When designing your home, there are so many factors to consider, and lighting design is one that a lot of people don’t immediately think about. Despite lighting being so commonly overlooked, it can play a HUGE factor in the style and atmosphere of your space!
When choosing lights, I would start by picking a style. Since your light fixture is such a big focal point in a room, it will set the tone for the overall vibe of the space. If you’re going for a farmhouse look, the light fixture would look very different than a light fixture in a modern house.
You definitely want your light fixtures to match the other design elements of your home. This isn’t just exclusive to your overhead lights! Think about the mood of your space when selecting your floor lamps, table lamps, chandeliers, and sconces.
Once you’ve settled on the style of a home, you can begin to think about your goals for the space as far as the tone and mood goes. I always say that I like to design a space with functionality in mind, and lighting can play a huge role in that! Some things to consider when thinking about the functionality of a space are the types of lighting used (think: fans, chandeliers, lamps, sconces, etc) and the brightness of the light.
Something like a chandelier will give more of a subtle ambiance in a room, while recessed canned lighting will deliver a much brighter overall look! In a closet, where you need to see your clothes, you wouldn’t want a dim, ambient light. You probably want something that will be able to provide bright light.
A lot of people love to place fans throughout the house (especially in the bedrooms!) for functionality, which is great! If you did want to place a chandelier in one room in the house, I think the master bedroom is the perfect option. I like to save all of the fancier designs for the master bedroom!
Dimmers are great to be able to control how bright a space is! I really love dimmers in certain rooms in the house, especially the dining, living, and bathrooms. Dimmers on a chandelier in a dining room, for example, are great to set the mood for something like an intimate Thanksgiving dinner.
Living rooms have so many different functions, so dimmers work great there as well. If my kids are playing in the living room and everyone is just hanging out, I like to have the lighting brighter so I can see what’s going on. At night, on the other hand, I want to unwind from the day, and more subdued lighting is perfect for those moments. In the bathroom, I love to have sconces on a dimmer. They can set the perfect mood for when you’re wanting to take a bath and relax!
When selecting light bulbs, I like a slightly warmer light for a warm and cozy feeling! I tend to stay away from those brighter, blue lights, but I don’t want to select something that would make the space too yellow either.
The most important thing to remember is that everything about lighting selections are personal preferences! Lighting design can definitely be an intimidating hurdle to tackle, and I would love to be able to help you accomplish your goals. If you’re looking for help with designing your home, be sure to take advantage of my free design consultations so we can chat more about designing your dream home!
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