Lighting: The Hardest Working Fixtures of the Home
Create Your Favorite Mood With a Mix of Sunlight and Fixtures
No matter your situation—single, married, parent, empty nester—lighting probably functions as your home's hardest working element. Well planned lighting makes every activity a whole lot more enjoyable, whether it be game night, movie night or even nap night.
The right lighting adds drama and elegance with a mix of natural light supplemented with ambient, task, and accent lighting. A balance of fixtures and sunlight sustains the warmth of a room while allowing homeowners to create different moods. Here are 9 great examples:
The right lighting adds drama and elegance with a mix of natural light supplemented with ambient, task, and accent lighting. A balance of fixtures and sunlight sustains the warmth of a room while allowing homeowners to create different moods. Here are 9 great examples:
Drum design: Once typically found in just entry ways or dining rooms, chandeliers and drum-like fixtures are now a lighting element in every area of the home. This drum fixture not only illuminates this living area, it sets the tone for a simply styled room.
Style setter: Pendants can bring style your active home places. These Craftsman-like pendants bring personality to a neutrally designed kitchen. Centered on the island they also illuminate a task area or your wine and cheese party.
Nearly invisible: Can lights are now small enough to recess into narrow soffited areas and cabinetry. Guests can now belly-up to the bar with ambient light above.
Tip: Choose your can light baffle color to coordinate with your wood or ceiling tones. Select white, ivory, black or metallic finishes to complement your design.
Tip: Choose your can light baffle color to coordinate with your wood or ceiling tones. Select white, ivory, black or metallic finishes to complement your design.
Light from above: Chandeliers are found more and more in bathroom settings. Some purchase this style so they can have added versatility—simply change the shades and "volia!" you have a whole new look for the season.
Visibly versatile: This room makes track lighting cool again. Low voltage lights on rails provide overhead illumination. The system's flexibility enables light to be cast in multiple directions to bounce off the lighter tones in the room.
Size it up: Fixtures must give adequate light, but also must be sized appropriately. In an average sized dining room, this means 18" to 24" in diameter. Add fabric shades to exposed bulbs for a more romantic feel.
Fan-tastic: Embraced by budget and green-minded consumers, the ceiling fan is another fixture that has found its way to multiple rooms of the home. Most fans come with operational lighting and a range of styles to complement other fixtures.
Tip: Purchase a fan with a remote control so you can operate the light intensity and fan speed from any area of the room.
Tip: Purchase a fan with a remote control so you can operate the light intensity and fan speed from any area of the room.
Touch of modern: Vintage couch, scuffed metal table and a sleek contemporary floor lamp all work together. While periods are disparate, the elements and lighting work in this eclectic space. This fixture provides overhead reading light layered by natural light.
Lighting trifecta: This kitchen is working triple duty. It has the ideal mix of layered lighting. Above, we have general or ambient lights; under cabinets we have task lighting and over the island we see accent lighting. If they are all on dimmers, this lighting can serve any event or mood.