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Lighting up your old house

By: Shannon Lee , Contributing Writer
In: Historic Preservation, Green Renovations

Anyone who has lived in an old house recognizes one simple fact: Lighting up the place can be a challenge. Many old houses were built during a time when electric or gas lighting was a relatively new concept, and more often than not, a really old house was built during a time when kerosene lamps were the best illumination one could get. For homes like that, little thought was given to overhead lighting, and task lighting was definitely not considered -- why bother with task-oriented fixtures when all you had to do was move the lamp to where you wanted it?

On the plus side, many old houses have big, wide windows. That's perfect for lighting during the day, as the natural flow of light is always the most flattering (and the most energy-efficient!). But when the sun starts to go down, how can old house owners light up their house but still keep the historical integrity intact?

Lighting tricks for an old house

When gas lighting was first introduced into the home, the most common fixture was a sconce on the wall, and the lighting was turned off right at the fixture. When electricity came along, many fixtures were converted over to the new form of energy. Today, a sconce on the wall looks fantastic, but it can leave much to be desired when it comes to whole-house lighting.

To remedy the problem, consider using the sconce as accent lighting, and invest in table lamps throughout the rooms. Tall lamps with wide shades can also cast plenty of light over couches, tables and the like. These provide both ambient lighting for the room as well as task lighting for activities like reading or knitting, and there is no worry about an overhead fixture that doesn't suit the rest of the house.

But what about those overhead fixtures? Many homes from the Gilded Age through the more modern eras featured chandeliers. These sometimes huge overhead lights required a great deal of maintenance to keep them clean, and they cast a glow over the entire room that might not have reached the areas where it was truly needed. In fact, often these elaborate lighting fixtures were found in the foyer, where they were meant to impress guests, but they did little to nothing to offer light over the actual living areas.

If your home has one of these original fixtures, by all means, keep it! But consider what you might do to liven it up a bit for modern times. A good lighting contractor can likely convert the chandelier to something that gives out much more light while making it more energy-efficient as well.

Replacing the oil lamp

There was a time when gas or electric lighting was reserved only for the very wealthy. Everyone else got along just fine with oil lamps. The big advantage of the lamp was the ability to turn the flame up or down as needed, providing more or less light, and the ability to move the lamp around -- where the homeowner went, so did the lamp. This allowed for easy task lighting, especially in the kitchen.

Today, it's not practical to carry around an oil lamp, but there are plenty of other things you can do to create task lighting without sacrificing the historical look of your home. One of the easiest and most affordable options is a puck light, a small round LED light that runs on batteries. These lights can be attached to the bottom of cabinets to provide excellent illumination for cooking and prepping in the kitchen.

Other options include pendant lights in the kitchen area or track lighting along the ceilings. These options are easy to install and can usually be removed or changed as you see fit. Recessed lighting might work for old houses built during more modern eras, and the tucked-away style doesn't take away from the historical look of the house.

No matter what your old house style, there is a lighting option that will work to keep things bright. Take your time in finding the one that works for you, and remember that you don't have to choose between great light and historical integrity -- you can and should have both!

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