Lighting is one of the most important design elements in your home, setting the tone for each room.
Three different types of lighting establish the feel of a room, from romantic to working.
- Ambient lighting fills a room with bright light or a mellow glow.
- Task lighting focuses a beam of light on a work area.
- Accent lighting highlights art or an architectural feature.
A variety of ceiling lighting styles are available, from sleek chrome and steel fixtures to period-specific antiques or reproductions, often part of lighting collections with coordinating wall sconces and lamps, to complement and complete the decor in every room in your home.
CHANDELIERS
Once thought of as fancy fixtures for ballrooms or mansions, today's chandeliers are found in nurseries, bathrooms, libraries and kitchens, in styles and materials to fit any budget or decorating scheme.
When shopping for a chandelier, keep these things in mind:
- The recommended height for hanging a chandelier above a dining room table is 30 in. for the lowest part of the chandelier.
- The recommended diameter for a dining room chandelier is one-half the width of the table.
For other rooms, consider this formula for finding the appropriately sized chandelier:
Add the length and width of the room together. For example, a room that is 10 ft. by 12 ft. would total 22 ft. Convert that number to inches: 22 in. is the recommended chandelier diameter.
FLUSH MOUNT FIXTURES
Flush mount fixtures, which hang flat against the ceiling, are not just for closets and hallways anymore. If you have low ceilings and are looking for ambient light, flush mount fixtures are available in styles that range from inconspicuous to ornate, for illuminating bedrooms, dining rooms and more. Some flush mounts house fluorescent bulbs to provide light to a large space, while saving you money on energy costs. Keep in mind that changing light bulbs in flush mounted fixtures can be a challenge, especially if you have high ceilings.
SEMI-FLUSH MOUNT LIGHTS
A semi-flush mount ceiling light falls between a flush mount fixture and a chandelier in style. Semi-flush mounts hang approximately 4 in. to 8 in. from the ceiling, giving the illusion of a chandelier where a low-hanging chandelier wouldn't be possible, and providing ambient light.
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
Fluorescent lights have come a long way since the days of being tucked away in a workshop, closet or industrial space. Today's decorative fluorescent fixtures are available in styles to complement every room in your home, while providing more light for less money than traditional incandescent bulbs and fixtures.
