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Selecting the right lighting for your home will depend upon the overall look and feel you would like to achieve, combined with practicalities such as the activities that take place in the room. There are so many different lighting options, some will help to create soft mood lighting, some will allow daylight simulation to enhance your reading pleasure and some illumination will help to achieve a feel of opulence and luxury. In this article, we give you practical tips on choosing the right lighting for you with some budget friendly ideas too.
General Lighting
Giving a uniform light over your room, general lighting provides the practical function of illuminating the room whilst at the same time making a design or aesthetic statement. Practical doesn’t need to equal boring! A beautiful pendant light can provide the practical use that general lighting requires and needn’t break the bank! Depending upon your design preferences, options include modern geometric designs, lighting that reflect times past, such as antique-feel metalwork and exposed lightbulbs as combined to stylish effect in the Marsden by Dunelm or why not opt for a futuristic option, such as the Bastberg pendant ceiling light from B&Q. This stunning pendant features a clear acrylic shade, supported by clear wire for an ultra-modern look. Or for added opulence why not try a chandelier! Dunelm offer the stunning Parla ceiling light for a truly luxurious feel.
Now we have the general lighting covered, let’s look at your secondary lights.
Mood Lighting
Combine general lighting with other mood lighting to help create a softer, kinder light, as a single light source in a room can feel cold and cast unwelcome and unflattering shadows. The presence of multiple mood lighting can lend a calming and relaxing feel to the room. As seen in the rooms of large country houses, multiple lamps add pockets of soft light to a room rather than a central point and shadows are softened. The right choice of lamp bases and shades can add a touch of luxury but multiple needn’t equal expensive. For under £60, Dunelm Mill offer their Seychelles Champagne Glass Table Lamp which offers dual lighting, both from the main bulb and the base by the means of glass jewel droplets with lights hidden within, giving a stylish and luxurious appearance. For a look of true opulence, at £80 this eye-catching lamp with peacock base from Next with antique-gold look and black shade will give a decadent look to any room, without pushing the budget.
Task Lighting
Whether casting light over a desk for work or to illuminate a cosy reading corner, task lighting needs to shine without causing headaches and eyestrain. Lamps that provide the same level of Kelvins offered by natural daylight are ideal. Native Lighting offer their slim Daylight desk lamp, which brings daylight technology with a touch of Scandinavian design. The slim design adds a feel of minimal luxury, with many practical features too.
A characterful floor lamp, such as a tripod lamp will fit into almost any style of décor. Your choice of fabric and style and material of legs will determine a modern, contemporary feel or a more traditional look. Choose a shade made from opulent fabrics with a rose gold lining for a luxurious feel such as this stunning hairpin tripod lamp from Marks and Spencer. The ideal accompaniment to a reading corner or just as a stunning design statement.
Studio floor lamps tend to have a huge price tag, their sheer presence and design giving an expensive old Hollywood feel, if you want the look try the Borough Wharf Carr Tripod Lamp from Wayfair.
A Touch of Whimsey
Our final look at lighting touches on the popular trend of adding fairy lights, great for creating a romantic feel. Widely available online LED fairy lights give a wonderfully magical ambience. Not into a string of lights? No problem, get the same soft glow with this set of 3x crackle ball lights from the aptly named lights4fun.co.uk
