Lighting your basement
Existing basements are often dark, damp spaces with few or no windows, sometimes making it difficult to visualise how a converted basement can be a valuable living space. Lighting in a basement conversion can be easily solved and in many ways allows you to be more creative with your basement design.There are, several ways in which you can maximise the lighting in your basement.
If part of your basement structure is above ground, consider adding windows. Even if your basement is fully below ground level, natural lighting can be added through the creation of light wells. Light wells provide a great source of natural light and involve digging out an area of ground adjacent to the outer wall of your cellar, and creating a small opening in which to place a window to allow light into the subterranean space.
Other options range from painting the basement in light colours to to reflect any light around the room, to selecting a combination of overall lighting fixtures, task and accent lighting. Even considering the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of light bulbs; incandescent, LED, halogen, and fluorescent, and the types of lighting fixtures in which you use them can dramatically improve the feel of a basement space.
Halogen spot lights work well because they offer warm light that helps the space feel homely. LED lights can offer significant energy efficiency savings, but it’s important that you select the right ones as some LED lights can have a harsh blue-tinted light. Depending upon your desired ceiling finish, up lighting can help the space feel taller, raising the ceiling and offering diffused light, whilst combining this effect with spot lights can offer focus on particular areas (such as a desk, ornament or worktop).
The type and sheen of the paint you use can also impact upon how bright your basement seems. Using paints with a light reflecting pigment, or selecting a satin finish over a flat finish such as matt will encourage more light to bounce off the walls and back into the room.