All that glitters: lighting tips to brighten your home
/Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • Sept. 4, 2021
Lighting is a lot like jewelry. It can be the final piece that that you put into your decorating plan. Or you can take a fantastic lighting fixture and build an entire room around it.
Books have been written about lighting in the home and I promise I will not write one here. Just a few suggestions.
We all know that really great design is in the details. Lighting is one of those details that is many times overlooked and often is the last item in the budget. As a Southwest Florida interior decorator I see far too many beautiful homes where lighting is an afterthought and builder grade lighting has not been updated. Here’s a little secret: you don’t have to spend a fortune to make it look spectacular. There are lots of options in all price ranges.
Lighting is especially important in open floor plans where it can be difficult to light dark corners. You need two things before you start randomly making purchases: think strategically about the entire home and have a plan.
A few of my tips that I use when creating a lighting plan for clients:
Lighting sources in each room
• Ambient lighting which includes track lighting, recessed lighting, chandeliers, fan lights.
• Task lighting which includes table lamps, desk lamps, floor lamps, pendants, vanities, under counter.
• Accent lighting which includes niche lighting, sconces, decorative, statement lighting.
Recommendations
• Skip the recessed lighting if you’re building a new home or doing a renovation. It’s a waste of money, messes up the ceiling and tell me this, how often do you turn on those bright ceiling lights? Plus, no one looks good in recessed light! If you have them in your home, install dimmer switches.
• Everyone needs more lamps. Most homes are suffering from light deficiency: add more lamps and up the wattage. A lamp on every table is a good rule of thumb.
• Gourd lamps in lots of colors are good for living rooms; a mini accent lamp on the kitchen counter, laundry room, bathroom.
• The eyes love pairs so make sure you have some pairs instead of a collection of mismatched lamps. It makes a huge difference. Think about your favorite hotel room: two lamps by the bed, two lamps on the dresser/desk and a standing lamp in the dark corner. Remember: less is more. Not too many styles.
• If you have a home with high ceilings throughout, hire a lighting designer to get it just right and avoid shadows.
• Select your largest lights first. Pendants over the island/bar area, chandeliers, entry lighting.
• Hang dining or eat-in area chandeliers/large lighting between 30 and 36 inches above the top of the table. This range assumes you have an 8-foot ceiling. If the ceiling is higher, the recommended standard is to raise the chandelier 3 inches for each additional foot of ceiling height. For example, if your ceiling is 10-feet-high, you might hang your chandelier 6 inches higher than you would in a room with an 8-foot ceiling. This guideline is generally the same for hanging pendants over a kitchen island or bar.
All that glitters: chandeliers
They are romantic and sexy. The right one with the perfect dimmer switch setting makes anyone look beautiful. They are dazzling and add style and a touch of refined culture to a space. They go anywhere in the home, including bathrooms, closets, a walk in pantry. I have even seen one in a laundry room. You can spend a little or you can spend thousands.
Chandeliers are an accessory that can make an entry or dining room. It does what the perfect necklace does for an outfit. In southwest Florida, many homes sacrifice chandeliers for ceiling fans but I find that women are most likely willing to say goodbye to a fan to add a beautiful, sparkly chandelier.
Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog