There are several different methods that can be used to help create a designer look in your home. Lighting is one of the most fordable and can make a huge difference. Use it to showcase various objet d’art, illuminate a bookcase, showcase a painting or even direct attention to certain architectural features in your home.
In order to make a space look larger, there are several things you can do. In a small room with high ceilings, you can hang long thin pendant lights which will draw the eye upward and create a sense of space. You can also try putting a large and colorful lamp in a minimally furnished space, the size of the lamp and the clean lines of the room will create a sense of openness, making the room appear larger. You can also use this method in reverse by putting smaller pieces in the room making everything else seem larger in proportion. Small furniture pieces, with smaller lamps, as well as using small lighting options in several areas in the room.
When you are lighting for design there are three different types of lighting you will want to use; ambient, task, and accent lighting. Most of the time your home will generally be equipped with ambient lighting, and you will want to layer the other two into each space.
For example, in the bedroom, there will generally be the ambient lighting usually controlled by the main switch. In order to make the bedroom “pop” you will want to add task lighting and accent light. You can do so by adding table lamps on each side of the bed, or installing wall lights on each side, or above the bed, with the light directed down where you need it. Do you have pictures on your wall, a beautiful wardrobe, lovely jewels or something you want to show off? You could add fairy lights to your headboard, or spotlights in the wardrobe, or even small lights in a case to show off some of your jewels. And here’s a beneficial as well as stylish tip, installing pink bulbs in the bedroom, has been proven to be conducive to better sleep according to recent sleep studies. Pink light is also the most flattering light for our faces. Win win!
In the living room, or the main room of your house you could hang a size appropriate chandelier to create visual interest as well as ambient light without taking up too much space, and use accent lighting to showcase items in your bookshelf or paintings on the wall, and for task lighting you can add floor lamps next to a cosy nook with a nice, comfy chair, creating a reading spot, as well as some table lamps either next to the sofa or on a table near it. Dimmers are useful as well, as they can help create a feeling of coziness.
This last method is light painting, these are those little surprise things you may want to try to create more visual depth. For example, you can line a liquor cabinet with a row of neon strip lighting, or create light at the base of a kitchen island, or use it to light up architectural details in a room. Try a few of these ideas and your home will look as lovely as those you see on Pinterest and in design magazines.
