Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lighting Finale!

Alright, so you have patiently waited for the ending of this series so you can get some great lighting tips and tricks for your home. You have looked at a few of my favorite types of lighting and perhaps thought of a few of your personal favorites. Your wait is now over-the last post in this series has arrived and as Abigail would say...Ta Da!

1. Mirror it up!

You've heard it before I am sure, but adding mirrors to a space helps to reflect light which in turn makes the room appear larger and brighter. For optimal light reflection place the mirror opposite a window.



Ballard Designs

 
2. White is your friend!

Did you know that the most reflective paint color is white? When looking to brighten a space in your home, choosing white or off- white will help to reflect light in your room so those spaces with poor lighting conditions or little to no natural light will seem more spacious.


                                                        Apartment Therapy


                                                                Elle Decor


3. Virtually anything is reusable!

You can turn basically anything into a lamp and include it into your decor. You need an electrical wiring kit that you can find at a hardware store and a container that suits your fancy.


                                                               Pottery Barn


4. Dimmers are a must!

I would put a dimmer switch on every light in my house if left to my own devices! If you can only put one light on a dimmer in your home I would recommend your dining room. Lights that have the ability to dim really help to set the mood for your entertaining and quite frankly who wants a florescent light glaring down on them?!


                                                          Sarah Richardson


Lighting Types

General Lighting: This type of light is your main lighting source in the room and may be in the form of a chandelier, flush mount light or recessed lighting. Quite often this type of light is on a dimmer so you can increase or decrease the intensity of the light.

den  family room

                                         Houzz

Accent Lighting: You quite often will see this type of lighting used to highlight a valued piece of artwork, a vignette in a room or mounted in cabinetry to highlight prized collectibles.

Stairs contemporary staircase

                      Houzz

Task Lighting: This type of light is used throughout the home in various ways such as a table lamp on a bedside table, a desk lamp with a manipulative arm to place light precisely where needed or in the kitchen in the form of pendant lighting over an island.

White Kitchen Black Island traditional kitchen

                                  Houzz 

I hope that you have learned some new info with this series and have really given thought to the lighting conditions in your home. Remember that it doesn't have to be expensive and labour intensive to brighten your space. A well lit space is not only a more pleasurable one to be in but it is also a safer one to work and relax in.








Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It's All About The Sconces and Floor Lamps Baby!

Howdy friend! Hope you are having a great week so far! Today's post is part 3 of my 4 part lighting series ( check out part 1 here and part 2 here). This post is going to focus two different styles of lighting - floor lamps, and sconces.

A good floor lamp is really an item every home should own. They are so versatile in decor as well as function. Check out a few of my favorites below.

 Pottery Barn


Pottery Barn

Ballard Designs

Sconces have come back in a huge way! They are being used in bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms- all over the home! Here are a few personal favorites.


 Pottery Barn

 Pottery Barn

Overstock.com

Stop by next week for the conclusion of the series and lots of lighting tips and tricks to help make your home a bit brighter!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Pendant Crazy!

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend! It rained here all weekend-hopefully the rest of this week brings us some great weather!

Anywho, this is the second of my 4 part series on lighting. Didn't read post numero uno? Check it out here.

Pendant lighting is a great source of light that really fuses two elements together - decor and task lighting. The Rustic School House is an open concept home and we chose two pendant lights for over our island in the kitchen. They illuminate the island and they look great in the space. In my view that is what a great light in any style is all about-design and illumination.

Check out a few of my faves.


Home Depot


Home Depot


Home Depot


Pottery Barn


Pottery Barn


Ballard Designs

Aren't these great lights? Do you use pendant lights in your home? What's your favorite pendant light?



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Eye Candy!

Hi friend, hope you are a having a fabulous day in your neck of the woods.

This is the first of a 4 part series I am writing on lighting. Lighting is one of the most important elements in good decorating and design. Good lighting can really change the mood of a room and how it is perceived by yourself and your guests.

During the month of November I am going to be posting pics of different types of lighting for your home. At the end of the series I am going to write tips and tricks to help you have the best light possible in your home.

The first of the series is table lamps. There are so many beautiful designs on the market today that fit basically any decor and budget. In many cases you can buy the lamp base and shade separately so you can mix and match to your preference!

I love a good looking lamp! I wanted to share a few of my personal favorites with you today, so grab a cup of tea sit back and enjoy the eye candy!



pottery barn

pottery barn

ballard designs

ballard designs

sears


 overstock.com


Do you like any of the above pictured lamps? Do you have a favorite that you think I might like? Let me know! I'd love to see them.