Not all spaces are the same. Some have a soft, relaxing glow – perfect for an evening of unwinding with friends or family. Others are vibrant, full of energy and warmth – perfect to call a house a home. Lighting inside your home not only serves a functional purpose, but also sets the mood of the space within the four walls. With the right lighting, your home can look larger, warmer, and more welcoming. While planning your home decor design, pay close attention to the lighting you will use.
If you struggle with high electricity bills, that could partly be due to the lights in your home. In addition to lending a specific mood, the lights used within a home can increase your power consumption, especially if you have not changed them in a while. Investing in good home decor lights will give your interiors a makeover, and also make your home more energy-efficient.
Understanding the Basics
Before you set out to change the entire set of lights at home, understand the three basic types of lighting that are used within indoor spaces. These are ambient, accent, and task lighting. While designing lighting for home, a decorator will use a combination of these to create specific looks.
Ambient lighting is the most basic kind of lighting, which illuminates the entire space. Essentially, it is the lighting that will help you see your surroundings. It is the soft glow enveloping the overall space, without being too harsh on the eye. Wall lights, rope lights, and recess lights are some home decor lights used to create ambient lighting.
With thrice the brightness of ambient lights, accent lighting is used to highlight specific features within a home. It could be used to draw attention to a piece of furniture, artwork, or another object you wish to bring into focus. A wall-mounted picture light is an example of accent light.
Task lighting is used when you need to focus on specific tasks and need a clearer view. This is the kind of lighting used in a kitchen, over a reading or writing desk, and in spaces dedicated to grooming or personal hygiene. You can use a bedside swing-arm lamp to read at night, an example of a task lighting fixture.
10 Home Decor Lighting Ideas
The space around you is a reflection of who you are. That should be kept in mind while choosing home decor lights. All the three forms of lighting will combine to form the right look for your home. You can find a huge variety of options at Pepperfry for innovative home decor lighting ideas. Whether it is a traditional or contemporary atmosphere that you wish to create, these ten home decor ideas will help you nail the look.
1. Create layers of lighting
Ambient lighting is the first layer of lighting for your home. Each space will make use of this kind of lighting. Bedroom and living room decor should make use of other sources of light, in addition to the soft glow of ambient light. A good idea to accentuate your home decor design is to use at least three sources of light in each of the spaces within. Strike a balance between these sources of light. This way, you can change the mood of the space at different times of the day by adjusting the level of brightness. Creating layers also helps highlight the details you wish to keep in focus. A valued art piece, a craft heirloom passed down the generations, or a custom-made piece of furniture – the kind of stuff you surely would want your visitors to see. Accent lights like this spotlight bar highlight such features. For smaller spaces, make use of lower wattage lights, and smaller-sized fixtures.
2. Add a lighting focal point
When using multiple fixtures while deciding upon the lighting for your home, it is important to pick a lighting focal point. If all your lighting fixtures – chandeliers, lamps, and accent lights – are of the same size, it will make the space look cluttered without any element of visual clarity. A chandelier with an antique look will make for a wonderful focal point in a huge living room. Accentuate your space with these metal chandeliers to bring the old-world charm into your home. Smaller spaces can use distinctive floor lamps that match the decor of the given space. Lamps with utility shelves are all the rage in home decor design, adding the desired focal point and also coming in handy for smaller spaces.
3. Install dimmer switches
Modern homes, equipped with smart devices, offer more of a choice in the atmosphere within, and the amount of power consumed. Install dimmer switches for light fixtures throughout your home. Dimmers are a great way to control the lighting in your home, especially when you are struggling to balance natural light with artificial lights. A smart dimmer switch can dim or turn a light on and off by up to 80 watts. It can create a soft, welcoming glow in your home as you return from a long day at work. Installation of dimmer switches to complement your stylish home decor lights can also cut electricity costs by eliminating the use of extra power when it is not needed. Install these in as many rooms as possible, to have better control over the overall lighting in your interior space.
4. Make maximum use of natural light
It is best to make maximum use of natural light throughout the day. Natural light affects your circadian clock, which is why it is advisable to stay in a darker environment before going to bed. Natural light is also a power saver! Eliminating the need to turn on those lights during the day can greatly reduce your electricity bills. This should be kept in mind while choosing the lighting in your home. How much natural light you can use would also depend on the amount of light your home receives. A south-facing home will have an abundance of natural light. Clean windows and light-filtering curtains that are available in a variety of fabrics can help with the inflow of natural light. For not-so-bright homes, you can find newer ways to attract more natural light inside the home. A chandelier that reflects sunlight can brighten up the space without even being switched on.
