Lighting it up!

Lighting can make or break a room, believe it or not. Your furniture could be perfectly placed, the pieces carefully chosen for the room, with accessories that are spot on, but, if the lighting is not right the room will fall flat. There are three layers of lighting important to any room.

The first layer is ambient lighting or overall lighting. This type of lighting includes chandeliers, can lights, and other ceiling fixtures. Any fixture that spreads light generally over a room is included in this category.

The next layer is accent lighting. These fixtures highlight different focal points in a room. You might use accent lighting over a fireplace to highlight artwork, or over a bookcase or china hutch. Wall sconces fall into this group as well.

The final layer of lighting in a room is task lighting. These are usually lamps that will aid you in reading a book or working at a desk. Each room should have a minimum of three lamps. One for each end of a sofa and another for an occasional chair or loveseat. Too many times, homeowners will depend on one overhead light to perform the task of both ambient and task lighting. In order to get enough light to perform tasks this way, the homeowner often uses bright bulbs that end up casting a harsh glare on the room. Well designed lamps are found at every price point. You can find good looking lamps at Wal Mart. Price should never be the cause of not providing task lighting. The biggest secret to purchasing lamps is to purchase the right size. A lamp should be tall enough on your side table to cast light down over you when you are seated. I often tell folks to purchase lamps between 28 and 32 inches. The size of the table that the lamp is on will determine the size of the base of the lamp. If you have a large side table, the base of your lamp can be nice and chunky. If your side table is tiny, the lamp base need to be skinny. If you have a short lamp but like the style for the room, place it on a stack of books to raise it to the correct height. Often lamps look dated because of the shade. The Lamp Place on South Boulevard in Charlotte is great for helping you find the right shade for your lamp. They will often change the harp and the style of the shade to provide a brand new look for a lot less than the price of a new lamp. In addition to table lamps and swing arm lamps, clients often ask where to use floor lamps. Floor lamps are great beside a chair that doesn’t have a companion table. Floor lamps also work when the side table is an unusual size or shape.

Lighting is to a room as accessories are to the completion of an outfit. Bottom line, don’t skimp on lighting!