Biggest Lighting Mistakes and How to Fix Them 

Hey all! Just wanted to clarify that brightness doesn't mean colour temperature and I should have made that clearer in the video! So when I am saying to avoid the 5000k light bulbs that is addressing the amount of cool, blue light from the bulb. I'm not saying you have to have warm and dim lighting - just the opposite! Add lots of different layers of lighting to create a bright, interesting space that is easy on the eyes and allows you to utilize your space effectively! 💡

Nick it would be so awesome if the viewers could send pictures to you and you pick some and comment on what’s right and what could be improved on them!

I literally just went into my bedroom, took off the light cover and there's a switch where you can do 3000, 4000, and 5000... I switched it from 5000 aka hospital to 3000... aka normal bedroom. I thought the higher the number the brighter it was going to be! It looks way better now. Great advice, Nick!

I call them boob lights too! Thank you for reminding everyone how simple it is to change them out.

I’m only 2 minutes into this video and have to say thank you for acknowledging that people often use too cool of a temperature for their lights! When I built my house the builder was telling me that most people go with 5000K and I was like NOOOOOOOO. I’m like a 2700 max kind of girl.

Sorry, I had to interrupt, I am SO thankful, that you always put the metric measurements as well, because usually when people say that they are that or that many feet, I have NO FRIKKIN IDEA what they are actually talking about! Thank you!!

I personally like Philips hue lights because you can change the color temperature. I'm not sponsored by philips btw😂

So timely. 🤣 My husband replaced all the lights in our gym with daylight bulbs and it looked like a laboratory. Not a great space for a relaxing yoga session. Lol

LOL I was literally looking at my ' boob light' in my new apartment and thinking immediately that I gotta change it 🤣! Thanks for the tips!

“Blinding your guests: Allow me to explain. First of all, don’t blind your guests” Oh man his dry humour kills me every time! 🤣🤣🤣

I personally prefer the higher kelvin light bulbs for my bedroom. I often times, especially during the winter, find myself dealing with symptoms of depression and the energizing, daylight feel of these bulbs helps with that. It also helps me when I need to work on assignments for my university courses, since my only workspace is in my bedroom. I do have a window that can be used as a source of natural light, but it doesn’t really reach to my desk and when the weather is not ideal it actually causes more darkness and depressive symptoms. I try to balance the energization out by keeping the high kelvin bulbs in the ceiling fan and the low kelvin bulbs in the lamp on my nightstand, this way I can just switch to the lamp at night when I want to relax and go to sleep.

Specially if you live in a place that sunlight changes through the year, you have to add light layers. You cannot rely on only one point in the ceiling.

For color temp it can be really really nice to get color changing bulbs for this! I have them throughout the house on timers that change the color temp throughout the day. So if I want the lights on in the morning it'll be nice and daylight bright and then in the evening it will be warm and cozy. Really the best way to go about it because warm lights can sometimes feel really weird in the middle of the day

Great point on not blinding your guests! Poorly-angled lights can trigger migraines and other headaches. Be kind, don't blind. :-)

I actually really like daylight bulbs. I like my furniture/art to be the color I chose instead of having a warm light distort it.

Back in your apartment means we NEED a HOME TOUR!!!!!! sorry for all the exclamations but they are fully necessary lmao

One thing to mention as well could be that you need around 6.500 k in lightbulbs if you have tropical plants in your home, especially in the wintertime ... not the most ambient light but way better than sitting in a purple living room!! XD

Fun fact! I loved Nick’a shirt he’s wearing so much in this video and older ones I immediately bought one when I found the same pattern one day at the mall!

I was sitting in my office wondering why I don’t like being in here and it’s because of the wrong bulbs in a single stupid boob light. Thank you for making this so easy to understand so I can fix the problem!

The tip on swapping builder-grade lighting to something more fitting for our spaces is the best! My house was filled with the semi-rounded peculiar-looking light that you have pointed out in your videos. Pulling them down and adding lighting of my choosing has elevated my spaces and lifted my mood! Lighting is art!

