Choosing the proper lighting for your home can take a space without a purpose and transform it. Adding a new floor lamp to brighten up a workspace allows us to work longer hours or enjoy a good book. Installing some wall sconces for softer light will add ambience when entertaining friends or relaxing with good music. Proper lighting sets the mood and makes everything better!
Question: Lighting choices are seemingly unlimited. How does a homeowner go about narrowing down them down?
Answer: There are many things that factor into finding just the right fixture for a space. Final selections take into consideration the design style of the home, existing finishes and colors, ceiling height of the room and proper sizing for the space. Determining your desired style is a great way to start the process of elimination.
Contemporary and transitional styles are similar, both with sleek clean lines. They don’t necessarily make a statement but blend with most existing décor and furnishings and are noted by geometrical shapes with lots of rectangles, squares or spheres.
An industrial design lends itself to the urban loft look with metal frames, mesh cages, pipes, or exposed vintage looking bulbs.
The very popular farmhouse style is easily recognizable with trends toward washed wood tones, exposed wiring, distressed metals, or even small pops of color.
Other noteworthy styles include traditional designs like Tuscan with its signature iron scrolls or leaves, modern with a bent for out-of- the-ordinary creativity, or rustic with hammered metals or distressed copper finishes.
Q: Will I need to replace all of the fixtures once I get started?
A: No, changing just one light can offer a home an update without a lot of disruption. Of course, changing multiple fixtures throughout the home can make an even bigger impact. Lighting manufacturers offer ‘families’ in product lines that use the same style, with varying configurations. For instance, within a lighting family there may be a large three-tier foyer piece, a smaller six-light version for the dining room and then one-light pendants to hang over the kitchen island. When hung throughout the house they can offer a cohesive look. While some homeowners may like this look there is also a case to be made for not using a family of products but choosing fixtures that are similar in material but add an appealing eclectic look. You can use metal finishes of fixtures to bring a mismatched room together. Look around the house and observe the metal finishes on cabinet hardware and plumbing. Let’s say you have gold drawer pulls and bronze door hardware. Selecting a fixture with both gold and bronze can help pull the room together. Take the opportunity to try something new. This year’s popular new finish is brushed gold. Some manufacturers have added texture like seashells, stone, wood or bamboo. Interesting colors and fabrics or textures can offer points of interest as well.
Some lighting considerations:
- Lighting may not always be achieved with a bulb but with an LED (light emitting diode) tape that is hidden within the frame of the fixture and is not obvious until the fixture is turned on.
- The nostalgic looking Edison bulbs are very popular for making a design statement and now with the nostalgic bulbs being offered in LED versions they are efficient and functional.
Updating your home can be as simple as updating lighting fixtures. Choosing the right light for the right place can increase the functionality and the beauty of your living spaces. By replacing fixtures in your home, you can accomplish a simple update, tie design features together, express your creativity and style, and create spaces for maximum use and enjoyment.
