As more Australians are working from home now than ever, having good lighting in your home office is no longer negotiable. Whether you are running a business, focusing on deep work or catching up with your team virtually, your home office lighting plays an important role in how you feel and perform over the working day.
With many home offices being placed in either the spare room or an internal room, they often do not have access to natural daylight. This leads to increased eye strain, fatigue and higher electricity bills as people rely on artificial lighting all day.
In this blog, we will cover home office lighting ideas and how you can design a bright and healthier home office. By harnessing the power of natural light with innovative solutions such as Solatube skylights, you can not only bring natural light into the home but also reduce your reliance on electricity.
Have you ever wondered why you are so tired when you spend all day indoors with poor artificial lighting? This is because poor lighting causes eye strain and glare, leading to headaches and reduced concentration. Studies have found that natural light can improve productivity and reduce fatigue, helping to support overall well-being and concentration.
With many Australian homes facing unique challenges, such as south-facing rooms with little daylight or internal offices without windows, getting enough bright light into the home can be difficult. Solatube skylights address this problem as they deliver consistent natural light all throughout the day, illuminating spaces where traditional windows can’t reach.
When looking to brighten your home office, here are our top tips for maximising natural light in your home and why you should consider natural light over artificial upgrades:
Before bringing in more desk lamps or overhead lighting, try to maximise natural daylight in your home first. This is because daylight is:
When compared to artificial light, natural daylight brings more than illumination into the home. It helps your body stay in sync with natural circadian rhythms and keeps your mind alert.
If your home office has a window, here are our top tips for getting the most out of it:
If your home office has windows, starting with these simple tips can make all the difference. However, if your home office lacks natural light or is windowless, these solutions fall short.
Many home offices:
Only have small windows
Are internally located
Are placed in shaded areas or roof orientation blocks natural light
The roof structure can’t accommodate traditional skylights
Solatube 160 DS and 290 DS Tubular Skylights bypass traditional skylights. Using advanced Raybender® dome technology and a patented LightTracker™ reflector, Solatube captures sunlight from multiple angles and brings natural light into the home through highly reflective Spectralight Infinity® tubing.
They are engineered to:
Brighten rooms, even the darkest of rooms that lack natural light
Ideal for home offices, studies, and spare bedrooms
Diffusers spread light evenly, reducing glare and shadows
Capture daylight efficiently, even in lower-light conditions
Filters infrared and UV light, helping to prevent heat gain or glare, protecting your interiors from fading or getting sun damage.
For specific tasks such as virtual meetings or screen-heavy tasks, Solatube’s accessories, like the daylight dimmer, give you greater control over your natural lighting. Simply dim how much light you want to bring into the home to suit your preferences.
Another fantastic option for bringing greater comfort to your home office is by layering your lighting. Having a layered lighting plan helps give you visual balance, flexibility and comfort throughout the day, tailoring your lighting to the task at hand.
Ambient lighting covers general illumination using:
Using diffused lighting sources works best, particularly when combined with daylight from skylights, as it creates evenly dispersed lighting. It is important to avoid relying on a single overhead artificial light as it can create harsh shadows, causing eye strain and glare.
For focused work, choose task lighting such as:
By positioning task lights near your non-dominant hand and angling them to the side, you can diffuse light and reduce glare on screens.
For the most balanced visual comfort, choose accent lighting.
To achieve this, use:
Bulbs and fixtures also drastically change the lighting in a room.
Here is what we recommend:
LED light bulbs last longer, produce less heat and use significantly less electricity. This is ideal for compact home offices.
By integrating Solatube skylights into your home office, you will not need as many artificial lights during the day. Using dimmers lets you determine how much light you let into your home.
It is important to have consistent lighting throughout your home office, and light colour is no different. Neutral to warm-white tones help bring light into the home without looking harsh. Visual fatigue can also happen if you mix different colour temperatures, so it is best to avoid this.
Integrating smart light solutions such as timers and dimmers can help balance natural light with artificial lighting. Smart lighting solutions are especially good for hybrid workers whose schedules change frequently.
Mistake 1: Desk Facing Away from Light
When your desk is positioned away from the light source, it can cause back lighting. Reposition your desk toward a window or near a skylight diffuser.
Mistake 2: Only Using a Single Overhead Light
Using one overhead light causes shadows and uneven lighting. By adding task, accent lighting or using a Solatube skylight can evenly disperse light throughout your office.
Mistake 3: Working in a Dim Room During the Day
Dimly lit rooms are not only bad for your eyes but also drain energy and affect your mood. Introduce natural daylight with a Solatube skylight for consistent, even daylight all day.
Mistake 4: Mixing Unmatched Bulb Colours
Using multiple bulb colours in the office creates visual discomfort, leading to eye strain and headaches. Choose one consistent colour light bulb to create a balanced and productive environment.
Mistake 5: Poor Lighting for Video Calls
Having poor lighting can make you shadowed in virtual meetings. Combine overhead lighting or skylights with subtle front task lighting for best results.
Here are our top tips for energy-saving lighting:
Natural light reduces reliance on electricity and is better for your overall mood and well-being. Solatube skylights operate with zero electricity and are ideal for energy-conscious households.
LED lightbulbs are the best solution for artificial lighting as they operate on reduced power use and heat output, helping to support long term efficiency.
Dimmers and smart lighting solutions help automate controls and prevent unnecessary energy use.
Light coloured surfaces help reflect daylight. When used in combination with Solatube skylights, it creates the perfect home office lighting solution.
Home office lighting plays an important role in supporting your productivity and wellbeing, as it directly affects how alert, focused, and comfortable you feel throughout the day. By making natural daylight the foundation of your lighting plan, you can illuminate your home office with balanced, high-quality light. Innovative solutions such as Solatube skylights can do the bulk of the work, and when paired with ambient, task, and accent lighting, help create a home office that is both highly functional and visually comfortable.
Ready to bring natural light into your home office? Explore Solatube skylight for homes or speak with a certified installer to see what’s possible for your space.
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