Proper lighting can make or break a room. Lights serve a necessary function in every luxury home, allowing your family to complete tasks with ease and enjoy time spent together. They are also an integral design element, whether as a decorative accessory (e.g. table lamps) or a more permanent fixture. Whether you’re looking at purchasing a new home or upgrading your existing lamps, here are a few of the best lighting options for every room.
Great Room/Living Room: How you light your great room depends on its purpose. Do you spend a lot of time watching TV here? Do you read at night, or spend quality time playing games with family? Great rooms are often the largest open space in a home, so you’ll want your lighting options to be varied and flexible. Ceiling fixtures should be proportioned to the size of the room and the height of the ceiling; the same goes for wall sconces. Place several floor or table lamps around the space for low-light activities such as reading. This also allows you to segment the space so that you can read a book in one corner while the kids watch a movie in another part of the room.
Kitchen: Today’s kitchen lighting goes beyond track lighting and fluorescent fixtures. Recessed lighting and pendant lamps are still trending, and provide task lighting for cooking and meal cleanup. If you’re unsure how your kitchen décor will change over time, opt for classy neutral fixtures such as these elegant Possini mini pendants or Pottery Barn’s Milk Glass version. The key to successful kitchen lighting is having separate options for the breakfast nook or bar and the main kitchen. Because guests often congregate near the kitchen during get-togethers, you may also want the option to dim or brighten lights over any seating areas.
Bedroom: Your bedroom should be a sanctuary in your home, and its lighting should reflect that. Select overhead fixtures that create a soft glow, yet can be brightened when needed. Luxury homeowners may gravitate towards amber lights for their calm, comforting glow. Don’t neglect end table lamps here, either. Matching lamps aren’t necessary: If your spouse reads at night, he or she may prefer an extendable task lamp, while you are fine with a standard table lantern. In this case, you could choose two coordinating lamps in the same style or finish, rather than buying a stock pair.
Office: The lighting you’ll have already installed in your office likely depends on whether your home has a dedicated office space or you’re repurposing a spare bedroom. While any existing overhead lighting will be useful for everyday tasks, desk lamps are also an essential element of any home office. Select a stylish model with variable light settings, so you can moderate light levels when switching from computer to files or paperwork. Many luxury homeowners prefer some measure of natural light while working at home, so ensure your home office has a decently sized window with the option for unobstructed light. Hang curtain rod brackets 7 inches outside of the window frame to leave ample space for open curtains.
Bathroom: HGTV and the National Kitchen and Bath Association recommend shower lighting, which adds “style and safety” to any bathroom. If you have a separate shower and tub, a small amount of overhead recessed lighting is sufficient – after all, you probably don’t want a dozen canned lights blazing on you first thing in the morning. For the bathtub area, a chandelier adds elegance and a touch of romance. Keep in mind most building codes require chandeliers be hung a minimum of eight feet above the tub, so you’ll want to make sure you have the ceiling height needed before installing a new fixture.
At Camelot, our luxury homes in the Phoenix metro area are lit with both form and function in mind. Visit our community pages for details on lour new homes, or call us at 480-367-4300.
