Great lighting is crucial for creating a beautiful and welcoming home. Through the proper use of light fixtures, you can set the mood for exactly what the occasion demands, create a stylish impact, and of course, increase the safety and functionality of your home. But lighting even the smallest of rooms can seem like an overwhelming task when you’re faced with the endless options on the market today.

No matter your style preference, there’s one requirement all lights should be able to fulfil without a hitch – to efficiently illuminate the space. When it comes to efficient lighting, LEDs are the best of the best. With a lifespan of 25.000 hours and 75% less energy consumption than traditional incandescent bulbs, they certainly are the bulbs of the future. And of course, it’s only logical that the pinnacle of lighting technology comes with a hefty price tag. But when you take into account the return investment of better-quality light, lower electricity bills, and longer-lasting bulbs, it’s actually a smart move to fit your home with LEDs.

LEDs don’t compromise on style either, as today you can easily find a LED fitting that can perfectly complement the purpose and design of your living space. For general ambient lighting in high-frequency areas it’s best to use overhead LED fixtures with high lumen outputs that will increase the functionality of the space. But when you need to set a more cosy atmosphere in social areas, such as the living room and dining room, you can use dimmers that will soften the brightness of the bulbs and make people more comfortable.

When it comes to choosing task lights for increasing your productivity, LEDs are unbeatable. Since they can come in cool white, LED bulbs help create an ambiance similar to daylight. Just look for 6500K or “daylight” on the label when you’re choosing a bulb for your LED fitting, be it a floor lamp, a table lamp, or undercabinet light. Keep your general lighting on and position the task lighting at a good angle to prevent shadows from interfering with the task at hand.

LED bulbs are perhaps the most versatile bulbs out there, coming in a number of shapes: spirals, globes, spotlights, floodlights, cones, and even some that are shaped like candle flames. The variety of shapes means that you have to be careful when choosing bulbs for your specific fixtures. For instance, while a candle light can fit perfectly well in a ceiling fixture, a globe light cannot and is only reserved for pendants and wall sconces. This illustrated guide by Energy Star explains perfectly which shapes work best for the different fixtures.