Indoor Design  / Private Home

Decorative home lighting: giving light to every room


Posted On 22 January 2019

Like all interior designers and architects, light plays a fundamental role in the customisation of a residential space. Using different types of decorative lighting for each room means creating different atmospheres and enhancing every corner of the home.

Topics discussed in this content

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Le Trulle

Lighting a home both inside and out, with suitable designer lamps, is almost like giving light to a work of art, something unique and above all personal.

It is important to make the home hospitable, livable and memorable in every respect, starting with the choice of the most suitable lighting solutions to give light to each room. By positioning the lamps in the right places, you will simultaneously give functionality and striking decoration to the spaces.

But to create a cosy and practical home atmosphere, you should first consider a series of underlying factors that will help you select the most suitable solution for the decorative home lighting system you are designing.

 

9 guidelines for a correctly designing decorative home lighting

There are several ways to give light to a home, and to do it accurately, with impact and a personalised touch, you must follow a series of recommendations to distribute the lamps within the home correctly.

1. Consider the height of the ceiling

Each home has different dimensions and characteristics, and knowing them well is important for lighting design. Identifying the exact height of the ceiling is essential when choosing suspension lamps, for example. This is because many ceiling lights are equipped with adjustable cables and rods, while others are completely devoid of them.

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Circus

2. Keep in mind the dimensions of the lamps

As you know, when it comes to hanging lamps above a kitchen table or hob, a minimum distance of 70 to 90 centimetres should be kept from the base of the lamp to the surface. This aspect will then vary from context to context.

Lamp dimensions play an important role in measuring the distance to be kept with respect to the surface . In fact, a smaller lamp can hang lower than a larger lighting fixture, which on the contrary should be hung higher.

3. Take care of all the details

Already in the early stages of design, you should keep in mind the client's style and functionality preferences regarding the type of decorative home lighting.

Obviously, if the client wishes to apply more than one lighting solution in the kitchen, it should be decided before starting the restoration or construction work. Today, working in the smallest detail with 3D is normal.

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Stant

4. Add a dash of style

If the client decides to add new lighting solutions to the project but doesn’t want to face huge expenses or even change the configuration of the last electrical system, you could opt for an industrial rope lighting fixture. To give it a unique and elegant touch, you could hang the lamp cord on a bar or a hook fixed to the ceiling, and you're done.

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Filomena

5. Do not limit yourself only to sources of direct light

Moderate the application of lighting solutions that direct light right onto surfaces, thus avoiding casting shadows and nuances with a suffocating appearance. Therefore, based on the height of the ceiling, consider whether to install appliqués or indirect light sources in such a way as to direct the lighting upwards and thus create a more relaxed and soft atmosphere.

 

Deja vu

Dejà Vu

6. Choose lamps with an appropriate degree of brightness

In addition to the dimensions, it is necessary to take into consideration the type of bulb and the different degrees of brightness that it can guarantee. The new LED lamps can give the room very soft colours that are very enveloping.

Obviously, the choice between the various types depends on your style and the impression you want to give to the entiredecorative lighting project designed for the home.

Are the walls of the rooms painted in cold colours? Then opt for a lamp that gives a warm light to the room. On the contrary, for dark spaces, choose the most intense and lively sources of light.

7. Light up the stairs with impact or functionality

Add impact lamps to the stairway posts. Often these structures are located in a defined area that can be illuminated and enriched with recessed lamps applied to the sides, as a design element.

 

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Moby Dick

8. Use the colours of light, but do not overdo it

Flooding a simple room with warm or cold light can give the space a more dynamic look. However, pay attention to the amount of colour of the lighting: you should never exaggerate.

9. Decorate

The lamps you select will first and foremost create the atmosphere in the various rooms of the home. Enriching the walls with lamps rather than with paintings or photographs could be an original embellishment solution that will give the home a refined and personal appearance.

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Cubano and Ti Vedo

Types of lamps used for decorative home lighting: where and how to place them

Light is able to create the atmosphere of a place and make it special.

Each type of lighting influences our mood and the perception we have of spaces differently. Therefore, functionality is necessary when designing the central points in the lighting design of a home.

But how?

  1. First of all, identifying the function of each room in relation to the activities that take place in it will help you choose the right type of lighting. Considering ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting, you will understand what type of lamp to choose for each area of the home and its use.
  2. Secondly, use the controls and switches to provide three separate main lighting levels:
  • Task lighting and ambient lighting for the day rooms (useful during food preparation, for example)
  • Accent lighting to entertain the eye and create points of light in different corners of the home

If you are looking for a single solution to provide more degrees of lighting, use a dimmer to adjust the light to your liking, based on the type of functional brightness and suitable for the location to be illuminated.

3. Finally, check the Kelvin gradation of each lamp and make sure that all of them have an equal or similar light tonality to avoid creating a strong lighting gap between one environment and another.

 

 

Once the most suitable solution for each room has been identified, another question arises: Where can the lamps be installed?

In addition to the factors just analysed, the placement of the lamps also affects our impressions of a place. Various types of lighting can be applied to provide light optimally and practically to every corner of the home.

