Making big changes with little lighting updates

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Sometimes making big changes with little lighting updates creates huge drama

Looking for a way to change up the look of your home and a complete remodel isn?t in the plans? Then consider changing or adding new lighting, an easy update for any home. Here are some ideas to add or change the lighting where you live.

Living Room

This room highlights your personality and tastes and it is one of the primary rooms that people use to host visitors. Change it up by adding a floor lamp with multiple arms and lights. This way, you can shine light where you want it, whether it?s to showcase art or to make reading easier.

Add some mood lighting with smaller table lamps. These lights can be tucked into corners or put on the floor behind furniture. Then add a colored light bulb and you?re well on your way to setting the perfect mood.

If you can attach fixtures to the walls, new sconces make a big change to the overall look of a room, especially if the style compliments your decorating theme. For instance, if you have the American Southwest well represented in your room, a sconce shade painted in southwest desert colors would be perfect.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a room where you can have lots of fun with lighting. Consider a new chandelier over the island or breakfast nook to make a dramatic statement everyone will notice.

Or, if you?d like a more subtle look, add lights underneath your upper cabinets. Not only will preparing meals be easier with more lighting, it looks great in the evening the other kitchen lights are off. Cabinets with clear doors or no doors at all are another opportunity. A soft glow from inside the cabinet can show off plates or glassware.

For the holidays, add colored lights to turn up the holiday cheer.

Bedroom

Economically update the look of your bedroom with minor changes to the existing lighting. If there is a ceiling fan with lights, replace the glass shades. Compliment the room d?cor with a shade in a similar or complimentary color. For instance, if a range of browns and tans dominate the design theme, consider adding a shade in a pale green or burnt orange.

Prefer the look of clear glass? Then perhaps a shade that is made with bubbles in the glass would work for you. This same approach can be taken with free standing lamps, wall and ceiling fixtures. Replacing the shade or sconce cover adds new life to the room and will reflect light in a different way.

Take it outside

Lighting is just as important outside the house as it is on the inside. Swapping out old porch lights for new ones is a great way to change the way visitors see your house. It also gives you the opportunity to put up a fixture that is more energy efficient than the old one.

Options such as light sensors and timers are popular and available on many models. These options turn the lights on and off automatically, saving money compared to leaving them on all the time.

If you like the idea of using no electricity at all, solar lights are a way to add some unexpected lighting around your house. You can spotlight plants or lawn d?cor, light up a walking path or simply brighten up dark areas. If you have a problem with small animals, such as opossums or skunks, the additional light will help keep them away.

There are many ways to freshen the look of your home with lighting. Be willing to try many options for that perfect ? and sometimes unexpected look.

If you?re not sure how a particular light or shade will work in your d?cor, buy from a retailer that offers easy returns. This is a great way to try out several options without being stuck with lights that don?t work well in your home. With a little creativity, you?re sure to find the next bright idea for your home.