Tips For Lighting Your Living Room

Living rooms are used for many different purposes and having the appropriate living room lighting is very important. Some rooms used purely for entertaining, others for watching television and many for a whole host of other activities. It's important to have appropriate living room lighting that not only looks great in the space, but also accommodates all of the events that take place there. 

Table Lamps 

Table lamps are important for providing task lighting. It's a good idea to have a few scattered throughout the room. For a formal look place a pair of matching lamps at either end of a console table or on end tables. If you don't like things to be quite so symmetrical it's perfectly fine to split up a pair and use them in different spots in the room, and if you prefer a less pulled together look use lamps that don't match. 

Floor Lamps 

Floor lamps are great for adding light where there's no table surface (they're often used in corners). They don't take up very much space and are great for distributing light in awkward spaces.

Wall Sconces 

Wall sconces are great for adding a little ambient light to the living room. They look lovely when placed on either side of a mirror or piece of art and act as terrific decorative accents. That said, when it comes to providing light they likely won't be enough. You'll want to use other sources of light as well. 

Hanging Fixtures 

Chandeliers and pendent lamps can be a fun decorative touch in living rooms. They provide a nice overall glow to the space and draw the eye upward. What's great about them is that they tend to be unexpected in living rooms and can add some real depth. Just make sure that your ceilings are high enough (about 9') so that no one hits their head. 

Living Room Lighting Tips 

Ideally you want to use different types of lighting to provide a nice mix. While pot lights and track lighting can be practical and provide a lot of overhead light, they're not really the best choice for living room lighting. Ultimately you want a mix of task and ambient light so try mixing floor lamps, table lamps, and maybe an overhead light and/or sconces. Make sure there's enough light near reading or work areas and also use light to call attention to unexpected or special places. 

One of the best things you can do is to add a dimmer switch to every single light in the room (do this with every light in the house if you can). The ability to soften or brighten the light allows you to totally change the mood in the room. They're not very expensive and it makes a huge difference.

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Matching The Right Outdoor Lighting Fixture To Your Home's Architecture

Outdoor lighting fixtures come in a wide line-up of designs, finishes, historic classifications, dimensions and glass selections. There are fundamentals in your home’s exterior décor that can safely help you choose the best possible outdoor light fixture to add beauty, as well as, safety and security to your home. It is best to illuminate your entrance to your home first, thus establishing a design or theme for the rest of the house. But first, it is wise to look for common design characteristics in your home to select the perfect outdoor light fixture. The following styles of outdoor lights should be helpful in identifying those specific features of your home that you wish to emphasize.

Traditional Architecture

This style of architecture calls for a lighting fixture that is classic, elegant and without being excessively detailed. Outdoor light fixtures of this classification often have linear lines, some curves and are often reflecting those characteristics of either European or Victorian stylings. Outdoor lighting in this vein offers a rather broad category of influence without being too avant-garde.

Mediterranean Architecture

Outdoor light fixtures that showcase this design style often get their direction from Italian or Middle Eastern ornamentation. Elaborate curves and shapes are often intricately showcased in exterior lanterns of this style, made of heavy brass, bronze or copper. Hand moldings detail the intricate castings of a particular design element or period for this type of outdoor light fixture.

Leading Edge, Contemporary Architecture

A functional outdoor light fixture in this form usually follows a simple design, devoid of embellishment or unnecessary structure. Often exterior lanterns of this nature vaunt an emphasis on linear lines, light frames and smooth textured finishes.

Bungalow, Craftsman, Mission Style Architecture

Outdoor light fixtures that enhance this type of structural design have a definite Asian influence. Exterior lanterns often have a square, rectangular or boxy feel to the overall effect, with an accent on rustication and durability. Often referred to as an Arts and Crafts style of architecture, the exterior lanterns will often showcase brass, copper or bronze overlays that are achieved by using laser cut or hand-turned detailing. These outdoor lights may look simple but really exemplify expert artisanship.

www.desertlighting.com