of CFL or compact fluorescent lights that can work we;; as floor lamps or desk lamps, also for ceiling fixtures.

Since the basement area is cut off from much of the natural sunlight, it is a good idea to give it a serious consideration in terms of full spectrum light fixtures. This should allow you to simulate natural sunlight and you will be able to provide everyone with a warm sense of comfort and well being. This is especially true for people who are prone to gloomy winter syndrome or seasonal affective disorder. Track lighting should be quite attractive and inexpensive for use in the basement. We would be able to obtain both accent and ambient lighting, which can be quite easy to install. It’s actually a good thing if you have basement with unfinished and open ceiling, so you will be able to install new electrical wiring for your upcoming lighting plan.