I really want to get a ceiling light fan, but so far they all look so ugly. Can you make a video of ceiling fans that you like/recommend? Thanks!

Another advantage! I got rid of all the "one light in the center" and installed tiny recessed fixtures that focus on the wall. Reflected light is nicer than direct light. Immediately (and I had not realized this) the room suddenly looked much larger! Most of the "cans" are specifically directed to artwork or a reflective wall ... also the light itself does not "hit you in the face" when you enter the room. All of this was not planned ... but, I "got it my accident." Putting the recessed lights at the periphery of the room make small rooms look larger.

Ha ha ! Nick you said the magic words that so many people need to hear ...."I give you permission TO LET IT GO" !!! 🙌🙌🙌 When people ask me for design help and I go over to take a look, right off I see the big red thumb sticking out of place and ask, why is this here ? They start squirming...left and right...after a few minutes they admit they like the piece, but they're fighting with themselves to make it work. I ask them to go upstairs and then move the eye sore into the next room, tweek some other things and kaboom 🌟...happy decor ! Ask the owner back in and they love it....then admit, they don't need it. Where I add, just not in this room....ya have several other places to put it. That's all a lot of people need, permission. Thanks for another great informative video... Nick, you are the master !

YES. on the dimmers - is I have a vision deficiency - so I need *everything* on a dimmer switch. sometimes I am doing something where I need an airport runway to see (threading a needle - etc) but most of the time I want something softer. More lighting options are better than fewer.

My spouse needed this video btw. She’s great at flooding with the one awful light that comes standard. Ceiling fans should NOT have lights.

When it comes to choosing the type/warmth of light for my rooms, I basically gave up :) To get around this, I bought a cheap Alexa Dot device and some super cheap color changing China knock off smart bulbs. I do love the results from this. I just plug in the bulbs and tinker with both the presets for 'warm light/soft white/daylight' until I find a brightness that works best for my space. More expensive than just grabbing an off the shelf bulb, but really worth it (for me anyways) to get the brightness, shade, and hue of the light exactly to my preference. All of this at a still very affordable price. And being able to dim said bulbs, or change to even more extreme colors for special occasions made this a great option for me. Just something you may wish to explore.

This video was so important for me to watch! Most of my life I never felt like I could make my living space a cozy space, and now I know why!

Blue lights are good for home offices because they keep you alert, so don't throw them out just put them in the lamp you have on your working desk :)

THANK YOU. So many people forget how lighting is important and how it can make a huge difference in your space even if you don't have your dream decorated and renovated home. I can't stand white/blue light! That is honestly the first thing I notice when entering someone's house and I feel so unconfortable if the lighting is not warm.

For many ppl in the deaf community, bright lighting is important because signing needs to be seen. Romantic ambient light can be too dark to easily see hand gestures. Have you ever consulted with a deaf person to emphasize a beautiful space using lighting? If so, what tips can you offer?

Great video! 5000k in the AirB&B was probably for cleaning purposes - or blinding the guests.

Just installed a bunched of smart globes and can’t recommend them highly enough. They have completely changed the atmosphere of my house.

Nick! I am so happy that I have found you and your thorough discussion of home decoration. I have spent days watching your videos, haven't gotten to the end of them, and I have learned so much. You cover everything I need to know. You answer each question I have been agonizing over for ages. I agree with every one of your suggestions. Talk about advice! Wow! I don't have words to express how thrilled I am with your knowledge and the fact that you willingly share it. It's as if you are right in my house answering each individual question and putting my mind at ease. Thank you over and over again!

Smart lights allow me to change the temperature and the brightness. Which means it can look like a hospital while I’m cleaning my home, and then a soft warm light in the evening. The flexibility to change is awesome.

