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Shedding a little light on the importance of Lighting

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” Lighting is a simple and cost effective way to update your home and add some personality. I love lighting! In fact, a certain Mr. at home has asked on occasion if we are living in a lighting store showroom! Of course he is exaggerating, but he is correct in the fact that I love to decorate with lighting. One of the first things I did when we moved into our home was to go from room to room replacing the “builder grade” lighting with something more interesting.

photo courtesy of www.bestofdiyideas.com

photo courtesy of www.bestofdiyideas.com

Proper attention to the lighting in your home will make all the difference. It offers the opportunity to keep your home updated, create ambiance, set the tone, add character, pull the style of a room together and when used in a vignette a wonderful way to fill a space and create softness.

photo courtesy of houseofturquoise.com

photo courtesy of houseofturquoise.com

 

Take a look around your home. Is it feeling tired or outdated? Don’t have the budget for a big renovation project? As with clothes, hair styles, and just about everything else; lighting too becomes outdated. By strategically swapping out some of your hardwired light fixtures and replacing your lamps,  you can bring new life into your living space.

Before shopping for your new fixture though, ask yourself a few questions:
How will the light need to function?
Is it in keeping with the style of the room and the existing updates?
What finish or texture should the fixture be to balance the décor around it?
What does the scale of the light need to be to fit with its surroundings?
Do you want the fixture to be a statement piece or to be used to ground the décor around it?
The choices are endless and can quickly become overwhelming. Answering the questions above will give you confidence and will help you feel more prepared when shopping for the fixture or lamp.

shabby-shic
In addition to helping a home feel fresh, lighting is one of the easiest ways to set the tone in a room. Floor level lighting, dimmer switches, and 3 way light bulbs make all the difference. When styling a room, it is key to add lower level lighting in every room. Whether you are entertaining or curled up with a good book and a hot tea, floor level lighting make a space more inviting. When combined with dimmer switches and the proper light bulb they provide an opportunity for you to change ambiance of your space instantly. Low lit lamps make a room feel more intimate and relaxing while turning up the lights create a welcoming space and the space more functional for task oriented projects.

Photo courtesy of houseofturquoise.com

Photo courtesy of houseofturquoise.com

Most homes are filled with ceiling installed Can light fixtures. While these are great for function, they offer nothing to the style of the room. Lighting can easily be the icing on the cake to a room’s style. When picking out fixtures think outside the box, be brave, and show your personal style. Hang a chandelier in your powder room or laundry room, change out a can light or ceiling fan, replacing it with something that has character. Let your lighting choices complete a design look. Overlooking your lighting, when styling a space, will take away from the overall design.

photo courtesy of myrusticfarmhouse.blogspot.com

photo courtesy of myrusticfarmhouse.blogspot.com

Lighting is the perfect accessory when staging a room or softening a space. Staging a room can become overwhelming! Lighting used in unexpected places creates interest. Be creative, tuck a small lamp in a bookcase, on a mantel, in an entryway, under the kitchen counter or in the laundry room. I love the function of small lamps strategically located around the home. They are an opportunity to create a bit of night light in the evening. They are also key to softening the look of a room. Beautiful spaces are designed with a balance of both hard and soft items. A great lamp shade can create softness and the style of the shade and lamp itself is an opportunity to pull the space together.

Photo courtesy of houzz.com

Photo courtesy of houzz.com

Simply paying attention to the details of the lighting that surrounds your home will make all the difference. The perfect light fixture will update, soften, complete and set the tone to all of your spaces.
xoxo,
Kelly

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3 thoughts on “Shedding a little light on the importance of Lighting”

  1. Jackie says:

    I really appreciate this blog post! It’s encouraged me to take a look around and see how I can improve our lighting situation. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

  2. These lighting pictures are great inspiration. I am excited to pick out lights for our new home. Great post!

  3. Nancy Snyder says:

    I really like this article. I am excited to see how I can put your ideas to work.

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