How to pick the right lighting styles for your home?
So you finally have the home of your dreams and it’s time to start filling it with love and furniture? One of the first things you have to do, however, is pick the most suitable lighting system for your property. In order to do this, you will have to decide where each room will be and how will the different pieces of furniture be placed.
Types of lighting depending on the purpose
First, let’s start off with the three general types of lighting that you will choose, depending on what you need them for. Usually, the home builder or contractor chooses the amount and type of lights you will need in your home but if you’re making a renovation or you agree to work together, you can be the one to choose. Stick with one type or you mix and match to your heart’s desire, it’s up to you!
Ambient lighting
As you’ve probably guessed by the name, this type of lighting takes care of the ambience of the room. Meaning, it will illuminate the whole room and not just focus on a single place. It’s mostly used in general settings like a living room, family room, bedroom, and hallway. With the light being evenly distributed, you will have the chance to relax your eyes and enjoy a calmer setting. You can choose a different colour for every room by picking a different shade of the light bulb.
Here are the styles that we recommend using when you choose ambient lighting
Chandeliers
Pendants
Recessed
Track
Ceiling
Accent lighting
This type of lighting is chosen to accentuate a certain place or an object. It’s widely used around the holidays like Christmas and Halloween, or in museums, art shows, theatres, etc. It’s not very bright and it’s often in different colours in order to better highlight the specific accent.
As it creates the illusion of giving more attention and importance to the area it illuminates, accent lighting can be used in your home for a specific wall, painting, bookcase display, pieces of furniture, etc. Think of those places as the focal points of your room. What is the first thing you want people to see when they walk in?
Here are the styles that we recommend using when you need an accent lighting
Wall Lights
Recessed
String lights
Landscape
Track
Task lighting
While accent and ambient lighting can be quite aesthetically pleasing when installed properly, task lighting is almost always on the practical side rather than the eye-catching one. This is the old lamp you have on your desk to help you stay late working or the one right above the kitchen counter so you don’t cut your finger while chopping some onions. It’s small, a bit harsher than the other two, and concentrated in one particular area. Because it’s so contrasting to the other light you might have in the room, it’s a lot more effective, especially when drawing and working with your hands. You will see more details and create better quality works.
Luckily, in present days, functionality doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be ugly. There are plenty of beautiful choices in different styles that will perfectly fit the overall atmosphere of your home.
Here are the styles that we recommend using if you need a stylish task light
Pendants
Swing Arm Lamps
Under Cabinet
Vanity
Types of lighting depending on the style
Whether you are building your home from scratch or you’re renovating an already furnished house or apartment, the lighting you choose will have to be in the same style as everything else. Consistency is really important if you want to create aesthetically pleasing surroundings.
There are many different styles you can go for, of course, but here are the main four with their general characteristics.
Contemporary style
This style is known for its simplicity and the fact that almost every room looks like an art museum exhibit. It’s often combined with the brave and sleek design of the 70s’ so even if the name is contemporary, you are actually going with a style that will always look modern and evergreen.
Minimalistic design with clean, sharp lines that wouldn’t bring too much attention. The base and the bulbs are the main things you need and anything more will just look cluttered and less versatile.
Bold colour splashes such as a coloured piece of glass or a hanging pendant. It needs to be in contrast with the rest of the lamp design but in the same colour as another accent piece, you have in your room. Imagine you have a bright yellow accent wall and you want to further accentuate it. We recommend that you ask for a hand-crafted piece in order to have a completely unique look.
Abstract silhouettes and asymmetrical shapes. Many people define contemporary furniture and lighting to look like a sculpture or a piece of art with practical use. If your home is full of geometric shapes, for example, keep up with that theme when choosing the lights. Think bold and brave, something that will inspire but still serve you.
Silver, nickel or chrome finishes of the lights and fixtures. People often match them with their kitchen counters and designs, as well as the bathroom hardware such as the drawer handles, faucet, shower screen etc.
Traditional style
As the name suggests, this style brings us to the beautiful atmosphere of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the people who created these designs were actually quite inspired by the ancient Roman and Greek decor that were well preserved in Europe many centuries ago. Meaning, when you go for a traditional style, you will choose a timeless design, a time capsule, even, that will preserve the beauty of those times forever.
The colours most often used are gold, brass and bronze, unlike the sleek chrome and nickel ones in the contemporary style. The overall idea needs to be order and cohesion. Warm colours are used almost always, as well as incorporating candles and bulbs that look like them. You can also go for a crystal chandelier or some classic pendant lights.
Regarding the style, search for elaborate details and ornate crafting that will look as if someone spent weeks creating the piece. Similar to modern styles, traditional furniture and lightings often look like pieces of art, things you are meant to admire and be inspired from.
