How to Light Your Home Office
Avoid Eye Strain
Whether you work from home or your child needs to use the Internet for homework, computer eye strain is a serious concern. This type of eye strain occurs when the lighting in a room is too bright or too dim. Eye strain can be avoided with the proper balance of natural and artificial light in your home office. The main goal is to reduce squinting due to glare.
The Dangers of Glare
Glare is the result of too much contrast between light and dark areas. It often occurs when too much natural sunlight is competing with your lighting fixtures, or vice versa. Again, finding a balance between these two sources of light is critical to reduce glare. Lighting placement can also cause a glare in your home office. Fixtures should be placed in front or to the side of your desk and computer screen, rather than behind.
Focus on Task and Ambient Lighting
Accent lighting can be used to highlight features in your home office, but the main focus should be on ambient and task lighting. When layering your lighting, you don’t want to have too many fixtures – especially when natural sunlight is factored in during the day time.
Ambient Lighting
This type of lighting provides general illumination. It is not recommended recessed lights be your main source of ambient lighting in a home office. They tend to create hot spots, when direct light creates bright areas. A dramatic pendant light will make a design statement while providing the necessary illumination.
Task Lighting
Your works areas should each have their own concentration of light. Task lighting is directional light that helps you accomplish different assignments. For example, you may have a desk with your computer, but a separate area for reading. Illuminate your desk with a simple swing-arm lamp that will move the light exactly where you need it, when you need it. A floor lamp will provide the right amount of light for reading a book or important work documents.
At Connecticut Lighting Centers, we have an extensive line of lighting products to help you light your home office. We also carry Lutron™ motorized window shades, which can help keep natural light balanced in a room. To browse our inventory, visit our Hartford or Southington showroom today.