Let's take a deeper look.

Appliqué lamps

This type of lamp is applied on the walls and is the ideal solution to provide task lighting and illuminate areas used for activities and work.

Appliqué lamps are also an excellent solution to provide accent lighting and draw the attention of the observer to pieces of furniture and works of art placed here and there around the home.

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Amsterdam

Table and floor lamps

Table and floor lamps are recurring designer lighting solutions that give light to spaces with interesting shapes and colours, acting as real lighting accessories that surely do justice to the beauty of the surrounding scenery.

 

CELL 1 decorative home lighting

Cell

You could use these types of lamps in different sizes and models (a floor lamp, for example) to add lighting levels and play with the light.

Ceiling lamps

Kitchen, bedrooms, corridors and stairs: each of these areas of the home deserves a personal touch. By choosing suspension lamps, to enrich and illuminate a space with a single solution, you certainly will not be mistaken.

They are versatile lamps that adapt optimally to spaces and coordinate well with the other decorative elements present in the rooms.

In particular, suspension lamps are ideal for the kitchen and the dining room, areas that need direct light.

The use of ceiling lamps can also be a functional solution. These lamps can be installed in the living room, in the bathroom and in the bedrooms and provide a warm and welcoming degree of ambient lighting.

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Leda

The most suitable lamp models for the decorative home lighting

Once you have identified the type of lamp and the most appropriate placement, you will know exactly how many and which types of lighting levels each area will need.

Next is the selection of the lamp model you want to install.

The lines and style will be the basic details that will make your lamp a real focal point and reference point: it will capture the eye of the observer and set the mood of the whole room.

As we have already said, each lamp model offers different types of decorative home lighting that express different sensations , also based on the characteristics of the interior that they will decorate.

For this reason, it is important to choose a solution that can adapt to the area in which they will be placed and blend harmoniously with the rest of the furniture.

We will now go room by room and try to find the most suitable types of lamps for each place in the home.

 

 

Entrance

The entrance is the ideal place to create the first feeling of hospitality and make a style statement.

Providing ambient lighting for the entrance by installing a large pendant lamp with a singular appearance that arouses surprise in the observer, is the first decisive step in the customisation of the home.

A chandelier like Au Revoir could be the ideal solution to welcome guests with originality and create a pleasant atmosphere of hospitality right from the start. It is a composition of lamp arms, with particular decorations in white satin glass , which with its unusual and original shape is able to impress those who observe it and illuminate more points of the room optimally.

A little suggestion: align the lighting fixture with the main door, so it can also be seen from the outside. Trust me, it will be difficult for passersby to look away from such a beautiful lamp.

In addition to a chandelier, you could give more light to the entrance by placing appliqué lamps in different places (above the sofas or on the sides of a mirror, for example) and thus ensure a good level of accent lighting.

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Alibabig

Living room

The living room is the most important common area: it brings together the family in moments of relaxation and conviviality and is also the place where guests are received and accommodated. Therefore, this area needs an elegant lighting solution suitable for any occasion and activity.

Here, too, a chandelier is suitable to illuminate what is generally a large space and provide ambient lighting, creating a focal point of impact in the hall. In this regard, you might be interested in a suspension lamp like Snoob: an example of tradition that is renewed and simplified to the max.

The significant dimensions that recall past chandeliers and clean lines blend together, giving birth to Snoob. A lamp that furnishes without oppressing, blending perfectly with its environment.

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Snoob

Under-stair cupboard and storage closet

Often storage closets and under-stair cupboards are dimly lit and "forgotten" when designing decorative home lighting. But even these small, less visible corners need light.

Even recessed spotlights with motion sensors could be a practical solution, reducing electricity consumption.

Kitchen

The kitchen is used for various activities and can house one or more lighting solutions.

In this area, there are workstations and tables for the preparation and consumption of food, so you need lamps that can provide optimal gradations of ambient lighting, accent lighting and above all task lighting. The goal is to be able to work comfortably under a suitable light experiencing this environment fully.

 

ALI E BABA2 decorative home lighting

Alì e Babà

If the hob is located on a small island in the middle of the kitchen, suspension lamps would be able to provide the light needed to carry out activities safely. Always remember to consider the ceiling height for this type of solution.

 

Lunchroom

You need the right sized lamp to illuminate a dining room and create a fresh and cheerful atmosphere.

Use a type of decorative lighting that illuminates the main areas with imagination and originality, such as the Ceraunavolta suspension lamp: picturesque and unique in shape, enriched with transparent blown glass lamp shades or in the colour Tiffany.

This composition grabs the eye, captivates and gives new colour and dynamics to the room. It is suitable for lighting tables and shelves around which different activities take place and gather more people; it covers the room with a soft and warm glow and adapts to any height.

GANGSTER

Gangster

Stairs and corridors

The lighting for stairs and corridors is often overlooked. These are essential areas of passage that require decorative lighting that guarantees security and freedom of movement.

On the sides of the stairs, you could install recessed lights to illuminate the steps and easily facilitate the path even at night. This solution could also be suitable for corridors.

