Ultimate Lighting Guide: Pick the Right Fixtures for Every Room in Your Home

Lighting makes all the difference in how we experience a room. Image: Terracotta Design Build

For so many of us, lighting is an afterthought in our interiors. This happens when you think of it as a utilitarian detail of the room, rather than something that adds aesthetic value. When it’s done right, lighting is the unsung element that brings your design to the next level.

Our ultimate lighting guide gives you all the info you need to effortlessly light every room in your home. Read our tips and keep them close at hand. You never know when you may need to tweak the existing lighting in your home or to build a new layout from scratch.

There’s more than one type of lighting out there. Image: Nina Farmer Interiors

Know your options

One of the most common lighting mistakes people make is assuming that one type of lighting — especially dreaded overheads — will suffice when putting a room together. Interior designers will be the first to tell you that sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, lighting works best when it’s used in layers. There are three main types of indoor lighting to consider and, ideally, each room will include all of them. They are:

• Ambient: Also known as general lighting, ambient light fills the majority of the room and allows you to move around safely. It usually comes from recessed lighting, track lighting or wall-mounted fixtures.
• Accent: Accent lighting is used to highlight a particular focal point, such as a piece of wall art. Picture lights, wall-mounted-fixtures or track lighting are common, and dimmers are often used on these features to provide mood lighting.
• Task: As the name suggests, task lights are used to assist you in completing a particular function. This could be anything from desk lamps to pendant lights that hang over a kitchen island.

Each room has its own ideal lighting layout. Image: Capital Building

Let the room dictate the layout

Now that you know what your different lighting options are, it’s time to decide how — and where — to place your light sources in each room. While this is ultimately a matter of personal preference, there are some standard layouts that work well.

If you’re unsure where to start, use these room-by-room guides as a source of inspiration:

• Entryway: Start with a dramatic pendant light or chandelier overhead. Then, supplement with either a table or floor lamp.
• Living room: This is a good place to use track or recessed lighting throughout. If your room has a main seating area, use a larger, overhead fixture to center it. Place floor lamps where needed to light shadowy corners. Finally, if you have a buffet or other large furniture piece, you may want to consider adding a table lamp.
• Dining room: The dining room is the easiest room to light. Your main source should come from a large, pendant light or chandelier that’s centered over the dining table. If there are additional dark corners, you can use a floor or table lamp to supplement.
• Kitchen: Kitchen lighting is complex. You may want to start with some recessed lighting. Focal areas like the kitchen island and dining table should have overhead pendants or chandeliers. Work areas benefit from the addition of under-cabinet lighting. Plus, you could add specific task sources at the sink and stove.
• Bedroom: Ideally, bedrooms have a main, overhead light source and table lamps on nightstands or dressers.
• Bathroom: Recessed lighting is common. You could also add task lights around a mirror or, for a dramatic touch, an overhead source above the tub.
• Office: Start with recessed lighting or a main, overhead source. Be sure to add table or floor lamps in dark corners or by seating areas. Finally, be sure to use a desk lamp in your main work area.

In the case of lighting fixtures, size matters. Image: Thomas Coombes Interior Design

Consider size and aesthetics

When we talk about the size of lighting fixtures, we’re mainly talking about those statement pieces that are overhead. There is an easy formula for determining how big one of these lights should be. It’s all about finding the right diameter.

If the fixture will be lighting the whole room, measure the length and width of the room and then add those two numbers together. Convert that sum from feet to inches to find the ideal diameter for your light source. For example, if the room was 10 ft. x 12 ft., 10 + 22 = 22, so your fixture should be 22 inches in diameter. However, if you’re centering the fixture over a piece of furniture, you’ll want to measure the length and width of that specific item instead of the room as a whole.

As far as aesthetics are concerned, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That said, make sure it matches whatever style is present throughout the rest of the room.

Use our guide to show your home in its best light. Image: Shakuff

The right lighting can really make or break a room. When done well, it lends the perfect atmosphere to help your design shine, but when done poorly, it can take away from your chosen aesthetic. If you’re ready to take your lighting to the next level, you’re in the right place. Our ultimate lighting guide has all the information you need.

What do you think of our ultimate lighting guide? Do you have any tips to add? Let us know in the comments below.

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