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Lighting a Room With No Ceiling Light - The whole plan for a room with no overhead fixture: how much light you actually need, where it has to go, and what plugs in to deliver it.

• The best lamps for a room with no overhead light
• Plug-in vs battery vs rechargeable
• Torchiere vs arc vs tripod
• How to light a living room with no overhead lighting
• How to light a bedroom with no ceiling light
• How to light a dark room
• How to add light to a room without wiring
• Apartment with no overhead lighting
• Dining room with no overhead lighting
• Switched outlets
• Outlet planning
• How to light a home office with no overhead light
• Plug-in ceiling light vs floor lamps
• How to light a kitchen with no ceiling light

Under-Cabinet and Task Lighting - Plug-in, battery and adhesive under-cabinet lighting that installs without an electrician, chosen on published lumens and CRI.

• The best under-cabinet lighting
• The best plug-in under-cabinet lighting
• Battery and rechargeable under-cabinet lighting
• Battery vs hardwired under-cabinet lighting
• Strip vs puck vs light bar
• Installing under-cabinet lights without tools or drilling
• LED strip lights for cabinets and shelves
• How many under-cabinet lights do you need?
• The best pantry, closet and shelf lighting
• The best LED puck lights
• Toe-kick and cove lighting
• Is under-cabinet lighting worth it?
• The best hardwired under-cabinet lighting
• The best motion sensor cabinet lights
• The best smart under-cabinet lighting

Bulbs, Color Temperature and Brightness - Color temperature, CRI and lumens explained with numbers you can check, plus the bulbs worth putting in the lamps you already own.

• The best LED bulbs for the home
• The best high-CRI LED bulbs
• 2700K vs 3000K
• Warm white vs soft white vs daylight
• Light bulb color temperature chart
• Why dimmable LED bulbs flicker
• When LED lights are too bright
• The best light bulbs for a bedroom
• The best LED bulbs for enclosed fixtures
• Bulb shapes and bases explained
• The best dimmable LED bulbs
• Vintage Edison LED bulbs
• LED vs halogen vs CFL
• The best candelabra LED bulbs
• Philips vs Cree vs Feit LED bulbs
• The best daylight LED bulbs
• The best light bulbs for ceiling fans
• 3000K vs 4000K
• The best 3-way LED bulbs
• The best color-selectable LED bulbs
• The best BR30 LED bulbs
• The best appliance bulbs
• The best G25 globe bulbs for a vanity
• The best garage door opener light bulbs
• The best GU10 LED bulbs for track lighting
• 4000K vs 5000K
• A19 vs BR30
• Clear vs frosted bulbs
• Dim to warm vs standard dimming
• The best flicker-free LED bulbs
• The brightest LED bulbs you can actually fit
• The best LED tube lights for replacing fluorescent tubes
• The best rechargeable emergency light bulbs
• What 4100K means, and the other bulb color codes nobody explains
• 2700K vs 4000K
• 5000K vs 6500K
• Warm white vs cool white Christmas lights
• C9 vs C7 vs mini Christmas lights
• LED vs incandescent Christmas lights
• 2200K vs 2700K
• The best flame effect light bulbs

Renter-Safe Smart Lighting - Smart lighting that needs no hub, no neutral wire and no permission from a landlord - because a bulb is a bulb and a switch is an electrical alteration.

• The best smart bulbs without a hub
• Smart bulbs vs smart switches
• Renter-friendly smart lighting
• The best smart bulbs
• Matter smart bulbs, explained
• The best smart plugs for lamps
• The best smart light strips
• Schedules and automations
• Wi-Fi vs Bluetooth vs Thread
• Voice assistants and lighting
• Circadian and tunable white lighting
• Smart lighting troubleshooting
• The best smart bulbs for Alexa
• The best smart floodlight bulbs
• The best smart bulbs for Google Home
• The best smart bulbs for Apple Home
• The best smart bulbs for Home Assistant
• Is Philips Hue worth it?
• Philips Hue vs Govee
• Philips Hue alternatives
• The best budget smart bulbs
• Smart lighting for beginners
• The best TV backlights
• How to make a 3-way lamp smart
• The best smart Christmas lights

Lamps - Floor, reading and task lamps judged on the only things that matter in a dark room: how much light comes out, and where it goes.

• The best floor lamps for dark rooms
• The best reading lamps
• The best torchiere floor lamps
• The best desk lamps for a home office
• The best lamps for small apartments
• The best table lamps
• Where to put a floor lamp
• Lamp shades and diffusion
• The best floor lamps for a living room
• The best bedside lamps
• The best swing-arm and clamp lamps
• The best arc floor lamps
• The best night lights
• The best grow light bulbs
• The best reading lamps for seniors and low vision
• The best cordless table lamps
• The best lighting for video calls
• The best magnifying lamps
• The best desk lamps for studying
• The best bedside lamps with USB ports
• Floor lamp vs table lamp
• Wall sconce vs bedside lamp
• Lamp shade, harp and fitter sizes
• Rewiring a lamp
• The best light therapy lamps
• The best sunrise alarm clocks
• The best star and galaxy projectors
• The best book lights
• The best sunset and moon lamps
• The best Himalayan salt lamps

Plug-In and No-Wiring Fixtures - Sconces, pendants and ceiling-style fixtures that run off an outlet - the way to get fixture-shaped light without touching a junction box.

