Many elements go into creating warm and welcoming spaces. While we often think of factors like colors, furniture, and interior design details, another component that has uniquely transformative potential: lighting.
However, to make the most of any room lighting plan, there are some considerations involved in making the most of it. Here are ten things to keep in mind when choosing lighting for a new room.
1. Know Your Goals
Choosing the right light fixture for a space involves much more than merely walking into a lighting store and picking the first chandelier, pendant light, or wall sconce that looks good for you. Instead, give some advance thought to the goals for your space and how lighting can help you fill them.
For example, you’ll have different goals — both functional and aesthetic — when lighting a home office compared to your master bedroom. The more aware you are of these goals, the better you can harness the power of lighting to fulfill them.
2. Take Stock of Style
Lighting is available in a breadth of depth of design styles. It’s easy to get carried away by what you see. This is why it’s important to consider your personal taste before you start shopping. If you’re decorating your whole house from scratch, landing on a design style is essential to guiding the design process.
Conversely, if you’re decorating an entire room, your home already has an existing design style. In this case, ensure you incorporate lighting that reflects the current style and decor of your home creates a harmonious flow from one space to the next.
3. Understand Your Space
Rooms dictate their layouts, not the other way around. And size absolutely matters when it comes to choosing the best lighting for space along with the posters.
Typically, larger light fixtures are suitable for larger rooms, while smaller rooms call for smaller light fixtures. This can help prevent your light fixtures from overwhelming (or being overwhelmed by) the room. Furthermore, selecting light fixtures to scale in your space also ensures that the room will be adequately lit.
One rule of thumb used by many designers? After measuring the length and width of the room, add these numbers together. This is roughly the ideal size light fixture for a space when converted to inches.
Other room-related aspects that will influence your lighting plan include the room’s orientation and availability of natural light as well as the lightness and darkness of objects and surfaces within the space, and
4. Think Beyond Form and Function
Lighting is inherently utilitarian. It exists to illuminate a space. In addition to serving functionality, it also serves form. If you’ve ever seen a dazzling chandelier, you’re already aware that gorgeous lighting is a work of art in and of itself.
But there’s a third “f” to factor into the equation: feel. Mindful lighting can be used to create the mood and vibe of the room. This stems from the quality of life to the lighting style. For example, rustic wooden lights make a room feel different than a modern globe pendant.
5. Embrace Layers and Levels
The best lighting plans are anything but one-and-done – they’re expansive and varied. A well-lit room combines the three main types of lighting: ambient, accent, and task.
But this approach is literal as well as figurative. Incorporating a blend of lighting at different levels — for example, pairing a chandelier with sconces — prevents dark areas while also bringing balance to a space.
Speaking of dark areas in spaces, don’t forget about corners. An elegant floor lamp provides ambiance-boosting illumination at night while also being an attractive design element in the daytime.
6. Factor in Multi-Functionality
Earlier, we touched on function. In good design, function is the paramount consideration. Every element within a room should serve a function in some way. This also applies to lighting.
However, many rooms have multiple functions. For example, living rooms may be used for entertaining, game nights, and as a space to work or pay bills. As such, your lighting plan should acknowledge all of these uses.
Dimmers are beloved among lighting designers because they allow for easy adjustment of lighting depending on how the room is being used at any given moment.
7. Consider The “Wow” Factor
A bold chandelier or other unexpected or bold light fixture becomes the star of its space. This is a powerful design strategy for spaces that lack a focal point.
For example, an oversized and dramatic light fixture over a dining room or a stairwell adds visual interest.
However, some rooms already have focal points. In this case, your lighting plan may be more about blending in than standing out.
Of course, lighting is also an excellent supporting player when it’s used to highlight or showcase something special, such as an architectural detail, piece of artwork, or family portrait.
8. Quality Counts
If you’re decorating your home on a budget, you may be trying to keep costs low by opting for lower-end lighting. Given the profound power of lighting to improve how our homes look, function, and feel, this can be a major missed opportunity to truly enhance and elevate your environment with help from premier modern lighting brands like Alora lighting.
Furthermore, leading lighting brands and stores are also wonderful places for sourcing creative lighting ideas.
9. Choice of Bulbs
There are many decisions in setting up lights. You need to decide what kind of light you want, how many lights there should be, and where they should go. Lighting can make a room feel cozier or inviting. Some rooms might need warmer lights while others need cooler lights depending on what people are doing in the room and how they want to feel there. When picking out lightbulbs for your light fixture, it’s important to think about what type of mood you want them to set in your house!
10. Lead With Love
As evidenced by the other tips on this list, many logistical considerations are involved in lighting a space. However, it’s not just about following your head. You should also follow your heart.
This brings us to one last-but-not-least takeaway: While choosing between chandeliers, pendants, lamps, and sconces can be overwhelming, don’t underestimate the importance of your taste in the process.
If a particular chandelier, pendant light, or other lighting speaks to you in a compelling way, it has the potential to improve how you feel in your home. We can think of a better investment than one that “sparks joy” every time you see it.