Or you could think of an alternate arrangement along the walls, for example, appliqués. Déjà-Vu , also available as an appliqué, could be a possible solution to illuminate the corridors with a touch of originality. The sobriety of white, the particularity of floral decorations, the natural simplicity of linen: Déja-Vu is a refined and timeless lamp.

Bedroom

Bedrooms are an expression of intimacy and privacy. For this, you should choose lamps that remain faithful to the atmosphere of relaxation and tranquillity of the room.

In this case, dimmable ceiling lights (whose adjustment remains at the discretion of those who use the bedroom) positioned above the bed could provide different degrees of ambient lighting. Here is an example: Notredame.

 

NOTREDAME decorative home lighting

Notredame

Do not forget that, in this room, you need a good level of task lighting to ensure that other activities can be done, such as reading a book or simply being able to change with ease. Place wall lamps on the sides of the bed, or table lamps on the bedside tables, which will give functionality to the spaces.

Walk-in closet

This particular room, used for choosing clothing, requires a practical and effective type of lighting.

Recessed lamps or spotlights that can be oriented towards the wardrobes could be effective solutions for this corner of the home, as it guarantees direct light and excellent visibility, allowing you to change comfortably and select clothes with ease.

Children’s room

The children’s bedroom needs more levels of lighting. Start by installing a lamp to provide ambient lighting at the centre of the ceiling.

Next, focus on the stations for activities. Children spend hours writing, reading and studying in this room, so you should install appropriate lamps to ensure an optimal degree of task lighting in specific areas of the room.

 

tivedo decorative home lighting

Ti Vedo

In order to carry out more activities, easily and undisturbed, it is necessary to provide light to every area of interest. So place table lamps or a floor lamp on either side of the desk or recessed spotlights oriented towards the bookshelves.

Study

Many hours are also devoted to reading and writing in this room. Beyond creating the right functionality, you should use a light source that will infuse a pleasant feeling of comfort.

Working well and in total relaxation and creating the right atmosphere for this purpose is essential.

You can use table lamps to light up the desk and workstations. As for the ambient lighting, in this case, you could use a suspension lamp with a more straightforward and conventional look.

Do not forget to let in natural light during the day, to give a lighter and fresher look to the rooms used for study and work.

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Sibilla

Bathroom

Functionality is the keyword when it comes to illuminating this space. The bathroom is often used during the day and here, too, being able to prepare yourself comfortably is essential. For this reason, the light levels must guarantee a highly functional lighting effect.

 

Cell 2 decorative home lighting

Cell

Include task lighting levels in this space too and place lamps on or on the sides of the mirror. As for lighting up the room, choose lamps that can give light to the room and maintain an intimate and relaxing atmosphere. In this case, ceiling lights or s mall suspension lamps will be fine.

Outdoor

The general plan of decorative home lighting should also include the search for solutions that are suitable for outdoor spaces.

As well as for indoor lighting, outdoor lighting is installed with a specific objective: to enhance the exterior image of the home and, in this case, to illuminate it in a practical way, to make it easily visible from the outside.

To guarantee multiple levels of lighting around the home you could start by setting up floor lamps for accent lighting around the walls or even in the garden, near plants and flowerbeds.

Being outdoors and experiencing the outdoor spaces of a home is an exciting and enjoyable experience. Professionals know how fundamental external lighting is and recognise the central role that light plays in providing an intimate and enchanting appearance.

Using lamps suitable for the outdoors, relaxing moments spent in the open air will be even more pleasant.

It is necessary to be able to move easily and safely outdoors during the day and at night above all. For gardens and courtyards, you could use floor lamps to create paths and fix reference points scattered visibly to illuminate and surround paths, stairways and the edges of the pool, for example.

Other lighting solutions could be useful to give light to the external areas of the home: lines of LED lamps that hang from the trees or above the table or, why not, hidden floor lamps between plants and bushes to catch the eye and play with more light sources scattered outside.

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Xana

Provide decorative home lighting: a place, varied atmospheres

The range of possible choices for the most suitable decorative lighting home solution is surprisingly broad.

When it comes to lighting a home, one is free to use fantasy in all its forms, while still having a certain regard for the most functional and practical lighting methods.

Every corner of the home has a specific purpose and is used for certain activities, so selecting suitable lamps able to provide lighting levels in every room is the key to a successful and well-made lighting project.

Creating different moods with the lights, to express an idea of lighting and style that will make the home a unique and inimitable place is not simple. But reflecting on the type of impression that you want to leave in the memories of visitors will help you get started on the right foot in designing the project.

During the design of the decorative home lighting system, the main objective is to give personality and enhance the image of the home, making a statement of style through each lamp that will adorn the indoor and outdoor spaces.

All this will make a simple visit inside and outside the home an unforgettable visual experience.

 

 

For more information, support and assistance in correctly choosing the right impact of the lamps models for the home you are designing, do not hesitate to contact us at this link. We are at your complete disposal.

Camilla Rossi

AUTHOR

Camilla Rossi

WHO WE ARE

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Karman, an Italian company, was founded in 2005 in Fossombrone. The company's world moves itself with simplicity towards an original and personal decorative use of lighting in both private surroundings and public spaces.

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