No matter the size of the room or its functionality, each one should have good lighting. A well-lit room is fresher, more spacious and pleasant. The type of lighting you choose all over the house can have a big impact on the interior design. Besides making the space functional, lights also have the power to boost the room’s aesthetics. So, it’s very important that you choose the right one for the next time you go shopping.
Entrance & Staircase
A lot of homes have a nice entrance space. A fine corridor that leads you inside the house. If it’s a two-story house, they also have a staircase leading towards the second floor. These are the first things that arriving guests will see when they enter the home, and it’s very important for them to be well-lit. Doing so will not only make the space prettier but also make it safer to move around.
Staircases are an important part of the house. Besides their functionality, they can also be a great space enhancer with an eye-catching, elegant staircase light. When buying these lights make sure they match the home’s overall style. If you have a grand staircase, go for crystal chandeliers. If you have a rustic home, wooden lights will do best. And if you have a lot of metallic pieces, industrial-style lighting will blend in perfectly.
The staircase design also matters. Straight stairs are simple. To make them even better, choose wall lights and space them out evenly so every step is illuminated. L-shaped stairs have two sections and a landing step. You can incorporate wall lights and one bigger fixture on the landing like a chandelier or a pendant light.
There are also U-shaped stairs that have a 180-degree turn. In this case, you can use ceiling light to illuminate each flight of stairs and a bigger fixture for the landing. Winder steps can be tricky. They contour around corners and the steps are narrower on the inside. If you don’t have the proper lighting, they can be dangerous, especially around small kids.
To prevent accidents and injuries, it’s best that you use recessed step lights. They will illuminate the narrow steps and give the person a clear view of where they’re going. Spiral steps are very common in smaller homes. They go upward in a helix arc. A combination of understep and ceiling lights will give you the perfect illumination.
Curved staircases go well with a pendant light or a chandelier. Cantilever stairs are a modern feature. The gap beneath the steps can look tricky, so use recessed step lights to illuminate them well. Last but not least, there are split staircases. They’re grandiose and extravagant and need a light that can match that energy. The best way to complement them is with an equally grandiose pendant light or chandelier.
Entryways should be welcoming and warm. They should be a guide to the rest of the house’s interior and vibe. For a glamorous look get a chandelier that’s proportional to the space. Pendants are good for modern or contemporary halls and traditional spaces. Ceiling fixtures are good for adding visual interest. They’re very versatile and can become pleasant atmosphere lighting.
If you’re in need of some welcoming glow in the entryway get wall sconces. You can place them on either side of the door or use them to accentuate a certain part of the entry space. Lamps are more for visual interest. Floor and table lamps are very popular. Keep them simple so they don’t overwhelm the space and take away from the interior.
Living Room
This is a room where you’ll be spending a lot of your free time. Unlike the staircase light, you should have a variety of lighting choices to pick from. This will help you create a certain mood or atmosphere when you’re watching a moving, doing some chores, hosting a party or just relaxing on your own.
There are 3 main types of lighting you’ll need, ambient, task and accent or mood lighting. Ambient lighting will set the tone of the space and give you the main illumination. Task lighting is there to light up a specific area of the room. Table lamps, movable wall lights, floor lamps and swing-arm lamps all fall into this category. Accent lighting is good if you have any artwork, sculptures or other important features you want to accentuate.
Dining Room
It doesn’t matter if you’re hosting a dinner party or you’re having a meal with your family, the dining room should be well-illuminated and shining. The ambient lighting above the table will illuminate the entire space. Choose pendant lighting to add a modern twist and make a statement. Chandeliers are classy and elegant. Just make sure you don’t overpower the space with its size. Measure it correctly and proportionally.
Just like with entrance lights, the shade around the lighting is also important in the dining room. Linen is inviting (just like a dining room should be), clear glass brings bright ambient light, opal glass is good if you want 360-degree illumination and metal is ideal to focus the lighting downwards.
To measure the space correctly and get the right size of a fixture, you should follow a simple “rule”. The lighting should be no smaller than one-third of the size of the dining table. It doesn’t matter if it’s an oval, square or rectangular. Never go smaller, but you can go bigger than this for sure.
Bedroom
In bedroom spaces layering is key. You should have 3 types of lights, task, ambient and decorative. Task lighting for your reading or make-up corner, ambient lighting to illuminate the whole space and decorative lighting to make a statement. Things like sculptural table lamps can be a great addition to the space.
Another thing to get right is the lighting temperature. You should feel most comfortable and relaxed in the bedroom, so choose a soft white bulb that won’t feel sterile. It will create a nice ambience. Go for moody, soft and warm tones, something that will soothe you. Overall, every lighting in your house has its purpose and you should get the most of it in any case.
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