The Type Of Lighting You Should Never Use In The Laundry Room And What To Try Instead

The lighting in a room can help set the mood for the space. It can also help support the function of the room. For instance, if you love reading in your living room, a stand lamp with a reading light could be very beneficial. Of course, deciding how to choose the perfect lighting for your space can be a challenge, especially in a smaller space like your laundry room. Luckily, House Digest spoke exclusively with Erika Dale, interior designer and founder of Erika Dale Interior Design, to learn more about what lighting you should never use in your laundry room and what to use instead.

According to Dale, you should never use fluorescent lighting in a laundry room — or anywhere in your home for that matter. "The key to lighting the laundry room is to have bright enough light to see what you are doing. However, you also do not want to go so cool that the room feels stark or clinical," she explained. 

Instead of purchasing fluorescent lights, Dale recommended LED lights because they can easily be adjusted to fit the needs of the space. "With the incredible range of products available for LED light outputs and color temperature, there is no need to look to fluorescent lighting for your home," she said. In fact, you can even add the feeling of natural lighting to your home with this LED light hack.

Every type of lighting has its advantages and disadvantages. Weighing the importance of these differences can help you determine what may work best in your home. When it comes to your laundry room, the functionality of your lighting is very important so you are easily able to see stains and read washing labels. When House Digest spoke exclusively with Erika Dale, she explained the pros and cons of fluorescent lighting and why there are better options available.

"With the development of compact fluorescent bulbs, more options have become available for color temperature and lumen output than the horridly bright green office lights of the past," Dale explained. "However, with more restrictions and bans being put on fluorescent lighting due to environmental, efficiency, and safety concerns about their mercury content, they are likely to go the way of the dodo in favor of the more versatile and safe LED market."

Fluorescent lights simply cannot compete with the advantages of LED. "Energy efficiency is absolutely a factor for all of your home lighting, which is why LED is the right choice, as it is so much more efficient than fluorescent," Dale said. Some LED lights also come with unique features that add an additional benefit to choosing them. For instance, you can incorporate smart lighting in your kitchen for stunning ambience.

When creating the laundry room of your dreams, you don't want to begin the project by making mistakes when it comes to your lighting. Start with knowing what areas need the most visibility. "Give yourself plenty of task lighting above machines, folding counters, and hanging areas to make the process run smoothly," Erika Dale said in her exclusive interview with House Digest. "A consistent, even wash of ample lighting is wonderful for navigating the whole space." 

Although it's important to see clearly, Dale advised against using lightbulbs with too high of wattage. "An LED bulb around 3000K is the perfect choice to achieve a soft white light, with wattage depending on the number of fixtures," she said. While as high as 3500K should be okay, 4000K and above will give your space a hospital-like look, which is definitely something you don't want when trying to create a warm and cozy home.

Laundry rooms are primarily intended as a functional space; however, that doesn't mean you can't add extra pizzaz and decor to the space. "Do not also be afraid to add in decorative fixtures, as it adds visual interest, charm, and joy to a utilitarian space," Dale added. Because it is an area you will spend a lot of time in, make sure it is an area that you love. It may even make doing your laundry a little easier! If you are thinking about a complete laundry room decor change, here are some laundry room ideas that will make you think about a remodel.