The big holiday home lighting guide
If you own a holiday home, you know that there's nothing cozier than taking a vacation in your cottage. Whether it's by the woods, the beach or something else entirely, the cottage is a respite from the constant hustle and bustle of everyday life - and nothing gets the heart rate down like a visit to the vacation home.
But just like in your real home, lighting has a huge impact. Good lighting has a huge impact on the mood and comfort of both indoor and outdoor spaces - and as more and more people discover the joys of an off-season holiday home visit, more and more people are realizing that they need to give their lighting design an update. Below we would like to help those who are about to embark on just that!
Outdoor lights for the summer house
Outdoor lighting makes your holiday home a gem in nature, whether it's in the woods or in the dunes! However, there are a few things you need to think about:
Do you live near the coast? In coastal areas - especially by the North Sea, where the wind can be particularly strong - it's important that your outdoor wall lights can take the beating. Make sure they are properly treated to withstand the forces of nature - and avoid black outdoor lights. The varnish will be sandblasted off by the westerly wind! Luckily, Nordlux makes a range of lights called Seaside Focus that are made to withstand the sea. They come with a 15-year warranty against rust corrosion.
Power supply options: It's not always easy to run a cable through the seaweed for your outdoor lighting - and therefore you should consider whether it's even possible to install a bollard in nature where you plan to do so. For this, it is recommended that you look into solar lights, which Nordlux fortunately produces quite a few of!
Light pollution Along the same lines as above, you should also consider how much you want to light up the landscape. For many, a visit to a holiday home is synonymous with visiting nature - and for many, nature is an important factor in why a visit to a holiday home is enjoyable.
Nordlux produces a wide range of great outdoor lights and we recommend Canto, Fold, Scorpius and Bastian, among others. For solar lights, we can recommend both Rica and Temple. If you want to be able to move around, we highly recommend a portable light. It's easy to take to a corner of the garden and read a book - and it's easy to take outside should the evening mood creep in during the dark hours.
Indoor lighting in the cottage
Coziness is the number one priority in holiday home decor, and it's important not to forget it. Find an elegant pendant light in Scandinavian design to hang over the round dining table and get plenty of light for both the summer barbecue menu and board games when the weather limits outdoor activities. From Nordlux we highly recommend Freya, Dial or Bretagne - three beautiful pendants in Scandinavian design. If you have friends over or your family is big enough for a long table, we recommend both Alanis and Contina.
Over the kitchen island, we recommend the beautiful Notti pendant lights - or perhaps the elegant Strap pendant lights from Design for the People. Nexus is also a good choice. If you also need basic lighting in the kitchen, recessed spotlights such as Roar
In the living room, cozy lighting is even more important - so why not take a look at the cozy Ellen series, available in both table and floor lamps? Theo is another beautiful choice for the living room and is available as a table, wall, floor and pendant light.
In the bedroom, the Eik series can be great behind the bed as a wall light for night-time reading - and above the wardrobe as spot lighting. If you're looking for extra functionality, the Roomie lamp is a good choice, offering both a wall spotlight and a small storage surface for mobile phones, for example. When it's time to draw, read or write, you can sit at your desk and turn on the Nordlux Cody lamp, which is a small architect lamp.
In the hallway, a small, anonymous ceiling light can be just what you need, such as Oja, or a ceiling spotlight such as Omari 5. If you have fine art hanging, you can illuminate it with the Marlee lamp.