Light up your room!

Lighting plays the most important role of designing your home. It's where all the magic happens, you can have a very ordinary room but with the right lighting it can look like a dream, making it so comfortable and relaxing. You can also have the most beautiful room and with the wrong lighting you will feel agitated and uncomfortable. Lighting affects how you perceive the whole space, all the colors and textures. It can also be the focal point of your room if you like. Start by thinking how do you plan on using the space? You want your lighting to be beautiful but also functional so, you have to know the different types of lighting and how to use them.

Types of lighting.

Ambient lighting: It's the main source of lighting for a room, it comes from either overhead lighting like a chandelier, or recessed lighting in the ceiling.Utility rooms and kitchens need more lighting than other rooms so keep that in mind.

Task lighting: This is used for a small area for a certain function like for example, a reading lamp, pendants above a kitchen island or lighting for a vanity. This can be a table lamp, floor lamp, sconce, pendant or light embedded in a mirror.

Accent lighting: These accentuate the whole look of the room or draw your eyes to a certain feature like a painting, bookshelf or even textured wallpaper. They are the most decorative part of lighting that adds drama and more interest to the space.

Lighting also comes in different shapes so it's important to know all the different forms of lighting that you can use and you have to mix it up by using more than one form not by just using a chandelier, no , if you want a beautiful space it's essential that you use at least 3 forms of lighting.

Chandeliers: Large suspended lighting from the ceiling.

Pendants: They also hang from the ceiling but they are hung lower by a cord or chain, they are mainly task lighting or can be accent lighting and they vary in size.

Flush mounts: These are mounted directly in the ceiling and also vary in size. They are optimum for lower ceilings because they allow extra space underneath them.

Cove lighting: This is indirect light built in a recess in the ceiling. It lights up towards the ceiling or down adjacent walls. I don't recommend it as the primary source of light, it's better used as accent lighting.

Spotlights: These come in different shapes and sizes, like round, square or track lights. They can be used as ambient, task or accent lighting. They are also great to use in kitchens, bathrooms and dressing rooms.

Sconces: sconces are fixed directly on the wall. They are usually used in pairs on either side of a fireplace, mirror or just to light a hallway. There are also some types that direct light downwards to focus the attention on a painting or bookshelf.

lamps: You can never have enough lamps. Mix between floor lamps and table lamps to give the most beautiful lighting, and they can also double as statement pieces in your home. They are extremely versatile and very easy to move around the home.