Lighting by Room

Bathroom Lighting

Good lighting has the power to uplift and set your mood for the rest of the day, and since you start your mornings in the bathroom, you want to be especially careful in choosing the right lighting for this space. Consider the three-tiers of lighting: ambient, task, and accent lighting.

Your task lighting should be practical and bright enough to perform focused activities like shaving or putting on makeup. Task lighting can be achieved through one simple overhead light, or through two wall sconces, one on each side of the mirror. Avoid recessed ceiling fixtures over the mirror, as this can create unflattering shadows over your face, making your morning routine more challenging.

You also want to add ambient lighting to fill in the space with “natural” light. Add a mini chandelier or a recessed shower fixture to create a soft glow around your bathroom. For more versatility, install dimmable light bulbs, so you can adjust the ambience for the day and the night.

Accent lighting adds dimension to your bathroom. Consider recessed directional lighting to highlight any art pieces in the room. Or install rope lights at the base of your bathroom cabinets for a trendy nighttime look.

Bedroom Lighting

Your bedroom is your sanctuary, where you go to unwind from everyday life. For a tranquil atmosphere, you want to choose the proper lighting to elevate the space. But bedrooms are no longer used solely for sleeping — you read, hang out, and sometimes work in your bedroom too. As such, it’s important to layer your lighting so you can balance atmosphere and utility.

Ambient lighting can be reached through different types of ceiling lamps, chandeliers, pendants, and floor lamps. With the help of natural light, your ambient light should softly illuminate your entire room.

For reading, grooming, or working, task lights provide enough bright lighting to make any activity a possibility. Desk lamps or bedside swing-arm lights are good options to consider for focused activities. They create a cozy atmosphere and are also easy to turn on and off when you’re ready to wake or fall asleep.

As for accent lights, you can invest in recessed or track lighting to embellish certain areas of your room. You can also make use of a small desk lamp with bright light bulbs to make a statement.

Dining Room Lighting

The dining room is a special place where family and friends gather both casually and for formal occasions. This is a space where people congregate, and depending on the size of your dining room table and the number of people you expect to dine here, you’ll want to choose a statement lighting piece to widen and enliven the space.

Chandeliers are ideal for round tables, while linear lighting (such as a series of multiple pendant lights) are great for rectangular tables. Our team can help you make sure your overhead fixtures are the perfect fit for your space. Another important key to good lighting is to get a light dimmer so you can create different ambiances for different occasions.

For accent lighting, consider adding wall sconces to light up artwork you’d like to show off, or consider track lighting to direct light to a specific area of the dining room you’d like to accentuate.

Entry/Foyer Lighting

Your entryway lighting sets the tone for your guests when they take their first step inside your home. For a two-story entryway, consider a low-hanging chandelier or a two-tiered fixture to add dimension and elevate the room. For low ceilings, consider a semi-flush mount fixture to illuminate the space without making the entryway feel small. You can also add wall sconces to guide your guests’ eyes towards the rest of your home.

At Southern Lights Inc, our team is dedicated to helping you coordinate your lighting fixtures to create a cohesive aesthetic for your space. We’ll help you match your crystal chandelier with your candle holders for an elegant entryway look. For an urban-luxe aesthetic, we’ll recommend a metal chandelier with copper-tone lamps and recessed lighting for a finishing touch. Either way, you can rest assured that the lighting in your entryway will create an inviting atmosphere.

Family/Great Room Lighting

A family room, also known as a great room, has a more casual scene than a living room does. Whether you have a tighter, cozier family room with a couple of loveseats, or a great room with high ceilings and a grand piano, we have multiple lighting solutions to help you create the right atmosphere for your family space.

If your family room has an entertainment center, we recommend adding recessed lighting and a couple of table lamps next to your couches. Recessed lighting reduces the amount of glare there is on a screen. Table lamps can easily be turned on or off as needed, but they serve as great additional lighting for when you want to converse with family and friends.

Floor lamps are another lighting option to consider placing near the sitting area. Not only do they add to the aesthetic of the family room, but they also function as task lighting for reading, writing, and other focused activities. You should also consider directional track lighting or LED strip cove lighting to highlight family photos, portraits, and other artwork in the room.

Game Room Lighting

The easiest way to plan your lighting design for a game room or rec room is to segment the space into different zones, based on activity. We recommend layering different task lighting fixtures. A variety of fun activities means you should consider a variety of lighting fixtures at different intensities.