Combine beauty with functionality and go for a traditional ceiling fan, that will keep your living space cool in the summer and still stylish. There are models without light kits, so if you want just the fan, you can go for it. But we do recommend getting one, since they are the embodiment of the traditional style, especially with the blades being so customizable when it comes to decoration.
Transfer this beautiful style outside your home, as well. Light up your front or garage door with beautiful outdoor lights, such as pendant, hanging and ceiling lights or even a gas lantern. Make sure everything is illuminated such as your front porch, patio, deck or gazebo if you have one.
Coastal style
For those wishing to transfer themselves to a simpler time and feel connected to the sea, we recommend the coastal style. It’s often associated with peace and serenity and it’s quite versatile when it comes to different looks. You can go for a more rustic and boho feeling or decide on a modern look with coastal elements.
Look for nautical features such as metallic, weathered and rusted finishes with simple and clean lines. You need to create the same energy as if you are stepping into an abandoned submarine or a lighthouse turned into a house. Think lanterns, pendants and hanging lights on a fishing net. Still, make sure you don’t have any indoor light outside as they are not designed to withstand outside weather conditions.
Tropical fans are also a great way to incorporate that coastal feeling into your home. They are mostly used in bedrooms and common living spaces and similar to traditional fans, they can be with or without lighting.
Be creative and decorate fixtures and lights with natural materials like shells, rocks and sand. One of the most preferred shells is the capiz one as it has a stunning iridescent that works perfectly when decorating lights or the area around them. Other materials that are easy to find and add to the breezy coastal style are wood, ropes, fishing nets, coral and rattan. Don’t be afraid to experiment with materials and see what sticks.
Asian style
The word “Asian” is actually a quite broad term in order to describe home furniture and interior decor that have a certain calm, zen vibe about them. The countries this style is mostly inspired by are China and Japan. The Chinese style is mostly associated with bold colours, design motifs and glossy surfaces, while the Japanese one relies mostly on efficiency, simple designs and the use of natural materials.
These rules apply to both furniture and lighting choices, so here is what you should generally look for when designing an Asian style property:
Go for a clean, harmonious and uncluttered design. You might be tempted to go for something filled with Asian motifs but we don’t recommend it. Those types of designs will fit the furniture and walls more so in order to create contrast, keep the lights and fixtures simple.
The two colours most associated with Asian design are red and black. Using a combo of those two will certainly help out when creating the zen vibe and it will also look quite modern and timeless.
The other colours you should go for are mostly earthy, natural tones that will go easy on the eye and accentuate the simple design of the room.
Use plenty of natural materials and fibres such as stone, paper and bamboo. Very often you will see lights with silk fabrics or shades from rice paper.
Most commonly used lighting categories
Scones
Mostly used for accent or task lighting, scones are directly mounted to the wall and they are either plugged in or hardwired to an electrical source. They are often used in pairs to create symmetry, for example of both sides of your main door or surrounding a bookshelf. They are very functional as a reading light above a bed, as they don’t take up as much space and the light is a lot softer.
Flush mounts & semi-flush mounts
These lights are mostly preferred for ambient lighting. They are quite like pendants, except that they don’t get as low as them. The semi-flush lights, however, do get quite low sometimes. They are mostly dome-shaped lights with glass or fabric shades around the bulbs and are quite versatile when it comes to their location. Depending on the model you choose, you can put them pretty much anywhere - in your kitchen, bedroom, living room or hallway.
Pendants
Often called drops or suspenders, pendants are one of the most used types out there. These are lights which are suspended from the ceiling with a chain, cord or a rod, most often above the dining table or kitchen island. Since they are quite low, pendants are mostly used as task lightings and are also quite versatile style-wise. Licensed handymen recommend installing dimming lights in your pendants in order to control the amount of light and atmosphere of your room.
Chandeliers
We mentioned chandeliers a couple of times already, so here they are. Similar to pendants and flush mounts, chandeliers are also suspended from the ceiling but the difference is that they are always branched, have multiple light sources, bulbs or candles, and very often also have more than a single suspension point. Even though they are mostly used in traditional styles, recently you can find them pretty much in any setting, be it modern or classic interiors. We recommend using chandeliers for ambient lighting as they are often too big to serve as anything else.
Table and floor lamps
One of the most used and popular types of task lights with an amazing abundance of styles and variations. They can also be used to substitute ambient lights when there is none but we recommend this option to be only temporary. Choose a stable surface to place them as they are not fixed to a wall or floor and if you have any kids or pets, be very careful when picking their placement.
So there you have it….
So these are the most requested and popular options for lighting in your home. Whichever you choose, don’t be afraid to experiment and always think of your home design as a whole. Have fun and don’t do any electrical work unless you are licensed to do so.