Good lighting is crucial to a comfortable, ergonomically correct home office. Not only does proper lighting create an ambiance that makes your office a room where you'll enjoy spending time; it also reduces eye strain and fatigue.

There are three types of room lighting, each of which serves its own purpose:

  • Overhead lighting: Provides overall illumination
  • Accent lighting: Adds interest and fills in dark area overhead lighting doesn't reach
  • Task lighting: Illuminates your work space with direct light

Task Lighting

Task lighting is the most important type in a home office, and you'll find plenty of style and bulb options. Base your choice on your work space and the type of work you do. A large desk, for example, might need a lamp with an extended swing arm with plenty of reach, whereas for a smaller desk, consider a lamp with a long, flexible neck you can position behind a monitor, or opt for a clip-on lamp.

For the bulb, brighter, more concentrated light works well for detail work such as crafts. Warmer light is better for reading documents.

Bulbs for task lights come in several varieties:

  • LED bulbs provide bright, directional light. Some light fixture group LED bulbs to cover a wider area.
  • Halogen bulbs provide light that closely mimics daylight.
  • Incandescent bulbs give off a warmer-colored light, but choose a glare-free type.
  • Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are an energy-efficient alternative to incandescent.

Many desk lamps have features that let you customize the brightness. Color adjustments, for example, warm up harsher light or cool warmer light. Dimmers offer several levels of brightness. And some lamps have USB charging ports for your devices. You can even find cordless models that are easy to move from one space to another.

Overhead Light

If the quality of your overhead fixture light is less than ideal, improve it by changing light bulbs. The most common bulb types for overhead lighting are incandescent, compact fluorescent and fluorescent, which emits light that's similar to daylight but can be cold and harsh.

Accent Light

Once your task lighting and overhead lighting are in place, add accent lights to set a mood that's both inviting and energizing. This final touch makes your home office a place where even the most mundane tasks are more enjoyable.