It’s interesting how often we ignore the light fixtures in our houses. If we’re renovating or reconfiguring a room, it’s almost second nature to start with the furniture and appliances. It makes sense; our things are what we see every day. But what we should really be focusing on is the lighting of the interior. HGTV recommends that a room should have a combination of lighting. Accent, task and ambient light all transform a space from one of monotony to dynamism.
The room you might think of as drab and in desperate need of an overhaul probably isn’t meeting its maximum potential because the lighting isn’t right. It’s not worth getting rid of everything you have and getting a whole new set of furniture if it’s just going to sit in the same dark, sad little room. There isn’t any furniture in existence that can save the look of a space without proper lighting. If you are about to revamp your space take a look at some of these lighting suggestions, it might shed some light on your design aesthetic.
Interiors: Creating Balance with Light
Every room in the house has a different function. The dining room is for dining, the living room for entertaining and the bedroom for sleeping. To make an efficient and proactive space, you need a lighting effect that will help you to achieve your desired aim. Think of it this way: as you’re trying to fall asleep, you don’t want the overhead light on while your partner is still up reading.
In some of your spaces you’ll need a lamp or fixture that swaddles the entire room in light. In other rooms (like the bedroom) you’ll want light in small, focused zones. Your interior spaces were designed for different purposes, and should be treated as such. This requires that you light your rooms in such a way as to consummate the marriage of form and function.
Selecting a Floor Lamp: The Living Room
For our purposes let’s examine the living room. Also called the family room or front room in different social circles, the living room is one of the most frequented spaces of the house. Its use for entertainment, solitude, recreation or work makes it a transitory space. Despite it being used as a room of play the last night, today it might be used as a space of reprieve. For the reason that the living room is such an impermanent space of human habit, we need a design effect that will meet our needs as we continue to change and grow in the space.
In an interview with Elle Decor, interior designer Celerie Kemble said the the floor lamp is what breaks up the tedium in the living room. She said, “In a room full of pairs, [a floor lamp] adds a welcome element of asymmetry.” Houzz suggests that as you redecorate your space, you should use a mixture of floor and table lamps in the living room. The varying levels of the lighting fixtures will revitalize the space through producing different levels of light. Floor lamps are typically placed in the corner of the room and add their own energy to the space. Becoming a statement piece, the floor lamp is its own element in the space, contributing to the design of the room just as much as the sofa or bookcase does.
Selecting a Table Lamp: The Living Room Part II
A major snare many people fall prey to when redesigning their interiors is making everything match too much. When we’re in a furniture showroom and see the designer coffee table, chair and accent tables from this year’s Spring Collection we assume the designs are meant to be displayed together, this isn’t true. Interior stylist Anna Smith writes that you should not buy all of your furniture at once, and should rather build your collection over time. This will help you find your style. Smith goes on further to say that the best rooms feel lived-in; the room’s collection represents its dweller and shows what the inhabitant finds most important in a life well-lived.
This is why the lighting of a space cannot be ignored. Interior designer Judith Balis says we should “think of a lamp as part of the jewelry of a room.” Table lamps offer task lighting and make a statement. Think about the message you’re trying to send out to the universe in your living room. Do you have a flair for the dramatic or are you light and airy? There is not one lamp that can work for both. As you design your space think about the color, size and weight of the lamp because it will markedly alter your space.
Only you know what you like, so surround yourself with things that will contribute to the happy and profound experiences you hope to have.
