Have you ever marvelled over before and after photos of home makeovers where everything looks so put-together and wondered if you could pull off the same feat on your own? Though structure and colour are the most apparent elements, light fittings and fixtures can subtly set the tone and smoothen the transition between living spaces for that designer look.
Stores like Discount Lighting make coordinating light fittings in your home fast and easy – even for novices without an eye for design. Using fittings that tastefully blend in or is a statement by itself is one cool, relatively inexpensive trick that can make your home more inviting and functional.
About 62% of Australian homeowners renovated their homes, and a third would watch YouTube for renovation tutorials. Though many claim that not hiring a design team is a renovation mistake most new homeowners make, you can still achieve beautiful results by following simple tips:
1. Define what you need
Think of selecting light fittings as a puzzle that has to come together where structure, colour, shape, function, balance, mood, budget, and personality fit together seamlessly. Above all, consider form before beauty, a maxim coined by the renowned architect Louis Sullivan that emphasises rational, purposeful design.
Planning well ensures that you can work better in well-lit areas like the kitchen and home office and enjoy hobbies like reading or creating crafts without straining your eyes, while keeping living rooms and bedrooms cosy. You can even create a spa-like look for your bathroom or make small bedrooms look bigger!
Here are some other useful tips to keep in mind:
- Choosing light fixtures is easier in traditional homes and more challenging with open floor plans where multiple lighting is needed to illuminate layouts that lead from one functional space to another without formal boundaries. A key factor is a unified look, not just in style and colour but also in finishes – which can be a lot since there are a lot of synthetic materials, glass, stone, wood, and metals to choose from.
- Carefully anticipate what you need and where these should be located: mirrors, collections, paintings, wall paper patterns, wall or ceiling colours, and work areas can affect choices.
- Don’t forget the “hardware.” What if you found out that you’ve created a hole in the wall or ceiling where there should be none, neglected crucial wiring, or have no connectivity for smart bulbs?
After listing the most critical items, think about fillers or support lighting that may not be used all the time but can create ambience or provide better illumination when the room’s lighting is recessed or diffused. These days, you can even use versatile 3-in-1 bulbs which can switch easily from soft white, daylight white or warm.
2. Visualise with a mood board
With do-it-yourself projects, a mood board for the exterior and interior of your house simplifies the process of ensuring that all your “moving pieces” are in harmony. Drawing inspiration from Pinterest, Etsy, or Instagram can help you avoid visual clashes or getting lost midway into the project.
Complementary lighting is easy on the eyes. When the ceiling, floor, pendant, and table lights are proportional to the layout and sensibly placed, room is inviting and well-illuminated but not overwhelming.
Simply choosing what you love is a recipe for disaster in the long run. When sharing that space with your family, friends, or significant other, consider their needs and preferences too! Save yourself from the heartache of useless purchases and expensive renovations if your housemates dislike your choices.
3. Don’t neglect exterior lighting
A home’s exterior is an often-neglected aspect when it comes to renovation or improvement projects. However, a 2021 survey from HomeLight showed that buyers are willing to pay 7% more for a property with great curb appeal compared to one with a run-down exterior.
Choose exterior light fittings that:
- Are consistent with the overall architectural style
- Serve your purposes for ambience, illumination, and security
- Can safely withstand the elements, and
- Have a timeless appeal
4. Keep interior lighting along similar lines
Harmonious or coordinated doesn’t equate to boring. It does mean keeping most of the “lines and elements” of a similar look. If you aren’t very confident with mixing and matching, you can never go wrong with keeping it simple!
Interior lighting is more complex than outdoor lighting because it has to blend with the furnishings and other fixtures. It wasn’t easy to gauge how well your chosen fittings looked together in the past since you’d have to go shopping in different stores.
With Internet shopping cutting time, expense, and effort while offering unparalleled service and fast delivery, you now have the luxury to focus on style. Whether you opt for traditional, rustic/country, contemporary, industrial, or minimalist, there are smashing choices that complement each other and perfectly fit your lifestyle and aesthetic sense:
- Chandeliers
- Pendant lights
- Stair lights
- Recessed lights
- Wall lights
- Ceiling lights
- Adjustable spotlights
- Track lights
- Lamps
Tired of blending into the woodwork? Expert designers recommend bolder pieces like oversized chandeliers in living rooms and nature-inspired details. They’ve even coined “newstalgia” to describe the art deco revival with its florals and swirls. Translucent stone and matte black finishes are likewise trending.
Other trends popular in design sites are the innovative use of light as art and more “flowy” geometric shapes representative of the modern organic style. This minimalist style – a cross of Scandinavian and Bohemian influences – went viral this year and is predicted to become an enduring one.
Bouncing light off ceilings and keeping ambient lighting soft with walls “washed with soft light” remain popular. Back in style are valances instead of floor lamps, emphasising clean lines and augmenting with task lights only when needed.
Hold your horses
With the ease of buying online and valuable information available through Google, YouTube, Pinterest, and IG, it is easy to go overboard. While layering light creates dimension and well-lit space, then muddling it with too many details can be too distracting. Know when to stop because less is more!
There are no rigid rules when coordinating light fittings throughout the home. The operative words are purpose, bliss, sensibility, lifestyle, and budget – while keeping in mind organic flow in any layout. Following expert advice helps create a functional, cosy, beautiful home that won’t burn a hole in your pocket and adds value to your investment.
