Closets tend to get overlooked when it comes to planning effective lighting for the home. But poor lighting in a closet or dressing area can be just as bad as trying to get dressed in the dark. Good lighting, on the other hand, can make all the difference when it comes to leaving the house with socks that match each other and don’t clash with the rest of your outfit. Flattering lighting can also provide an ego boost as you stand in front of the dressing room mirror. Read on for some lighting guidelines that will help you avoid any wardrobe malfunctions.

The most effective method of lighting your clothes is with a strip of light mounted along the front edge of a shelf above the clothes rail and hidden behind a pelmet. Cool, white light that mimics daylight will do the best job of letting you see the true color of your clothes, helpful for anyone who has a habit of mistaking navy blue for black.

This method can be repeated above closet shelves to illuminate their contents. Small LED lights can also be placed at the top of shoe cubbies. These touches not only help you to better see what you’re doing while picking out an outfit, but also lend your closet the feel of a posh boutique.

For the dressing area near the mirror, warm, soft light is the most flattering. Indirect lighting, such as uplights along the top of a cabinet or shelf, softens the illumination from overhead lights and reduces unflattering shadows. If your closet has adjustable recessed lighting, crossing the beams from two directions will create a more flattering light than shining them straight down.

Prevent the more forgetful members of your household from leaving the closet lights on by connecting them to a door-operated switch that automatically turns the lights off when the door is closed. Better yet, install a timed motion-sensor or a presence detector that will turn the lights off when no one is there, even if the door is left open.