Bring Style to Light

Whether you’re choosing selections for your new home, or you’re in the middle of a renovation, don’t overlook the importance of good lighting. With these surefire tips, you can shed some light on producing an overall lighting design that’s both functional and stylish.

Create a Plan

To achieve quality lighting, create a plan that layers your lighting sources by utilizing a variety of options throughout the space. Begin with ambient lighting, which is considered general overall lighting and includes your tried and true options like recessed can lights in the kitchen.

Next, take care of your task lighting needs with a lamp on a side table next to a sofa. Accent lighting is the decorative – and final touch – that can be your “wow” factor in a room, such as a chandelier over the dining room table or in your home’s entryway.

The Right Scale and Layout

Avoid clustering lighting in a single area by measuring the space with an even layout. Here are a few tips to keep lighting evenly dispersed with chandeliers or fixtures that are proportioned to the overall room size:

• Pendants or chandeliers should be 36 to 48 inches above the countertop or table
• Calculate the correct width for a chandelier by measuring the width of your table and subtracting 12 inches
• Determine how many watts to light a room by multiplying the room’s length by its width in feet and multiply that number by 1.5.

Mix it Up

Lighting fixtures are considered the “jewelry” of your room, which means they should make a style statement. Invest in fixtures that you will have and enjoy for years to come. If you have an open-concept floor plan, choose one design style (like traditional or modern) and stick to it, but feel free to mix up to two finishes in a room. For example, iron is considered a neutral metallic that tones down warmer metals, including gold and brass. Here are a few other tips:

• Similar hues work well together, including nickel and chrome
• Light and dark metals, such as polished nickel and bronze, pair well
• Mix warm and cool metals like silver and gold

We hope these ideas have given you a few light bulb moments that will help you design an overall lighting scheme that’s not only functional but allows you to showcase your tastes in a positive light!