It's always gratifying when a guest tells you how great your place looks. What they're really talking about is how great your home makes them feel - in other words, its ambiance. Whatever mood you want your home to communicate, cozy warmth or youthful excitement; intimacy or industry; serenity or grandeur, lighting effects have a magical way of transforming how we experience a room.
Of course, a room's size, decor, color scheme and furniture layout also play a role. But it's the lighting that pulls everything together and infuses the room with personality. The minute you walk into a room, the lighting subtly engages your senses and evokes an unconscious emotional response.
When planning lighting, you should consider both the activities the room is used for, as well as the mood you want it to convey. If you enjoy elegant entertaining in the living room, you may want to create a sense of drama and beauty with recessed lights and gracious accent lamps. A multi-functional family room requires more lighting flexibility. You may want soft, indirect lighting for a cozy evening of TV watching, bright, overhead lighting for active games and task lighting for quiet reading. Multiple moods can be achieved in the same space with the effective use of lighting.
Here are seven suggestions for how you can be creative with lightingand achieve the ambiance you're after. * Add dimmer switches to lamps, wall sconces and ceiling lightsto easily change the mood by controlling the level of illumination. * Use period-specific accent lamps to add an aura of authenticity to a style or theme. To bathe a room in a warm, soft glow, use torchiere floor lamps to reflect light off the ceiling. * Use the power of color to set a tone. Simply change the color of globes or shades on existing fixtures or use colored reflector light bulbs. * Install LED rope-lights or string-lights inside bookcases or cabinets for the soft, "candle-lit" mood of indirect lighting. * For dramatic shadows on brick or draperies, aim lighting up or down the surface to emphasize the texture, a technique known as grazing. * Use track lighting or floor lights for the wall wash lighting effect often used in trendy, loft-style apartments with high ceilings. * Spotlight areas or objects that radiate with mood such as a grouping of lush plants, sculpture or paintings, a charming curio cabinet or unique architectural detail. About the Author:
