Classic or contemporary? How wall lighting can complete a decor themeBy Angelica Malin
While you might have a general idea of how you would like your home – or a particular room of it – to look, you might remain none the wiser as to how you can make your vision a reality. After all, you might not exactly have the same eye for detail as an experienced interior designer.
However, as you experiment with different pieces, you could soon realise that the little touches go a surprisingly long way. One good case in point is wall lighting, as we will elaborate…
Here’s how you can start experimenting
Of course, when we say “experimenting”, we don’t necessarily mean repeatedly attaching and then unscrewing different decor pieces to see what looks most good where. Instead, you could heed Saga‘s advice that you assemble a mood board.
Start by bringing a large stack of interior design magazines and then, from those, cutting or tearing images of rooms, colours, fabrics, furniture and accessories you particularly like. Then, on a large cardboard or paper piece, move those cuttings around and get rid of what doesn’t work.
Should you go for a classic or contemporary look? It doesn’t have to be a case of just one or the other. The best design could be one reflecting you and your interests and passions, wherever on the classic-to-contemporary spectrum they may happen to lie.
Approach matters carefully to avoid a “jumble-sale” look
In assembling the different elements, you don’t want the room to look as though you have simply thrown all manner of items in there. Instead, you want that room to come across like it has evolved organically, even if it remains a mix of old and new.
Therefore, you should carefully group items by theme, colour or print while clearing clutter. After all, as your home’s lighting naturally changes during the day, the clutter would show up and be unsightly. On the subject of lighting, how could you cleverly add artificial lighting?
The lighting’s on the wall
If some corners of your home seem to descend into darkness occasionally, you could illuminate those corners by adding wall lights. While exactly how you should use wall lights can depend on the room in question, they can work well in various places and for completing different styles.
For example, in the kitchen, wall lights can be used for supplementing ceiling spotlights, says Real Homes. Those ceiling spotlights could be of the directional variety and used for illuminating work surfaces as well as the cooker and sink area.
What if you are giving your bathroom a makeover instead? You could attach wall lights around the sink. Ideal Home shows how, around a period-style sink, you can put up retro wall lights alongside vintage mirrors to make a statement wash space high in both practicality and visual appeal.
Key to the attraction of wall lighting is that you can buy it in a broad range of styles. Pagazzi is one example of a great online retailer to consider if you want to purchase some great wall lights.