No matter how smart your furniture or how beautiful your décor, if you haven’t installed the right lighting then all your artistic flair might be wasted.  A well-planned lighting system in the home can transform the mundane into the miraculous.

Kitchen

One of the first considerations is the purpose of the room you are going to fit with new lighting.  A kitchen needs to be functional and therefore work surfaces and cooking hobs should be well lit, but increasingly people are using kitchens as an extension of a family room, so certain parts of this room could be illuminated with a mellow light.  Halogen or LED lights, especially those with movable direction, are ideal for the working areas and the eating and relaxation area might benefit from a softer glow, possibly an overhead pendant light that draws the focus of the room to the dining table.  The use of a dimmer switch can always change the mood of a room very quickly.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms need bright lights. An illuminated mirror is useful for shaving and applying make-up.  Overhead spotlights or even bright LED recessed lights can focus on the bathing areas and at the same time harmonise with the tiled surfaces in this room.

Bedrooms

Traditionally, wall lights with an overhead pendant have been the most common way of lighting a bedroom but other options currently in fashion include overhead-concealed lights, or possibly LEDs or spotlights that can be fixed over areas that demand good lighting – these include mirrors and cupboards.  A light control in the centre of the bed head is always a good idea for controlling bedside lights or you can invest in a remote controller for the whole room’s illumination.  Why not light the room with wall lights and bedside lamps and eliminate the overhead light. Different coloured light bulbs can also dramatically change the look and ambience of a room.

Living areas

The sitting room is probably the most important room in the house and if you want to highlight your leather sofas and other furniture the best lighting system will comprise a mixture of table and wall lights.  These will cast a mellow glow over the room and also reflect light from polished surfaces.  A pendant light can be used but make sure that you have installed a dimmer switch.  Light fittings, especially lights over works of art, can dramatically affect the focus of the room.

The dining room is often used for entertaining and a pendant light with a dimmer switch control is ideal over the dining area. A chandelier will create an exotic effect: if you choose to use candles on the table the reflection of the flames in the overhead crystals will look stunning.

Home office

More of us work from home these days, so make sure that you plan your lighting system around the functional areas of your home office and also consider that windows may need blinds in order to reduce bright sunlight.  Organise your lights so that electric light doesn’t bounce off your computer screen.  One method to overcome this problem is to use track lighting or even an intense halogen or LED desk light.

When choosing the best interior design for a room, we often neglect lighting. However, the lighting type you choose will certainly give the room its unique look and style and can often lead to amazing results. Underestimated by many, lighting is one of the most important things that determines the room atmosphere. This article will hopefully give you a few good ideas on how to use lighting for decoration purposes.

Before selecting the type of artificial lighting that best suits you, think about the natural light. Natural light is warm and welcoming. Well lit rooms with huge windows and a lot of space look good and benefit both your mental and physical health. There are a few ways to make your rooms get more natural light. For instance, you can try using mirrors. Cover one of the walls with mirrors and you will get a lot brighter room that looks twice as big as before. If there are trees right in front of your window, prune and trim them. You can also try using brighter paint. Paint the walls with a brighter paint that has a soft shade of a warm and sunny colour like yellow, for example.

After setting things straight with natural light, it’s time to choose the artificial light sources in your room. There are two types of artificial lighting- ambient and accent.

Consider details – rugs, bedding, curtains, throw pillows, accessories, do not forget that just a little touch can add an entirely different atmosphere to the whole room.

Curtains are an eye-catching element and have a huge impact on the whole space, because of that, do not skimp on their size, they should be at least double the width of the window and long enough to skim the floor. Add finials, it may seem like a small thing, but they are the perfect finishing touch to the curtains. Remember, a great room is all about the details. As for the fabric – cotton is versatile and easy to clean; yet velvet is luxurious, stylish and private but can look a bit heavy especially for smaller rooms; sheers are light and graceful but do not offer privacy.

Bedding, sheets – pick out high quality luxurious fabrics – cotton, linen; nothing contributes so much to your sound sleep as the quality bedding, not to mention how much mood and beauty they add to your bedroom.

Put a big mirror on an empty wall, this is a great way to create an optical illusion for a large room; if you place a table lamp on a stand or a floor lamp next to it, you will have a more spacious and a brighter room, at least visually.

