Design Tips That Light Up The Room

W

hat's hot in home decor? Festivals like the London Design Festival shed some light on the latest trends.

Among popular lighting looks this year is a totem-style floor lamp that has an electrical cord running up the center spine. Pulled taut and wrapped around the base of the lamp, the cable holds Ed Swan's "The Fine Line" light in place and upright. When let loose, the floor lamp can be disassembled or moved into different positions.

The Trinity Shades by Woodstar showcase the regenerative aspects of wood. These lights were created from wood that was molded into a Bali-style hanging shade providing light and drawing attention to the interesting design. These environmentally conscious shades were shaped into curved, circular, and spherical forms.

Designers created streams of light that were both powerful and mood-intensifying at the festival. But whether you're using the creative and popular designs from a festival or finding your own pieces to add to your home, lighting should do more than light up a room. It should help set the tone of the space and draw together the entire contents of your home.

Here are some lighting trends and tips for a few areas of the home.

Bathroom. This is an important area to have excellent lighting for obvious reasons. We spend ample time in the bathroom performing tasks that require good lighting. Women apply make-up and men shave their faces. So enough light is critical. However, lights with dimmers or the ability to turn down the lights is an equally important feature because having the ability to create a serene and peaceful space for a hot bath, for example, is very desirable. Overhead lighting and additional wall sconces can help achieve this look.

Bedroom. Sometimes homes are built without any overhead lighting in the bedroom. This can make your room dark and dreary. Installing a ceiling fan with lights is a great way to light up the room and also have a better way to circulate air. Couple that with nightstand lights, placed near the bed but not aimed at the bed will provide a "time-to-settle-in-for-the-night" tone. Wall sconces flanked on either side of the bed can also act as reading lights.

Kitchen. Go bright and bold with light. This is another area of the home that sometimes doesn't have enough light. Yet, lighting in the kitchen is crucial; just ask any chef who's dicing vegetables with a sharp knife! Overhead lighting is a must; however, under-the-cabinet lighting can be a big advantage too. It gets the light right on the countertops and allows you to have a well-lit space to prepare your meals.

Lighting should be decor that is thoughtfully placed in a room not just an afterthought. It can make a room look cheap, elegantly decorated, or even dreary, depending on the style of lights, the placement, and the bulbs and the amount of light used. So light up your life and your home with a style that creates continuity and harmony.

Source: realtytimes.com