Guest Blogger: Choosing The Right Light Fixtures For Your Living Space

Guest Blogger #741, Entry #1738, October 19, 2012

Lighting is one of the most important features in a home, and it also has a huge impact on the mood of your living space. Many people spend thousands of pounds redesigning the interior of their house, but forget to apply their stylish techniques to their lighting, from fittings and light shades to switches. If you want to get the best out of the individual rooms in your house, you’re going to have to integrate your furniture design around your lighting – there’s no point in buying expensive sofas or ornaments if their features can’t be properly seen.

Choose the perfect lighting for your home

Ceiling Mount Fixtures

These types of fixtures are best used in places of work, like bedrooms, dining rooms and studies. They can also be used in hallways and staircases, as they illuminate the surround area well. Ceiling mount fixtures work well in low ceilings and semi-flushed or blurred lights are ideal for welcoming people into your home. If you’re going to be using light fixtures in your hallways, they should be placed every 7-9 feet to make sure the space is adequately lit.

Chandeliers

These types of lighting fittings contain dozen of lamps and arrays of complex crystal and glass, illuminating a room through refracted light. The earliest chandeliers have dated back to medieval times, and they were purchased by the rich and powerful to express their wealth. In terms of interior design, chandeliers were used for decoration purposes instead of functional, however these days cheap and replica models are widely available.

Chandelier fittings add style and class to any room. They are great for foyers, hallways and dining room, and some newer designs even provide a variety of light settings to create a glowing atmosphere. If you’re going to buy a chandelier, make sure it has a dimmer setting to let you alter the light intensity and mood of your room.

Chandelier or pendant lighting is perfect for a dining space

Pendant Lighting

This type of lighting is very popular, as it can be used for general and personal illumination. Pendant lighting fixtures can come with globes or shades to avoid glare, and they are usually positioned over dining tables and countertops. Again, the use of dimmers with these light fittings is very popular.

Fluorescent Bulbs

_­These types of blubs come in a range of colour temperatures, and unlike incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights can be tailored to a household’s need. Furthermore, exposure to fluorescent or tube bulbs have been known to promote an improved circadian rhythm in adults.

Combining Light Sources

There are many more light fixture alternatives than the ones we have listed here, but if you find that none of these fittings suit your home, why not try combining light sources? Some homeowners like to continue the same interior design right the way through their home, however others like to spice things up, using different light fittings for different rooms. Style is in the eyes of the beholder, so don’t worry if you think that your light fittings don’t suit the designs of the rooms in your house – get some friends over and see what they think!

This guest submission was contributed by Lloyd on behalf of 2furnish.

Image sources: 1, 2

For more lighting ideas on Stagetecture, click here.