Using Throw/ Decorative pillows is a great way to change the interior adding a new and fresh touch to your bedroom. Remember, it is wise to match throw pillows with the other elements of the décor – both as colour, style and size – too small throw pillows look lost when put on a big sofa for example. Also, do not go too far with their quantity; they are just a decorative accent in the interior design.

Add accessories, but do not overdo them – favourite photos in beautiful frames, a small vase of flowers/to brighten up the space and bring a little softness/, scented candles/for luxury and romance/, a piece of art on the wall, that is enough, accessories are meant to accentuate, not overcrowd. Do not forget to fit the size of the picture with that of the wall and hang it at the eye level; when more than one piece is hung, arrange them not too far away one from another.

Lighting: Lighting is of crucial importance in setting up the ambiance in a room. Multi-layered lighting lets you adjust the amount of light you need and create the effect you want. When combined with floor and table lamps and sconces, a chandelier is a good option, because is both a decorative element and a source of general glow. Table lamps are important for providing task lighting, e.g. for reading when placed on the bedside tables. For the sake of balance and symmetry you can place a matching pair on the bedside tables, but the choice is entirely yours. Table lamps can be placed wherever you need a bit of extra light, on a chest of drawers for example. The size of the lamps you choose will always depend on the size of the furniture they are put on. Floor lamps are great for adding light in corners or next to a reading chair. Since they spend a lot of place, sconces can be an excellent alternative to table lamps; when installed at a proper height, they provide adequate illumination of the space. Consider using a dimmer, it instantly creates the needed at the moment ambiance and a much more flattering glow.

So this is your bedroom, plan carefully every detail, consult with experts if necessary and you will have a nice place to relax and be away from the stresses and strains of the world around you.

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A bedroom is a strictly private space where people usually sleep or relax, this is a place of peace and tranquility. Although its key function is to provide suitable atmosphere for resting and relaxation, you can feel free to add a working desk and this will not affect its functionality, only be careful not to turn the space into a study.

The interior of a bedroom should be approached carefully; furniture, furnishings and accessories should create a sense of calmness. The bedroom should be our oasis, where to relax and renew.

Furniture and the rest of the décor in bedrooms vary a lot, depending mainly on taste, traditions and social status; however there are certain items that are common in most bedrooms – a bed, bedside tables, dressers, a chair/ an armchair, an ottoman. Before choosing your furniture, consider the size of the space and the atmosphere you want to create. In general, light colours and natural light can make the space look larger, while a darker or warmer colour will make it a bit smaller and cozier.

Paint colours:

Neutral colours – beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray and white – are always a good choice. They work with every other colour so you can lighten and brighten the room using accents and bedding in different colours and patterns.

Pastel colours – soft, relaxing, serene, they can also contribute to a good night’s sleep. Consider using soft blues, lavenders, and greens, especially when combined with brighter accessories and/or dark wood furniture.

As for bright colours, it is generally assumed that they are not quite suitable for a bedroom; but since it is your space, it is up to you to decide what is the best for you.

The key element in a bedroom is the bed; it is the starting point for arranging and upgrading the space.

However, this is a room associated with the feeling of warmth, comfort and peace, and the bed is that piece of furniture that mostly contributes to create an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity.

Consider carefully its size and the material it is made from, the bed frame as well as the type and the depth of the mattress, in general, make sure that the bed is of that size and characteristics to perfectly fit the room and meet your needs.

A canopy bed

It may sound exotic and out of reach, but there are easy ways to achieve such an effect, even if the bed is not equipped with a special pre-made frame; unquestionably such a bed brings style, elegance and romance in the bedroom, not to mention that it will become the focal point of the room.

Other elements of the décor:

Without bedside tables the room is just not complete. They serve two functions – on the one hand provide space for items like a lamp, a book, favourite photos, a vase of flowers, a clock /do not overdo with these accessories/, and on the other – help anchor the bed so it doesn’t look like it is just floating in the room. Of course, you choose their shape, style and material, but it is recommended that bedside tables should always be about the same height as the mattress.

As for their depth, about 24″ is the optimum; anything bigger will hinder your activities around the bed, in case they are still practical and meet your needs it is not a problem to be smaller in depth.

Most popular types of lighting

There are three types of lighting. Ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. Even if you don’t care about those general types you will find yourself using at least one of them. So, to the point – why there are exactly three types or a.k.a. layers of lighting. Well, there are even more, but we will discuss them later.