Find out why it's important for your craft room to have proper lighting and plenty of electrical outlets.
Episode Synopsis
Have you ever tried to craft in a dimly lit room or one without access to electrical outlets? In this episode we focus on how important it is to have a functional craft room based on the lighting and electricity that's available in your space. They may seem like small things, but these craft room lighting ideas are very critical! A great studio won't do you much good if you can't see your projects!
Good, natural lighting is best for your craft room. You don't want to have a lot of shadows in your space. One mistake that Mary Fish made was not having strong lighting because that caused a lot of shadowing that affected how well she could see what she was working on. She had to rework her space to put in commercial grade LED under cabinet lighting. It eliminated the shadowing and made the colors of her projects more true. Mary suggests to get as good of a product as your budget will allow.
Keisha and Nerissa focused on lighting right away when they started planning her new craft room space. The unfinished basement where her room went was so dark and seemed like a dungeon.
The three different types of lighting are general, accent, and task.
Accent lighting is sort of the "special touch" in the room. It adds a dramatic effect that draws attention to certain parts of the studio. For Keisha, this is her chandelier that is above her craft room island. She says that it "adds a smile" to the overall usage of the space. For Mary, she has above lighting above her work area shelving because it gives a soothing effect in the studio. Art work in the space could also accented with the lighting too.
General lighting lights up the room and makes it comfortable. You have to be able to see in your room and a way to do that is with can lighting.
Sometimes general lighting isn't enough for the space. That's why task lighting is a critical element. It brings in more light so that projects have their true color, you can see what your hands are working on, and it's easier to line things up when working on your crafts. In a small area, an art lamp is a great option for task lighting. LED lighting is suggested because it is long-lasting, efficient, and not as hot as halogen lights.
Keisha brought in all of these elements of lighting in her studio. She has recessed (general), accent, and task. The focus was on illuminating the space so that it didn't feel like it was in the basement.
Mackenzie learned about the importance of good lighting the hard way and had to make some changes to her space. Based on her old studio, she learned that sometimes you have to manipulate the light based on what time of the day it is. She really loves how under counter lighting is bright and has enough bright light to showcase her cards, especially when she photographs them.
If you have a plan for the three types of craft room lighting, you have to think about how you'll control all of them so that they don't become a nuisance by being inconvenient to use. Light switches in accessible places is important as you decide where to place them throughout the room. There's also great technology you can use from your smart phone or tablet that will help you too.
Also, you shouldn't take your electrical outlets for granted. Mackenzie shares about how she was using so many outlets at the same time in her old studio and it caused the breaker to blow.
Both lighting and electrical outlets are very important for proper craft room lighting. Don't let these craft room lighting ideas go unnoticed as you plan your new space.
Learn more about Mackenzie, Mary and Keisha in our Featured Studio section.
