The Beauty of Lighting
Lighting- the one thing we cannot live without. It’s also one of the most underestimated elements in a home that often gets ignored or gets put last on the list. Lighting is so important, but I honestly didn't realize it until I dove into designing residential interiors and saw the beauty it could bring into a room. It truly defines the mood of a space.
A tip for new homeowners:
For a new homeowner, lighting can easily be one of the first things to update in a home. It can make a dated space feel fresh again by the type of fixture and the type of warmth you choose to add to a room. Adding new light fixtures can be a little costly, but I promise you, the investment is worth it!
A love for natural light:
At our house, we tend to not use any type of electrical lighting during the day unless necessary to see (for example in a closet). I love having a good window in every room to bring in natural light. For me, natural light makes rooms feel fresh and you can see the actual colors in the space bounce off each other without having warm light reflecting off of your pieces in daylight (nighttime is a different story). Having natural light brings peace into a room. It's one of those things I simply love in life.
My lighting pet peeve:
So this is something my husband has had to learn after much time of living with me. WE DON’T EVA EVA EVA, USE THE BIG LIGHT. Have you seen that Instagram reel yet? If you have, you know what I'm talking about. I’m a big fan of having lamps and sconces around the house. They make interiors feel beautiful and functional. Many old homes like ours have a main light that is usually outdated. In fact, we have one, but we don't own the home, or else it would have been gone a long time ago. But here is what I do know, WE DON’T USE IT. Lighting in these cases can easily bring a mood, and not a good one. The yellow warmth can bring the beauty of your interior down in seconds during daylight. To me, that just feels old and worn. You can typically find these as outdated flush mounts or ceiling fans with a light kit. Sometimes you’ll need it and can’t avoid it, but I prefer to turn on lamps in rooms instead of using the big light especially on gloomy, or rainy days.
Ceiling Fans:
I want to touch on this topic because ceiling fans and I have broken up and gotten back together over time. I grew up in West Texas, in a city with some of the hottest summers. Having a ceiling fan in every room was common, but as I got older I didn't like them more and more. This was partly because of the way it looked, but mainly because of the big light.
As a designer, I met a variety of people who can’t live without a ceiling fan, or desperately need one in various spaces for proper air circulation (hello West Texas friends). I have concluded that I won't be able to get away with not using ceiling fans in some interiors. So I’ve decided, if I can't run from them, then I will make us have the best relationship possible. INTRODUCING, CEILING FANS WITHOUT A LIGHT KIT. It’s the modern (and not so ugly) thing that still gets the job done. You can find these in solid colors with thinner wings, and here is a trick to think about. If you have a white ceiling, get a white ceiling fan to blend it in. If you have pets or live out in the country I recommend getting a black ceiling fan as more dust will collect over time and in this case, having a dark ceiling fan under a white ceiling will be worth it.
It’s lamp o’clock somewhere:
Lamps make a difference in a room. It’s relaxing and gets you winded down for bed. Lamps can not only bring in light, but can bring a form of art. You can do this by making your lamps have a little style by either the form of the base or by bringing a pattern to the lampshade. I bet that didn’t cross your mind for some haha as that is too something I’ve learned over the last 5 years. Lamps are all we use for our lighting at home. I can’t live without one. Truth is that no matter how beautiful your lamps are, they won’t do their best job until you have the right amount of WARMTH AND WATTAGE on them. I have been that girl who bought led light bulbs because they sounded cool, well cool tones are all I got and it was not pretty!! So always make sure you have the right amount of warmth in your space, I can't stress that enough!
Storytime:
Part of my husband's distant family is from Alaska and as we know, Alaska has a dramatic sun. It shines bright in seasons and hides in others. It was interesting to hear how his family deals with light. When the sun shines all season long for 24 hours a day, they close all the curtains and start turning on all the lamps to get their body’s ready for sleep mode. And when it's dark in summer, lamps are their very best friend all day long. You could say lamp o’ clock is very important in Alaska, but they are just as important in my life all season long.
Types of lighting fixtures:
Lastly, there are many types of lighting fixtures you can bring into your interiors. You can be creative by having pendants hang down next to your bathroom mirror. You can add wall sconces and place them next to your bedsides and even create a layered look by placing table lamps on your nightstands too. I have written out a few types of lighting that you can add to your house below.
Fixtures to add to your interiors:
Flush mounts | Pendants | Chandeliers | Wall sconces | Table and Floor lamps | Picture light | Ceiling fans | Lanterns
Tips on how to hang your lighting:
Over time I have learned how lighting should properly be hung. Some will depend on the space, but overall I have gathered a few dimensions to help your home. I'm 5’3” so I tend to hang my light a bit low and I see it vice versa to my tall friends. I hope these tips come in handy for all.
1. Dining room: A pendant should be 30”-36” from the table to the bottom of the pendant
2. Wall sconces: Sconces in bedrooms should be 55”-60” from floor to middle of the electrical box. Make sure it’s easy to reach from your bedside before securing it on the wall.
3. Picture light: I have found that having ½”-2” from the top of your art to the bottom base of the light works best depending on your frame. This allows the light to directly shine on the art.
