Basement finishing projects can be a great way to add extra entertainment space to your home. But this unconventional area can come with some unforeseen design issues. One of the big ones is finding adequate basement lighting. Rarely do basements have enough natural light to go around. It’s up to you and your contractor to find a creative solution to this problem. Good news is, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up our top five fixes for poor basement lighting, so you can figure out which one would work best for your next project.

LED Recessed Basement Lighting

Recessed lighting is one of the easiest ways to handle poor lighting. Recessed lighting is a clean and simple design concept that allows you to add lighting where you want, without committing to a large overhead fan or light fixture.

This solution is the most popular we see in the basements we finish. Recessed lighting is flexible and cost effective. It’s been a staple in homes for decades and wont’ be going out of style. HGTV has some great tips on this as well.

Lighting Centered Layouts

If you’ve already got some basement lighting in your space, you’ll want to use it to its full capacity. A little bit of lighting can actually go a surprisingly long way with the right layout in mind. As a rule of thumb, keep the entertainment spaces in an area with the most natural light present.

Ceiling Fixtures

If you do need more light, and you have high enough ceilings in your basement, a ceiling fixture may be the perfect option for your space. These offer quite a bit of light, and if you’d like, can serve as a design element as well depending on your aesthetic. Again, you may need to bring in an electrician, so make sure that there’s room for this in your budget.

Tonal Tricks

Once your lighting is in, it’s time to give it a little push so it can be as effective as possible in this space. The last thing you want is to put all that effort into bringing in new lighting fixtures, only have it backfire because you chose the wrong color palette for your walls. Light neutrals are definitely the way to go in these spaces, as they take advantage of natural light and make the space appear larger.

Egress Windows

Speaking of natural light, if you’re dead set on bringing some into your basement, but don’t currently have any windows in the space, you can opt to create a egress window. While the project can be fairly pricey to include in your overall renovation budget, it is one of the best ways to introduce natural light and transform the space from a basement to a bedroom or entertainment area.

Regardless of your situation, with the help of these techniques, you can easily incorporate more light into any area of your basement. Plus, a few of these quick tips are fairly cost effective, so you can choose to incorporate two or three options into your basement renovation. But we want to hear from you! What’s your favorite lighting hack? Let us know in the comments below!