• The best plug-in wall sconces
• The best plug-in pendant lights
• How to hide a plug-in fixture cord
• Ceiling lights that need no wiring
• Picture and display lighting without wiring
• Plug-in chandeliers
• The best rechargeable wall sconces
• Plug-in vs rechargeable wall sconces
• Plug-in vanity lighting
• Plug-in vs hardwired wall sconces
• The best socket fan lights
• The best plug-in track lighting
• Converting a hardwired fixture to plug-in
• The best Christmas tree lights
• The best electric window candles
• The best LED neon signs

Hardwired Light Fixtures - Chandeliers, flush mounts, track, vanity bars, island pendants and shop lights - the fixtures that need an electrician, and the bulbs that decide what they actually produce.

• The best LED garage and shop lights
• The best bathroom vanity lighting
• The best dining room chandeliers
• The best flush mount ceiling lights
• The best track lighting
• The best pendant lights for a kitchen island
• The best recessed lighting
• The best wall sconces
• Flush mount vs semi-flush mount
• Integrated LED vs bulb fixtures
• The best lighting for low ceilings
• The best ceiling lights for a bedroom
• The best ceiling fans with lights
• Can vs canless recessed lighting
• Chandelier vs pendant light
• The best bathroom exhaust fans with lights
• The best kitchen ceiling lights
• The best sloped ceiling light fixtures
• Lighting over a kitchen sink
• Can you dim a ceiling fan light?
• Recessed vs track lighting
• The best lighting for high ceilings
• The best schoolhouse light fixtures

Dimmers, Switches and Controls - How light gets turned down rather than off - plug-in dimmers that need no wiring, wall dimmers that actually handle LEDs, and remotes that stick beside the switch.

• The best plug-in dimmers
• The best dimmer switches for LEDs
• Leading edge vs trailing edge dimmers
• Dimmer and bulb compatibility
• Motion sensors and timers
• Wireless wall remotes
• Three-way and multi-location switching
• Cord, foot and inline switches
• Dimming LED strips and light bars
• The best home lighting control systems
• The best smart light switches
• Smart plug vs smart switch
• Is Lutron Caseta worth it?
• Smart bulb vs smart plug for a lamp
• Regular dimmer vs smart dimmer
• The best outdoor light timers
• The best remote control outlets
• Smart switches when you have no neutral wire
• LED bulbs that glow when switched off
• Lutron Caseta vs Kasa
• Smart plug vs timer
• The best screw-in light socket adapters

Outdoor, Balcony and Patio Lighting - String lights, solar and porch lighting for balconies and patios you do not own - hung without drilling, and rated for the weather they will actually see.

• The best outdoor string lights
• How to hang string lights without drilling
• Balcony lighting
• Solar vs plug-in outdoor lighting
• Porch and entry lighting
• Wet rated vs damp rated
• The best outdoor solar lights
• The best landscape lighting
• The best motion sensor flood lights
• The best deck and step lights
• The best outdoor wall lanterns
• 2700K vs 3000K for outdoor lighting
• The best pathway lights
• The best outdoor flood light bulbs
• The best dusk-to-dawn light bulbs
• The best motion sensor light bulbs
• The best outdoor post lights
• The best bug light bulbs
• The best outdoor porch ceiling lights
• Motion sensor vs dusk to dawn
• Flood vs spot lights
• The best lighting for cold and unheated spaces
• The best outdoor Christmas string lights
• The best permanent outdoor holiday lights

Room-by-Room Lighting - A lumen target, a color temperature and a layering plan for every room in an ordinary home or apartment.

• Living room lighting
• Bedroom lighting
• Kitchen lighting
• Apartment lighting
• Home office lighting
• Bathroom lighting
• Dining room lighting
• Hallway lighting
• Entryway lighting
• Kids' room lighting
• Basement lighting
• Laundry and utility room lighting
• Garage lighting
• Closet lighting
• Nursery lighting
• Stair and landing lighting
• Home gym lighting
• Craft and sewing room lighting
• Open-plan lighting
• Home theater lighting
• Attic and loft lighting

The Renter's Lighting Guide - What you are allowed to change, what costs you a deposit, and how to light a rental properly without drilling a single hole.

• Can you change a light fixture in an apartment?
• No-drill lighting that will not cost your deposit
• Covering an ugly rental light fixture
• Taking your lighting with you
• Dorm room lighting
• A first apartment lighting kit
• The best renter-friendly light fixtures
• Renter-friendly LED strip lights
• Renter-friendly bathroom lighting
• Renter-friendly kitchen lighting
• Renter-friendly light switch controls
• Renter-friendly bedroom lighting
• Hanging Christmas lights without nails

Guides - The arithmetic behind every recommendation on this site: how many lumens a room needs, and how the three layers of light fit together.

• How many lumens does a room need?
• Layered lighting, explained with heights and numbers
• What it costs to run your lights
• Beam angle and spread
• Lumens vs watts
• Reading the Lighting Facts label
• Glare and visual comfort
• A whole-home lighting plan
• How to buy a light bulb
• How to buy a lamp
• How far apart to space recessed lights
• What size chandelier or pendant
• Can you put a 100W LED in a 60W fixture?
• How long LED bulbs actually last
• Lighting for aging in place
• Lumens vs kelvin
• The parts of a light fixture, named
• How many Christmas lights do you need?
• How to remove a stuck or broken light bulb
• The best lighting gifts
• Lighting a home through winter

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