Many people mistakenly perceive the basement as a dark, cold space that we only spend time in when it is necessary. But the basement is just as important a part of the home as any other, and with the right lighting, it can be both functional and even inviting, so that all family members can feel comfortable on the lower floor of the house.
A basement can have many functions and purposes; for example, it can be used as a utility room, storage area and games room. No matter how it is used, it is vital to have good lighting in the basement because often it lacks natural light and perhaps even windows. Below, you can read our top tips for creating basement lighting that meets every requirement and is suitable for all functions.
In the basement, we recommend having good general overhead lighting as the primary lighting because it delivers practical and orientating light in the basement. At the same time, the low ceiling height also poses certain lighting requirements, making ceiling luminaires, ceiling fixtures and spotlights good choices for the basement. Ceiling fixtures and luminaires in particular are good, inexpensive solutions for basement lighting as they have a wide beam angle that illuminates the entire room at a low cost.
It’s a good idea to augment your general lighting with wall lights and table lamps in work areas such as those in the games room or utility room. For the work table in your games room you may want to use the Arki table lamp.
This stylish architect’s lamp provides good downward light on the worktop thanks to its large shade, and the light can be directed to exactly where you need it. The Arki table lamp also includes three fixtures: a base, a wall bracket and a clamp for mounting the lamp on the edge of the worktop. This gives you many options to place the lamp where it best suits your needs. In the utility room, it can also be practical to have wall lights mounted by the worktop to ensure you have good lighting while you work. For this, we recommend MIB wall, Nexus wall or Front.
The first thing you encounter on the way down to the basement is the stairs. Good illumination here is important, so that you have a sufficient amount of light to guide you down the stairs. At the same time, it is also essential that the stairs and the basement are inviting and cosy, and for this, lighting is an important element. For example, we recommend using our Fold wall light which delivers beautiful upward and downward light and does not take up unnecessary space. The right lighting makes the stairs a beautifully integrated element in your interior design rather than simply acting as a connection between floors.
It is a good idea to install motion sensor lights in the basement, so that the light automatically turns itself on when movement is detected. This can be helpful at times such as when we’re carrying an armful of laundry and can’t reach the switch. Motion sensor lights can simultaneously make the basement more useful and appealing to younger family members, as they don’t have to make their way through the darkness to turn on the light. Here we recommend Ask 36 motion sensor.