Transform Your Home By Getting The Lighting Right

This week REFRESH has been busy working with some of our clients on lighting and it got me thinking about some of the lamps or fixtures we have used over the past year or so.

I literally chose these at random, there are hundreds I could show you... but come take a walk down memory lane and see the huge variety of lights now glowing in some of our client's homes!

Can you see how many styles are represented here? Not to mention colors, shapes and sizes.

There are literally hundreds more lights I could show you that we have used for clients or have seen in client's homes in the last year, but you get the picture I'm sure.

Options are absolutely ENDLESS!

So many of these rooms were entirely transformed-- or even inspired-- by the lighting used in them so why not jump into the lighting game too! Experiment a little knowing you aren't going to break the bank if you don't like the final outcome, and it's easy to keep trying until you get the look you want. Even generic big box stores have excellent selection these days with on-trend designs and reasonable prices.



GET YOUR LIGHTING RIGHT

Lighting isn't just about how the fixture or lamp looks, it's also about what they can do and how they cast light when they are lit.

The choices you make influence the appearance of the paint color on your walls, the shadow patterns cast can greatly change a space, and no matter what, lighting sets the general tone for the room’s ambiance. I always compare it to this: does your room feel like a dingy dive bar? Or just as undesirable: will your guests feel like they are walking into a brightly lit operating room? No one likes to visit if they suspect surgery might be performed when they aren't looking, ha!

Equally crucial-- never have just one source of light in a room. Define your space with multiple layers of lighting to accommodate the room's various functions. I always make sure I have at least three sources of light and that they are never the same kind of light. In other words, if there is an overhead in the living room, you might add a table lamp in the corner, and a floor lamp near the couch. Spread it around and vary it up.

LIGHTING PRO-TIP

If you love some of the lights you see on Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn, check their kid's lines. Often there is a similar light that is offered at a much lower price point, or there may be lights that are suggested for use in a nursery that you can use in a dining room.

Case in point is this Leanne Ford light she designed for Crate and Barrel Kids and it's perfect in this very grown up and sophisticated dining room. It was also hundreds of dollars less than a similar LF light listed on the C&B main site.

DIMMERS AND DIMMABLE BULBS

Now I leave you with my most important lighting tip yet. At least, I think it's a biggie.

When it comes to nailing lighting I'm a huge fan of adding dimmers to EVERYTHING. They range in price from around ten bucks a light to $30, but they are worth their weight in gold. You can adjust your lighting as the mood changes or the natural light shifts and always achieve a perfect glow.

LET'S DISCUSS

Now that we have done a bit of a Lighting 101, I want to hear about your experiences with all kinds of lights. Have you found an absolutely fave you are dying to pass on? Or maybe there is one to avoid.

Share your tips and tricks and let us know what has worked for you, as well as your trials and tribulations.

Let's chat below...

xx Kerri-Lee