How To Update the Lighting in Your Home

Lighting is vital to creating a functional space with a beautiful ambiance. However, with so many design options available, from accent lamps and overhead pendants to wall fixtures and dramatic chandeliers, choosing the right lighting for your space can be challenging. Thankfully, our experienced team is here to offer insight into the types of lighting we stock and how to choose the best wall lights, floor lamps, and everything in between for your home.

Types of Lighting for Homes

Lighting is an important design element that affects how we see colors and textures, and influences the overall feel of a space. Good interior design matches the light levels with the specific tasks performed in each area of your home. There are three main types of home lighting: ambient, task, and accent.

Ambient Lighting

This type of lighting refers to the background lighting in a room created by overhead lights. Ambient lighting, also known as general lighting, provides overall illumination for your space.

Ambient light often comes from architectural lighting that’s built into your home’s walls or ceilings. You can add dimmers or change the lightbulbs in your overhead lights to adjust their color temperature and brightness depending on how you want to use the room.

Task Lighting

These lights illuminate a specific area for a specific task, such as using pendants over a kitchen countertop or a desk lamp in your home office. Task lighting usually directs bright light to a small area to help you see better while you work.

Our Brushed Steel Arc Floor Lamp is an example of decorative task lighting. You can use this lamp to shed light on a single armchair, allowing you to read or work comfortably while the rest of the room enjoys dimmer light.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting can help you create a sophisticated atmosphere or illuminate a display piece or wall art, drawing people’s attention to your décor. You can use accent lighting to create striking focal points in the room without overwhelming the entire space. Also, when choosing accent lighting, consider going with eco-friendly LED lights, as they will help you save energy.

All about style, accent lighting should complement your furniture and bring the room to life. Our Mercury Glass or Pyramid-Shaped Table Lamps are examples of unique accent lighting designs.

How To Choose the Right Lights for Your Home

Decide Where You Need Light

A room’s function determines the type of lighting it needs. It’s important to consider a light fixture’s placement before settling on a style. Here’s what works best for each room.

Entrance Hall

The light fixture in your home’s entrance is one of the first elements guests will notice when entering your house, and in some cases, it will even be visible from the outside. Start with a dramatic overhead chandelier or pendant and supplement it with accent wall lights.

Living Room

You can combine overhead bulbs, task lights, and accent lamps in your living room to make the space more versatile. Floor lamps, such as our Chase or Industrial Bronze Iron designs, help brighten shadowy corners and create an inviting living space.

Dining Room

Use ambient lighting that complements your dining room furniture as the primary light source for your dining area. You can add a few short lamps on the table that don’t obstruct conversation to create soft, moody lighting for romantic dinners.

Kitchen Lighting

The kitchen needs bold overhead lighting that illuminates the entire space. You can add pendants above the kitchen island and table for cooking and eating comfortably, and use under-cabinet accent lights to show off your cabinetry.

Bedroom Lights

Your bedroom doesn’t require much lighting, and you can usually get away with only one or two bedside lamps unless you use your bedroom to work or study. Our collection includes table lamps in sets of two to complement your bedroom furniture.

Home Office

An overhead general light fixture provides the best lighting for a productive home office or workspace. A desk lamp also works wonders for direct light on your work surface when needed.

Determine Your Style

The style of lighting you choose for your home should complement your other furniture and décor. If you’re unsure where to start, consider the colors and materials you see in any room. For example, if your living room furniture has dark, blocky feet, choose a floor lamp with a similar base.

Alternatively, you can match your lighting style with accent décor to create balance. For instance, if your couches or bed linens are all one color, choose a lamp shade that matches the color of your throw, rug, or accent pillows instead.

Consider the Room’s Size and Dimensions

Installing a prominent light fixture in a small area can overpower your space, while placing small lamps in a vast area makes them lose their effect. Fitting the size of the light to the scale of your room will help you create a more balanced, well-lit space. Tall lamps help to fill rooms with high ceilings; slender lamps look best in small spaces; and short, ornate designs are ideal for low, spacious areas.

Home Zone Furniture Can Help With Your Lighting Needs

No matter what kind of lighting you choose for your house, you can find what you’re looking for at Home Zone Furniture. Our range of living room, dining room, and bedroom lamps will brighten your home and add design flair, helping you create comfortable and inspiring living and working spaces. Our friendly team would love to chat with you about lighting options that best suit your design theme. Contact us or visit us in store for more information.

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