Natural light in your house from gorgeous large windows will always make any space look beautiful. But if your room isn’t blessed with an abundance of natural light, lamps are the best way to help you achieve a cosy, welcoming feel.

Many newer homes are built with a grid of downlights on the ceiling which light up the floor, rather than the room. Light from a large window, or a table or floor lamp provides illumination and atmosphere to a space as well as providing more flattering sideways lighting for the occupants!

A lamp can add texture and character to your room in addition to delivering appropriate lighting. However different rooms and situations call for different solutions.

The Living / Dining Room

If your house is like mine, the living room is a space for many different activities from reading, watching TV to entertaining, board games with the kids and down-time to scroll through social media (glass of wine in hand!)

If you have a special spot where you like to sit and read, ambient or accent lighting is what is required. A task lamp sitting atop a low side table, a floor lamp next to your chair, or a lamp on a console behind your lounge, not only provides the perfect light source but also will personalise your space.

In such situations it’s best to choose a fabric for your shade that has a lighter pattern so that the light can shine through the shade. Darker fabrics tend to direct the light out from the top and bottom of the lampshade, which is great if you just want a bit of ambience added to a room, but not so great for reading.

It’s important a lamp should look beautiful whether it is on or off. An elegant lamp (or pair) on a sideboard or console is actually a design element as well as providing a layered light source to your room. A beautiful lampshade can also, like a piece of artwork, add colour and individuality to your home.

The dining room provides the perfect opportunity to make a decorative statement by hanging a pendant light quite low over the dining table. This serves a practical purpose and in an open-plan area, it allows you to create a room within a room.

The Kitchen

Task lighting in a kitchen is essential and this is where downlights shine (excuse the pun)! Strategically placed and angled to illuminate different work areas, such as the sink, stove, bench tops and pantry, overhead lights are winners.

Additional ambient lighting in your kitchen however, from two or three well placed pendant lamps, not only softens the space but helps to negate the shadows created by downlights shining onto the top of your head! Some design savvy LU customers have mixed different patterns for their kitchen pendants for a very stylish and individual look.

Adding a small table lamp to light up a corner of your kitchen can help create a cosy, welcoming atmosphere.

The Bedroom

Soft lighting in the bedroom is a must.

Your boudoir should feel calming and restful, so it’s really important not to ‘over-light’ this room. Ambient lighting provided by lamps is less harsh than light from overhead lighting and, can help increase melatonin levels to aid a better night’s sleep.

Downlights or task lights have their place in the bedroom too. They are a godsend for make-up application or when dressing; so consider a layered lighting plan to meet all your needs.

When choosing a lampshade for bedside the bed, consider how much room you have on your bedside table. You don’t want to be knocking over the lamp every time you move your arm. It is also important to consider the height of your bedhead when choosing bedside lamps. Do you want the top of the lamp to be level with your bedhead? Or is it better to have it higher, or lower?

We find empire or tapered shades work well in the bedroom. The wider base provides enough light if you like to read in bed
whilst the narrower diameter at the top makes the lamp more compact and suited to a smaller space.

Again it is preferable to choose a lighter fabric from our exquisite range if you like to read in bed. If you’re after a moodier atmosphere, deeper coloured fabrics are more opaque and can help set the right feel in your bedroom.

Final Thoughts

Remember, the type of lightbulb you choose also plays a role to create the right ambience for you. It’s worth experimenting with different coloured light bulbs — warm white, cool white or daylight — and consider how much light is required. When shopping for bulbs, think lumens, not watts; lumens indicate the amount of light produced by a bulb.

Hope this info has been of some help in clarifying the things to consider when choosing lighting for your home. The best advice we have though is to always choose what you love. If you do this, no matter your choice, it will always look right!

If you would like to discuss your particular lampshade requirements, please contact me via email from our “Say Hello” page, or on my mobile. I would love to help you LightenUp your home!

Vanessa x