Updated doors set the stage; smart lighting makes it shine
Doors, walls and lighting in a room serve a function that is similar to background music. They are not meant to be the main focus of those enjoying the space, but instead are meant to supplement that which is intended to be focused upon - like the furniture, rugs, architectural detailing and artwork.
They set the stage and create the basic mood.
Replacing the interior doors within a home is, according to Walter Knitter, general manager of HomeStory Chicago, the least expensive remodeling job a homeowner can do with the most overall impact, costing as little as $3,000 to $4,000 for an entire home, depending on its size.
"You can transform an entire home by replacing old, uninspiring doors with stylish new doors which update a home's style and define its architectural design," according to the website for HighMark Digital, the Sacramento, California-based firm that developed the laser-measuring technology used by HomeStory Chicago to create replacement interior doors that fit like a glove.
For instance, busy-looking hallways filled with an abundance of six-panel doors can be made more contemporary and elegant by substituting calmer, less distracting two-panel doors.
Similarly, Knitter said, homes filled with 1960s and 1970s-era flat surface or "flush" doors can be enhanced and immeasurably upgraded with the substitution of doors using some sort of panel configuration.
And those with deeper pockets can enhance their bedrooms, bathrooms and pantries with doors that feature glass panes, mirrors or even designer glass.
"It is amazing the change you can make in the whole interior of a home when you change the color and style of the interior doors," Knitter stated. "You can make a room go from drab and boring to bright and cheerful in a matter of hours, choosing from eight different styles of our signature doors which come in seven different shades of white."
Solid wood doors that can be installed and then stained by a painter of the homeowners' choice can also be purchased, but they are more of an investment.
Door choices include those with both flat and arch-topped panels; those with a varying number of panels, ranging from two to six per door; and even a Cape Cod-style door featuring vertical planks within two different panels arranged one above the other.
Lighting also helps set the mood of a room.
If you want your room to have a relaxing or romantic mood, Jennifer Gibson, lighting designer for Littman Bros. Lighting in Schaumburg, said that you want to use flat direct lighting and soft indirect lighting for a soft ambience throughout the room. The idea is to have pools of soft light with some gentle shadows.
If you have a ceiling fixture in the middle of the room, replace it with a chandelier encircled in a large drum shade or if you have ceiling "can lights," put a dimmer on them, according to Gibson.
And you should never rely on a single light source in any room. She suggested the addition of indirect LED lighting in your bookcases, as well as the use of wall sconces and lamps - both table and floor - or even ceiling "can lights" in the corners to enhance the size of the room.
"Using only a single light source in the ceiling makes a space appear stark and cold and it creates harsh shadows. Even in a kitchen, you want to supplement the ceiling fixtures with under-cabinet lighting and, if you have glass cabinet doors, inside-cabinet lighting, too," Gibson explained.
"If you light a room strategically, you can make the same space that seems cold and stark with the use of a single ceiling fixture suddenly feel totally different - warm and relaxing," she continued.
Even in a dining room, do not use a single light source - even if it is a gorgeous chandelier. Make sure that chandelier can be dimmed and also use soft "can lights" in the corners, or sconces, buffet lamps or artwork lights for at least one additional source of illumination, Gibson advised.
Additional interest and special effects can also be created with the artful use of lighting. Use "can lights" to create soft washes of brick fireplaces, backsplashes of tile and textured walls. Use backlighting to add drama to a sculpture by separating it from its background. Install small lights over special paintings to highlight them.
And consider upward-facing spotlights on your plants and behind your couch to create additional drama.
But, be sure to avoid "daylight" or very white LED lights of 3,000 Kelvin or higher in a relaxation room or bedroom because they are too energetic for that type of space, Gibson warned. To re-create the warm light of a standard incandescent bulb, you want to buy 2,700 Kelvin LED bulbs.
If, on the other hand, you want to create an energetic and cheerful space for work, study and even exercise, she advises an even tone of lighting with no dark spaces at all and the use of whiter lights.