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Whether you’ve moved into your first apartment or are planning a homeware overhaul, it’s always useful to get some inspiration before you settle on interior design themes.
Lighting is a vitally important aspect of any home environment. Going overboard means hurting your eyes and casting everything in harsh artificial brightness, while too little light results in turning your home into a shadowy cave.
Especially if your rooms don’t enjoy much natural sunlight, neat indoor lighting tricks are essential for creating a homely atmosphere. Read our top tips on achieving unique feature lighting in your home guaranteed to be complimented.
Exposed Bulbs
Rather than just looking like you can’t afford light shades, tastefully placed exposed bulbs can look industrial-chic when suspended over kitchen islands or gathered in a cluster of various lengths in your hallway. Know what to look for in the electrical wiring of your house before you decide to do this, or get a qualified electrician to install new lighting for you.
The trick to make this feature look deliberate is to have more than one bulb hanging down from your ceiling and to use specially-created large or interestingly-shaped bulbs. Also go for an eye-catching suspension method, like chains or copper wire.
Feature Floor Lamps
Add a sophisticated standing lamp to any room – they look particularly striking when looming over an armchair in a reading nook. Floor lamps range from professional studio-style spotlights, or antique-inspired with gold stands and 20s flapper fringed shades.
Place one next to your desk in your creative studio, or in the corner of your reception area for a touch of opulence.
Moroccan Lamps
The intricate designs of Moroccan-style cage lamps are perfect for creating a playful but peaceful mood in your rooms. Use one in your bedroom for a relaxing space complete with colorful blankets and faux fur rugs.
They cast beautiful shadows when lit in a dark room, and can be found in free-standing, hanging or wall sconce varieties. Some come with colored glass inserts, or choose a classic gold or silver toned metal cut-out design.
String Lights
String lights, when used tastefully, aren’t just the reserve of teenage girls’ bedrooms. A string of exposed bulbs looks chic draped across a feature wall in any room, and a continuous length of luminous rope looks amazing when fixed along the outskirts of an entire room.
Neon Signs
Affix a feature neon sign above your bed, in your living room, or even above your dining table. These look great if you’re a fan of modern decor, and provide a pop of color for a minimalist black and white interior designs.
They don’t have to be the ‘American diner’ type you’re thinking of – there are loads of fun design options, like moons, stars and hearts to add a simple statement to your room. They go perfectly with pop-art inspired pictures and furniture and make great backdrops when having cocktails at home with friends.
Plant Illumination
Make a unique feature out of the houseplants in your home. Placing lights behind, above or even inside of large plant pots will cast impressive shadows when lit up and provide a warm glow throughout your rooms, turning your lounge into an illuminated botanical garden.
Some plants grow particularly well when paired with incandescent lights, like vines and ferns. Turn a corner of a room into your own personal jungle: combine with a water feature and bring the rain forest to you.
Himalayan Salt Lamps
These bedroom adornments are enjoying a moment in the spotlight. They’re not only a beautiful lighting idea for your home but are said to produce negative ions to counteract an overload of positive ions emitted by electronic devices that fill modern homes. This neutralizes bad vibes in our abodes and is also claimed to improve air quality.
You can buy a Himalayan salt lamp as a rock crystal that stands on a luminous platform, lighting it up from inside, or as tea-light holder that you can scatter around any room.