If you have a pool table, then you need a billiard or island light to showcase the table and also to light up the games without causing strain on your eyes. If you add a bar area to your game room, then consider adding a few pendant lights over the counter for a classic touch. For the entertainment area, whether you have old-fashioned arcade games or a 65” flat screen TV, you should consider indirect lighting with a dimmable option. You want to reduce the glare on your screens when you’re gaming or watching a movie.

Keep in mind that the lighting in this room will have an important effect on the gaming experience and will influence how well you and your guests socialize. Our team at Southern Lights is here to help you choose the right combination of lighting fixtures for each section of your gaming room, so you and your guests can enjoy quality time with each other, not only through gaming, but also through conversations.

Hallway Lighting

One of the hardest spaces to work with in terms of lighting design is the hallway because of its narrow space and its lack of natural lighting. Good lighting will enlarge your hallway space and make it feel bright and inviting.

The hallways are typically the space that’s most quickly forgotten. To transform high-ceiling hallways into a space you and your guests will remember, we recommend adding pendant lights. For hallways with low ceilings, a low hanging light can make the space feel claustrophobic, so we recommend flush or semi-flush mount fixtures. Space out the lighting every eight to 10 feet to keep the space lit brightly and evenly.

Use accent lighting, such as wall sconces, to create a dramatic effect in the hallway, or add track lighting to highlight different photos and artwork in the hallway. Repetition and symmetry are key to elongating and illuminating this tight space.

Kitchen Lighting

The kitchen is a place where families gather to eat, a place where friends enjoy late-night refreshments, and a place where good lighting is key to setting the standard for the rest of your home.

When planning your kitchen lighting design, consider all the surfaces where visibility is a must, as well as the surfaces that are often overshadowed. Task lighting should illuminate the surfaces where food is being prepped. You can achieve this by adding under cabinet lighting, either through LED strip lights or puck lights.

For kitchen islands, a row of pendant lights or a large chandelier should be the main focal point of the room. While you may get ample lighting during the daytime, you want to make sure you have enough lighting at night to still cook and serve meals. We recommend dimmable lights for your main fixture, so you can brighten up the kitchen surfaces as you cook, and then dim the lights down for a romantic meal afterwards.

You can also use accent lighting to draw attention to fine china in your glass cabinets, or add a small pendant over the sink for when you need to wash dishes.

Living Room Lighting

The first step to planning your living room lighting design is to consider what the space will mainly be used for. The living room hosts a variety of activities from watching TV to playing board games with friends.

For living rooms with TVs, consider recessed lighting or table lamps with shades, so as not to create glare on the screen. If your living room will be used for leisurely activities such as reading, art, or conversing with friends, then ambient table lamps won’t suffice. Look for floor reading lamps that offer the brightness you need to complete your tasks without the eye strain.

To add the finishing touch, add ambient lighting to fill in the gaps and set the mood for the space. Consider a ceiling fan, pendant, or chandelier as the centerpiece for your room.

Office/Den Lighting

When working in a home office, the lighting in your workspace can greatly influence your productivity. Although natural light is best, if you don’t have windows, or if you work late into the night, artificial lighting is especially important for your home office illumination.

You can start with adding a desk lamp for your main workspace, but that alone won’t suffice. Consider adding a central ceiling fan fixture to illuminate the office and keep it cool and breezy. Use a dimmable bulb to adjust the brightness of the room, so your eyes aren’t strained by the end of the day.

You can also add additional ambient lighting with a few table lamps around the room, to soften any harsh overhead lighting. Choose an eye-friendly bulb or shade to suit your needs. For accent lighting, use recessed cove lighting above your bookshelf, or add monorail lighting to highlight artwork or illuminate the space over your couch.

Outdoor/Patio Lighting

The right outdoor lighting creates a pleasant and safe atmosphere for decks and patios. When the weather’s nice, you want to enjoy an evening outside, or grill with family and friends, and good exterior lighting can help you enjoy those moments.

For an enclosed or covered outdoor patio, install an outdoor ceiling fan as your central lighting fixture. Add accent lights to your yard by installing walkway lights and porch fixtures. Or illuminate your trees and the exterior of your home with accent spotlights. Not only will your home feel more warm and inviting from the outside, but you’ll also feel safer knowing your property is protected after dark.