5. Swap old, often-used lights for LEDs
Irrespective of the duration of your lighting use, it is a good idea to swap your regular light bulbs for energy-efficient lights like LEDs. These are available in cool daylight and warm glow variants, which can complement the look of your home. If you are feeling festive, you can invest in these LED rice lights instead of the power-gulping colourful versions to keep your electricity bills in check. Make note of the bulbs you use the most. These have to be replaced. Table lamps with LED lights serve the purpose of task lighting and make it efficient too, especially if you read or write for long periods.
6. Smart homes, smart lights
What would you say to someone who suggests investing in smart lights as part of modern decoration ideas for the home? You would probably picture basic white lights like bulbs, or at most track lights that can illuminate a certain area. But smart lighting, which can be controlled from a mobile phone via an app, has come a long way. From chandeliers to track lights, you can install many designer versions of smart lights at home. You will find a range of designer smart light options on Pepperfry. You can turn these off remotely, just in case you forgot to switch off the lights while you stepped out. More style, lower energy bills!
7. Be unpredictable with lights
Lights serve more than just the basic purpose of illuminating a space. These complement your home decor design, set the mood, and also reflect your personality. Tastefully-done interiors seem quite incomplete with just a basic set of light fixtures. There are thousands of home decor lighting ideas that you can choose from to lend a quirky look to your home. Move over portable lamps and basic overhead fixtures, and express your creativity with lights. Light up your favourite corner, or put the spotlight on a bookshelf. This table spotlight, for example, serves the dual purpose of a task and an accent light. Add an unusual touch to your living room with this giraffe floor lamp or one of these rope lights.
8. Living spaces with television/screens
Steer clear of accent lighting in spaces with large televisions or display screens. Instead, you can make good use of a mix of tasks and ambient lighting. In your living spaces with media devices, use fewer overhead lights to avoid the reflective glare on screens. The warm glow of ambient lights makes it perfect for relaxed television viewing. Task lights such as lamps and hanging lights are quite useful for such living room spaces, where you could also read newspapers and books. Control natural light for these spaces and make use of window treatments to make them softer if the natural source is letting in harsh lights, which will cause a glare on-screen. Use blackout curtains to control the flow of light.
9. Bring in the new
Changing old fixtures in your home can upgrade your home decor design to a more contemporary look. You don’t have to love a light fixture because the previous generation did. Besides, it will also cut down your power bills. The newer ones are not only easier to replace, but also last longer. Pick the ones with a higher energy rating to save more electricity. Older designs often end up overpowering an interior space. You can opt for sleeker ones that combine modern and traditional design, and also complement your indoor space better. While giving your home decor lights a makeover, consider adding layers. Add accent lights to highlight the best features of your home, or to bring the focus upon a newly-bought artwork. Changing the key fixtures in your home not only makes the space more welcoming but also makes your home look way younger. While you’re looking at new lighting for your home, also replace the switches to keep them in sync with the newer lights for more efficiency.
10. View lamps in a new light
Just as lights can make or break the look of any home, old lampshades can dampen the appeal too. Take a fresh approach to lampshades in your home. Investing in good, modern-day lights demands paying attention to lampshades as well. While it may not be evident, a lampshade can change the ambience of a room. A lighter-coloured lampshade diffuses light, while a darker one focuses it on a specific area. You can also use a new lampshade to add a pop of colour to a room. It will add interest to the space without being too overpowering. A bright lampshade in royal blue or rust orange will immediately catch attention in a close space. Use richer hues to add a luxurious touch, and neutral shades to make any space look larger and more open.
A printed lampshade like this multicolour rose floral lampshade can instantly lift the mood of a room in your home. Image source: Pepperfry
When you do take up the task of redoing the lighting throughout your home, stick to one design scheme as you would with furniture. Lampshades and chandeliers should match your home decor design. Consistency is the key. Remember that less is more when it comes to home decor ideas. Go minimalistic and avoid cluttering your space with too many or varying design elements. Otherwise, the look can be overbearing to the onlooker, and the space too chaotic for you to feel at home. If you are starting from scratch, begin by making a lighting plan and decide which areas would be used for specific activities. Depending on the intended use of the space and the natural light available, you can invest in good light fixtures that can convert the space within the walls into your aesthetically done home.
