Good design, in my opinion, always includes layered lighting. I believe it to be the jewelry in a room or the icing on the cake so to speak! Often times it’s overlooked for a simple reason – some think having one overhead light is all you need to light a room. It’s simple and provides function – right? No, No, No – It’s so much more than that!
Not only is lighting functional, more importantly it creates mood, ambiance and interest and also effects our mood, health and work. When designing a space, I place a lot of importance on the fixtures. They can, after all, be the center of attraction in a room and elevate the design that much more. If you are investing in redesigning your home why wouldn’t you invest in beautiful lighting?
With all the stunning options they can often play double duty as artwork and accessories. There’s no better way to finish a space than by adding gorgeous lamps and fixtures that offer these different layers of light.
Essentially lighting is categorized into 3 groups however they can crossover into more than one of these categories. Here’s a simple breakdown with examples of each:
Overhead / Overall Lighting
This includes chandeliers and ceiling fixtures such as recessed lighting. Ceiling fixtures can be broken down again into flush, semi flush and pendants.
Photos: arteriorshome.com
Task Lighting
This relates to recessed & undermount (under counter) lighting found in the kitchen which lights up counter space for food preparation. Another couple of examples include lamps (or floor lamps) used for reading and art lamps used to light up and high lite art on the wall.
Photo: restorationhardware.com Photo: noahproject.info
Accent Lighting
This to me is where the ambiance comes in. These fixtures can include beautiful and interesting wall sconces to add another layer of light in hallways, dining rooms and living rooms. Consider adding a dimmer switch to control the amount of light and really create a mood. Of course, there are stunning table and floor lamps which, as I mentioned before, can double as pieces of art.
Photos: arteriorshome.com
As you can see, lighting is so important in elevating your space to a whole new level. Look at these pictures again and consider what these rooms would be like without the beautiful fixtures. Of course, they would still be stunning but nothing compared to how they look with the added interest of lighting.
A carefully curated design makes all the difference.