So true about the builder grade fixture. The boob light fixture. I have it in every room of my house. Currently in the process of changing to more modern fixture. Already changed 5 fixtures. Got 6 more to go

thank you!! I tell all my friends and family that lighting in the home needs to be WARM and INVITING, but they don’t listen because they think I’m snobby and particular :/ whether they’re right or not is irrelevant.

Color temperature is a very objective choice. So, the color you choose is the one you like. There is no wrong color choice except those made without actually caring or understanding color temperature. Soft or low color temperatures may look warm, but can also give the impression of old and dingy painted spaces in some applications.

I live in an older house with small windows and I am basically blind as a bat soooo....I probably blind people with my lighting but I can see so that's all that matters.

Ahh you are just so amazing. I swear you are that one person, that everyone wants to be friends with. You have such a fun down to earth demeanor. It's definitely refreshing. I look forward to your videos everytime they come out! Maybe one day you could do a meet and greet. Even better decorate my new home with me even if it's only on zoom or something! 😊 much love to you! ✌🏽💛🤍

I love your videos and every time you make that mixture of a smirk/laugh, it makes me chuckle!!

Fabulous video! Everything was spot on! I have 8 chandeliers in my home..wall sconces...pendant..pot light..small mini table lamps..you name it I got and it’s on a dimmer 🤩...lighting is so so important in a home for that warm and welcoming ambiance. If I see any LED blue lights in your house you can bet I bringing warm white bulbs to your house warming party!

This is the video I have been waiting for! We're just about to move into another rental and I really want to upgrade the lighting! Thank you 😊

I'm obsessed with the GE reveal bulbs. They are soft white but don't make rooms look yellow. When they are dimmers I feel like they are the perfect balance between being able to see and have bright light, but being cozy at night.

I’m so glad you made this video. Lighting ( for me) is mood enhancing or shockingly cold. Every rental I lived in I took out the overhead lights, sometimes changed color or omitted. Makes a difference in my mood and helps me relax

Great video! I don’t think there are many lighting videos on RU-vid. I do love a good daylight bulb though, especially in the kitchen

Thank you for this video - I recently moved and using lighting to create rooms within rooms is next on my list. I have a couple of big statement plants so will be using plant friendly spotlights with timers on them. Also there is a stunning inherited antique chandelier (19th century majolica, w full chrystals) that while not providing enough light needs to be lit up as a focal point in the otherwise Scandi-boho kitchen/dining room. I’m considering adding a small, narrow beam spotlight just to enhance the majolica enamels, and keep the rest of the room muted and clean lined. And I have a yearning for Ikea’s everdal floor+tablelamps, w bluetooth dimmers, to add to a sleek calm look

This is something my husband and I are *loving* in our new house. It's a 1968 ranch that had a lot of 90's builder grade "updates". We are slowly upgrading every light fixture in the place and it is so fun!

It’s all about lighting for me. It creates the whole ambiance of the room, makes all the difference in the world.

The sass, haha. Also, I love that you are using videos now not just still images. Very fun!

You just seem like the nicest dude

I just changed over all my daylight lightbulbs in my bedroom to warm white and omg it made such a big difference! Great video!

My husband and I are purchasing our first home soon, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon your channel! I was going to start saving some of your videos to a list, but then I realized I would end up saving all of your videos, so I may as well just bookmark your channel. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions with us!

Changing out lighting is usually one of the first things I do, along with painting, whenever I move to a new house.

Hi Nick! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m renovating my home now and this info is going to be put to use this week. Thank you!!

Layers of light-I like that description.

Loved the video, especially the example photos you're showing! Super inspiring! 🧡❤️ Thanks, Nick!

You gave the boob light as an example of what not to do but I find they are often used because the ceiling is low and they are a good option that stays out of the way. The example you provided as replacements were things to hang over tables and stuff. Would love to see some flush lighting examples you’d recommend!

