Use Lights To Add Colour & Atmosphere To Your Home

When you think of the word ‘decorating’, a lot of images pop into your head. Most people will think of fresh coats of paint, new wallpaper, some tasteful new fittings and fixtures and all finished off with some new furniture. One under appreciated aspect of decoration is the lights you’ll use.

The lighting used in a particular room can instantly change it from cold to warm or from tasteful to garish – if you are not careful with what you are doing. Let’s take a look at how lighting can complement and even finish off your newly decorated room.

1. The Living Room

The main living room (or perhaps family room) is often the centre piece of a newly decorated home. This is where the owner of the house stamps their personality and taste onto the main room of the house. The correct lighting can not only complement, but also completely alter the mood and style of the room. Use a modern chandelier to spread light across the whole of the room while using smaller lamps, spots or LED lights to fill the spaces in the corners of the room. If you have a split-level or open-plan living space, then you can use different types of visible lighting styles to create clearly different spaces. The key is to match the tones and colours to the decor of the room. Don’t be afraid of adding colour using lights, as some subtle colour washes in smaller areas of a large room can look very sophisticated.

2. Bedroom Lights

It’s important that you have two levels of lighting for the master bedroom. You’ll need some type of main light that gives enough illumination to actually use the room properly, but the more important lights are the secondary ones. You’ll want a combination of either a number of low-level bedside lamps or perhaps mid-height LED lights, or spotlights that will create a cozy, seductive and private atmosphere in the room when you want it. Stick to warm tones and nothing too bright for the bulbs and you’ll have that perfect balance where you can read in bed if you want, but one flick of the lights and it’s suddenly much more intimate.

3. Highlight The Best Parts

The best thing about being a little bit creative with the lighting in your home is that you get to highlight the best features and areas of the house. Items such as fireplaces can be made to look amazing with some warm hue spotlights or some gentle lamp bulbs either side. Likewise, you can make features of things like natural wood beams or areas of original brickwork that can be accentuated with some clever lighting effects. Every cove and nook in the house can be changed into an atmospheric area rather than a dark spot, giving the house more character. Spotlights can be used to highlight certain pieces of art or photographs on the walls in the same way, naturally bringing focus onto areas with the visible lighting effects you have utilised.

4. Make It All Your Own

It would be a real shame to spend all that time, money and effort on redecoration a room only to leave the same old lights up with the same (unimaginative) mood that they create. Instead, make sure you use the room to its fullest. That means illuminating every area and creating a feeling of warmth in every room of your home. All it takes is a little imagination.

Author Bio:

James Holden is the digital content manager of Visible Lighting and has many years’ experience in the LED Lighting industry. To find out more information on James Holden, you can follow him on Google Plus.