A view looking down on a stairway with three low wall lights lighting up the steps, the stairs turn to the left

Stairway to Heaven

If you have read other posts on this blog you might be thinking “this guy hates all normal lighting.”

You would be mostly correct.

Take stairways for example.  My previous home had a light at the bottom and a light at the top.  That made the landings well lit and the stairs themselves, well, dark.  At night, the glare from the fixtures was not exactly what I wanted as I climbed towards bed.

My current home has that and one more- a recessed downlight over the stairs.  Voila!  I can see now!  Of course, if I ever have to change the bulb I’m going to have to hire Peter Pan to reach it.

I recommend steplights for steps nearly every day of the week (literally, not figuratively).  Some of my clients tell me they aren’t necessary, but if they are brave enough to trust me I hear things like “those are my favorite lights now.”

Steplights are not the only way to creatively illuminate stairs.  I turned a research project into a Houzz article with more- click on the image below.

8 Great Ways to Light Up Stairs

Light Can Help You