Affordable Ways to Light a Closet

If you've never had closet lighting, you don't know what you're missing. Having some type of light in the closet makes selecting your clothing easier, and helps to keep the closet organized and less cluttered. Still, most of us don't bother having closet lighting, as it's seen as more of a luxury than a necessity. Nothing could be further from the truth. Listed below we've provided affordable ways to light a closet. From dim to direct light, we'll change the way you see your wardrobe.

How much light do you want?

Before selecting the type of closet lighting you want to use, you'll need to decide how much light you want to have. Will you be using the light as a way to directly see what's inside the closet, or as a way to cast accent light? Here are a few standard ways to light a closet and what the result will be from each:

Halogen bulbs - They may not be pretty to look at, but halogen bulbs will give off a strong amount of light that will allow you to see what's in the closet. If you're using your closet lighting for a strictly functional purpose, you can't go wrong with halogen.

Illuminated closet rods - Illuminated closet rods are a very cool way to light a closet. They can be wired into the closet itself, or purchased as a wireless, battery-operated system. They are designed to automatically come on when the closet is opened, and turn off when the closet is closed. They put off just the right amount of light so you can see what you're doing, but they don't run ''¹..."hot'.

Rope lights - No wiring is required when you use rope lights to light a closet. They're cool, decorative, and easy to use. Rope lights are made up of several small bulbs which are connected inside a flexible plastic tube. They're great for illuminating top-shelf space or floor space, but don't put off enough light to be used as a sole lighting source.

Tap lights - Tap lighting are very inexpensive and run on batteries, so there's no wiring required. When you need light, ''¹..."tap' the light and it comes on. This would be perfect for accent lighting inside the closet, as they don't cast a tremendous amount of light. They can be mounted beneath shelving, or positioned to face upwards.

Track lighting - Track lighting is installed in the ceiling space of the closet, and can be operated on a dimmer so that it can be used as direct lighting, or dimmed for accent lighting. It can be positioned and repositioned to point directly at your clothing, towards the floor, or above the clothing rod.

Don't forget the dimmer! - If you've selected closet lighting that puts off a lot of light, be sure to use a dimmer switch to control it's intensity. Dimmer switches can be either wired into the fixture, or purchased separately. They allow you to use the light at it's full capacity, or dim it down to a soft glow.

More from Jennifer Wagner:

Professional Closet Organization Tips
Light Layering Basics
Use a Light Dimmer to Conserve Energy

SOURCE:

Personal knowledge and experience

Jennifer Wagner - Yahoo! Contributor Network