Lighting can make or break the overall feel of any space, turning a sterile environment into a cozy, welcoming one that you and your guests will enjoy. When it comes to decorative lighting, it’s not always about what produces the most light, but rather how it affects the ambiance and decor of your space. If you’ve been living with bright overhead lights, it’s time to experience the difference a few table lamps, sconces and pendant lights can make.
In order to get the best use out of your decorative lighting, follow this guide and give your home the lighting upgrade it deserves.
Add Lamps to Your Living Room
Living rooms often have overhead lights, but you generally don’t need these for everyday use. In fact, they really can be an eye sore in a room that is meant for relaxing. Instead, we recommend adding table lamps with warm white light. We like to add lamps at different levels in order to layer the light. Maybe placed on top of a taller bookshelf or a floor lamp, as well as on your side tables.
Add Glamour with a Chandelier Over Your Table
If you’re looking to make a big statement in a room, there’s no better way than adding a gorgeous chandelier. Whether you prefer a more contemporary sleek version like our Denison Rattan Lantern, one with bohemian wooden beads, or a traditional crystal-laden sparkler, a chandelier is an excellent alternative to using overhead lights. Chandeliers are best hung in entryways, above dining room tables, in bedrooms, and anyplace else where they can add sparkle and shine.
Enhance Your Kitchen with Pendant Lights
You can also opt for pendant lights, which differ from chandeliers in that they only have one lightbulb, whereas chandeliers contain many. Like chandeliers, pendant lights are hanging fixtures that suspend from your ceiling and they’re one of our favorite ways to add interest and style. They work very well above a kitchen island or bar as they provide lots of light over your prep space. As a general rule, a pendant light should hang between 12-20 inches below an 8-foot ceiling.
Create a Warm Glow with Sconces Around Your Mantel
Like artwork, sconces add a lot of character to your walls. They provide light at eye level and are perfect for layering with other forms of light in your room. Sconces come in many shapes, sizes, and styles—from our bamboo-wrapped rectangular Newport Sconce to our Clove Double Sconce. More than just a source of light, sconces can be used to accent your mantel or create interest on the wall in a long hallway.
Light Up Your Home at GDC
Lighting is something people often overlook when they enter a room, but it can truly make a home feel like it’s warm and inviting. While all of these lighting suggestions work on their own, it’s often a mixture of layered lighting that really brings a room together. Once you’ve chosen your light sources, don’t forget the adjustable features like a dimmer switch and multi-way lightbulbs which let you control the output. If you need any help with achieving the perfect glow in your home, stop by any of our three Charleston furniture and lighting stores to browse through our collection of decorative lighting.
Shop the Look
Newport Sconce
A bamboo-wrapped frame around four clear glass panes showcases whatever bulb you choose for the Newport sconce.
Clove Double Sconce
Updated opulence comes to mind with this double sconce, which wears an antique gold leaf finish on its ribbed backplate and bobeches.