Point #1 is really important! I'm a professional electrician and during my apprenticeship I did a whole semester of lighting design. I still managed to mess up when selecting fixtures! I bought a bunch of puck lights with 5 selectable color temps and they worked out great, but I didn't even check the color temp or color rendering index (CRI) rating of my LED statement fixtures 😕. I went with a deep plum purple paint color in my dining room, and 2500-2700K would be great but my 3200K fixture made it look like a very purple horror-movie torture dungeon

You always give practical advise on mistakes everyone makes now and then - and your advise is straightforward and easy to implement! This quick lighting video was so helpful. I tend to forget about task lighting as a possible third layer. Good to be reminded.

Welcome back home! Dimmer totally worth it. I live in apt, got kit off Amazon and I feel so much better. Thanks for the video!

Laughed so hard when I saw your thumbnail! I just finished replacing all the boob lights in our new home- couldn't stand the hideous things!! Good to know we're now Nick-approved.

I am a photographer and lighting is so important. My husband was lighting designer at Corcoran Art Gallery and won awards for his lighting. He has helped me so much that I have had photos in an international presentation in Morocco. Heaven forbid I come home with the wrong light even for outside lighting. I pay attention because that 48 miles round trip for a light bulb is not fun if I have to make a second trip.

I am watching most of videos right now, cus I just find you today, and you really have a sense of humor I really like besides your decorating taste.

Welcome back home, Nick! I hope you never have to experience flooding again. Excellent description of layering lights. You explain things very well!

I’m always so excited for your videos every Saturday! Can you do one of window treatment for different rooms/types of windows?

i feel like the lighting layers is missing the "i need to see shit"-lighting. it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon in winter where i live and if i clean after work or i'm looking for something, it's going to be dark. i guess it falls under task lighting but sometimes the task requires the whole room to be bright

We love in a very hot region so cool light works for me in summer and warmer light for winter when the evenings are cold.

Nick, thank you for your videos. I have been flooded as well and I've been going through the whole process of redoing my flat with your videos. I have ZERO aesthetic sense and your videos seriously help me. Right now I am spending hours planning on lightning...aaaaand there is your video, next manual how to handle the messs I have no idea about. My English level does not provide vocabulary wide enough to show my gratitude. Big "Dziękuję!" from Poland.

omg. I've been in my house for ten months now and am currently shopping for the lights Nick suggested because I've committed a crime. LOL Boob and track lights all over my house. I'm embarrassed to admit that!!! LOL Catch me replacing all of my lights within the next month!!!

A video on outdoor solar light placement would be awesome! :)

U are the funniest designer on RU-vid. Love your videos!

Another great video Nick! Enjoy your weekend 🙂

Another amazing video! Forgot to mention a few weeks back that I picked up a few things from your H &M video. Thanks again for those great suggestions. And what the heck, you’re at 174k? Yowzers! And how great, you’re back home!

There are FOUR types of lighting. Ambient, task, accent, and sparkle. Sparkle examples are chandeliers and Christmas lights. Sometimes if you have enough of sparkle it could be your ambient lighting, for example, white Christmas lights in an arch to illuminate a walkway.

Getting lights for myself will keep this in mind

Thank you! This is the best explanation of interior lighting that I’ve seen.

Please do a video for how renters can make there place feel more personal without paint.

love your tips, also i am 5'2" so obviously i expect fully customized-to-my-height spotlights when I come visit you. 🤣 YOU'RE SO TALL! 😍

I cannot stop binging on your videos! So glad that I found you. You do an amazing job of getting useful and practical information across in an efficient and interesting manner. Thanks!!!!!

This is random but you are so comforting! I just moved and have been stressed about the lighting and finding comfortability in my new home. I’ve just been struggling… thank you 🙏🏾

This is brilliant. I’ve shared so many of your videos with friends/family now and I’m sure I’ve offended all of them but I don’t care, they need to listen to you. 😂

Great video, Nick, you've explained a lot of issues regarding lighting that were seriously doing my head in. I've been struggling for years to get the ambiance just right and never could find out what I'm doing wrong. Do you have any tips regarding the size of ceiling light in relation to the size of the room? I've never been able to figure it out, always picking lamps too large or too small. Thanks in advance.

