Illuminate Your Home Library With Warmth & Splendour

For some, reading isn’t simply a hobby, it’s way more than that. For many out there, reading is an integral part of their lifestyle. And while the entire world is fascinated by e-books and e-readers now, there are a few who stick to a classic reading experience with a physical book. Probably for the latter, a home library has become a perfect option for them to nurture their undying passion for reading. A home library is the best choice you can make for yourself and your home if reading’s more than just a pastime for you. Considering the design perspective, a home library can become a gorgeous focal point in your living space and add just the depth and dimension to your decor. But if you look beyond that, a library can do much more for your home. A library can cultivate a culture of literacy for all the occupants of your home and open up new worlds every time you take a book in your hand.

Reading is a multifaceted process that leaves you with an enriching experience but one thing you need to be very careful about is the lighting around you when you curl up with a book in your hand in your home library. No matter if it’s a comfy armchair you choose for your reading session or a cushy couch, lighting shouldn’t a factor that hampers your reading experience in any manner. Most readers end up with visual fatigue or similar conditions as they spend hours reading under unfavourable lighting and exhaust their eyes. We simply can’t emphasize enough on the fact that optimum illumination is a must whenever and wherever you have your reading session. The White Teak Company brings to you a few lighting tips for your home library that can beautifully bring out the best of the space and enhance your reading experience beyond your imagination. While we do pay attention to the aesthetic value of the space, functionality is key to the lighting layout of your home library too. Now, take a look at everything we have for you and let your library speak for itself with its entrancing lighting layout.

A Snug Sitting Area For A Seamless Reading Experience

Let’s start with the epicentre of your home library because this is the place where you need optimum lighting in the first place. No matter how big or small your home library is, a snug sitting area is a must as it becomes your launchpad to the different worlds your book is about to take you into. In the simplest words, the more comfortable the sitting space is, the better the journey your book takes you into.

While this is the most important part of your home library to illuminate, it is, fortunately, the easiest too. Your sitting area needs clear and direct illumination for seamless reading sessions. And the lighting layout has to be designed in such a way that the reader doesn’t obstruct the light. Be very careful about the shadows in the space as they can hamper the overall look of your library and also bring the functionality quotient down.

Start with a hanging light as that is the best addition you can make to the lighting layout. Not only can a hanging light be customised according to the ceiling height, but you can also choose the beam angle and achieve the right lumen output. If you can afford the space, then consider going with a chandelier, but if you feel your space is slightly compact to accommodate a chandelier, then a pendant light will do the job for you too.

Lend An Elegant Touch To Your Library With Illuminated Bookshelves

One of the most talked about home library lighting trends, illuminated bookshelves have made it to our list too. The illuminated bookshelves add a different dimension to your home library and don’t forget the drama it can add to the decor. But we see a lot more than this trend’s aesthetic value. While the illuminated bookshelves do add a rich visual to your library, their functionality is key to your home library.

Most readers who have a home library are collectors too, whether they know it or not. Be it a novice book collector or a veteran one, everybody understands the need to maintain their books and their collection as a whole. Now what you need to remember is that paper is sensitive to intense illumination. Not only does high-intensity illumination cause discolouring of the paper but it can also damage the older books that mostly flaunt a leather jacket. Paper and leather don’t interact well with heat and UV radiation and this can be very annoying when your collection boasts rare texts and classics. But we do understand that a collection is meant to be flaunted in all its glory. LED lighting fixtures are just perfect for your home library as they can gorgeously bring attention to your books and eliminate the risk of ageing your books at the same time.

Despite being created for a different purpose altogether, LED picture lights can be used perfectly to light up your bookshelves effortlessly. Picture lights don’t just enhance the aesthetic value of your library but also make it much easier to curate your entire collection. Another really good alternative to LED picture lights is LED strip lights. LED strip lights can be used as both backlights and front lights depending on how you want to highlight your collection. Track lighting is another worthy alternative for your consideration. If your bookshelf is slightly tall or if there’s a lot of area to cover, then LED track lights can definitely be considered. Track lighting is quite versatile and can be customised to light up your space just the way you want it to. If there’s no space to accommodate any of the above-mentioned designs, then you can stick to LED Cabinet Lights as they let your bookshelves make a statement for themselves.

Choose The Colour Temperature Wisely

There are many people out there who believe that a cool colour temperature is ideal for your home and there’s also a section of people who believe that warm lighting is the best in any given situation. What’s our take on this? We simply believe that the colour temperature for any space is a matter of preference. Both cool lighting and warm lighting have their own pros and cons to boast. But since it comes to a home library, we say, why not make it as relaxed as it can be?

A colour temperature of around 3000K produces a warm light creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Your reading session is all about embracing that escape from reality and trusting the book to take you into a world where nothing else matters. Warm lighting is perfect for such escapades as it can create a seamlessly soothing atmosphere whenever you’re ready to wind down. A colour temperature of around 5000k produces a cool white light and it is believed to mimic natural daylight very closely. A cooler white temperature is best suited for focused work and it boosts your concentration too.

The colour temperature of your home library can also influence the appearance of your collection. Classic books or older texts are mostly covered in black, brown and similar dark shades. Now, these dark shades interact best with warm white as they add a certain sharpness to your collection. But, if your collection has books with brighter covers or comics, in particular, then natural white or cool white is the best temperature to go with as it can bring the best out of your collection. Natural white will enhance the texts and the bold covers in a way you’d never imagine.

If you’re still unsure about the colour temperature then consider going with lighting designs that can be customised to produce any colour temperature that you like. If you’re looking for inspiration, then start with these gorgeous lighting designs from The White Teak Company.

Dimmable Lighting To Accentuate The Functionality Of Your Library

Before we explain how dimmable lighting can help your library function at its best, we need to talk about another important aspect of any lighting layout - natural lighting. It is important to consider the amount of natural light that makes it to your space as it will help you determine the kind of lighting fixtures you need to install there. The same goes for your home library.

Dimmable lighting is one of the best ways to complement the natural lighting in the space at any time of the day. Dimmable lighting is versatile and customizable and lets you control the lighting level at any time of the day. For example, if the weather’s bad and the lighting is bare minimal in the morning, then dimmable lighting will complement the lighting layout perfectly and create an ideal atmosphere for reading in your library.

And if there’s absolutely no natural lighting that makes it to your library, then dimmable lighting is again a really good option as it will help you mimic the natural progression of the day with ease inside your snug home library. For more ideas on biophilic lighting, give this a read - https://www.whiteteak.com/blog/post/enhance-your-well-being-with-these-biophilic-lighting-ideas

Dimmable LED lighting fixtures also minimise maintenance requirements. The cost of operation is minimal and there won’t be any frequent disruptions as the technology is quite reliable. LED fixtures are recommended as the long lifespan means that replacements are also minimal. LED lighting fixtures also offer excellent quality of light, along with unreal high efficiency. If you’re looking for inspiration, start with the gorgeous Dimmable Lighting collection from The White Teak Company.

Head on to our homepage to feast your eyes on some of the finest luxury lighting designs you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Also, keep an eye out on this space for more such tips and tricks to transform your beautiful abodes.