I know you probably won't see this Nick, but I want to write to let you know how much you helped me. After a bad breakup, I was selling a house I loved and moving into a rental house. Rental house was overall nice, but had the worst lighting. Just the absolute worst. Boob lights in two of the bedrooms, single pendant light in the middle of the dark kitchen (seriously?) that protruded down lower than my son's head, and ceiling fan that also was way too big for a little room and low enough to be hazardous (actually got cut by it while unpacking). It was pretty clear that landlord had just put in whatever he could get at the thrift store, because a single pendant light that is supposed to be part of a set over an island should not be the only light in the middle of an open kitchen, and no one wants their head cut by a monstrous ceiling fan put in the smallest bedroom. The dark kitchen and ceiling fan that could cut your head were enough of a problem that I realized I had to do something . . . but I didn't want to ask. So I spent a couple weeks, got exactly what I wanted including something really nice for my bedroom, and had an electrician install it, partly because the ceiling in the kitchen if vaulted and ladders are not my thing.. All in it was over $1000. And you know what: instant happiness! I will be in the house at least two years, so I figure it was $50 a month to be able to see in my kitchen and not get fan injuries and smile when I look up from my bed and the pretty and interesting fixture there. Worth it. When the property manager came by for something else she was like "wow, this is nice!" so I doubt I will have to switch it back. And I wouldn't have done it without your videos. So thank you.

I have lamps that have two light bulb sockets and switch between daylight (during the day) and warmer lights as the sun goes down. Because my house is shaded and doesn't get a lot of natural light, the daylight bulbs keep me energized throughout the day.

"Don't blind your guests, seems obvious but..." 😂

Oooo good point about the spot lights! I would not have thought about that perspective.

Happy that you are back in your own home. This is a timely video as I sit under horrible 4 foot fluorescent lights at the family cabin. There are two that light up the dining room and kitchen. Next year I will be doing an electrical upgrade, so I can add pots lights in the kitchen, better task lighting and replace the ceiling fixtures. For now, my only option is to replace the tube fixtures with something that has nicer light, but can still light up an 11x24 space. There is a huge window facing NE in the dining room, but it only gets direct light early in the morning the rest of the day it is indirect or reflected off the water.

I would like to hear your thoughts on ceiling fan/lights.

I use cool bulbs for my living room and office and won't go back. I literally felt my mood lift as soon as I turned them on.

Welcome back home!!! Great tips as always...I so overlook my lighting situation, let's change this

THe video we were ALL WAITING FOR!!!!!! So excited to watch this!

Love this video, I am a renter and I HATE the light fixtures here... I wanna change them but I'm wondering if it's even worth the money :/. ALSO, random but love the editing of this video

Here’s another one...having a ceiling fixture in a spot where you don’t have a tall enough ladder to change the bulb. Current reality in my builder grade home. Why would they make it like that, why, WHY?

8:00 I'm constantly adjusting the lighting around me. The lighting at home is very nice and soft and brighten up and not blinding and when I go to restaurants and there's a lamp above I usually unscrew one

You're great! Love listening to you, and I'm keen to change out some lights now. Stupid boob lights....

Hey nick! What kind of bulbs belong in a kitchen?

For months I’ve been trying to decide on a pendant light or smaller chandelier for my living room and it’s become some kind of phycological experiment to torture me because I just can’t pull the trigger and decide on just one out of the millions of options

I worked for a commercial lighting company and I wholeheartedly agree with all of your tips! Contrast, task, and ambient lighting can transform a space from boring to dramatic; from mousy to inviting. Thx!

Thank you for sharing your wisdom here. I really look forward to more videos showing clueless first time home buyers like me the ropes. For example, I had zero clue about my options for lighting, now I am wondering what kinds of materials I should put on my kitchen countertops and cabinets. Now on to your next video!

I'm the shorty blinded by peoples lampshades, but also never changing temperature on bulbs in my home *oppps*