Using the proper lighting can make any apartment or home appear stylish and elegant. Lighting can be utilized by focusing attention on certain elements withing the home or focal points within a room. It can accent the outdoors or illuminate the indoors. If you are looking to provide a warmer glow in your home with lighting, use the options below to enhance the mood.
A great way to add atmosphere to any room is to install dimmer switches on the wall. These are a great way to save energy and set the perfect lighting for any occasion. Dimmer switches do not work well with the new CFL bulbs, so you will have to use standard incandescent bulbs in the fixtures. You will still save money because these bulbs will not be using their maximum power at all times.
Another great way to add creativity to your lighting is to have all lighting higher than waist level. Any lamps or fixtures need to be on surfaces that are above the waist. Using wall sconces, track lighting or floor lamps are great ways to achieve this.
You may want areas of your home to feel cooler. You can achieve this by using blush and pastel colored light bulbs. They create a unique atmosphere that is calming and enjoyable. They are not the best bulbs for reading or doing work, but for a relaxed atmosphere, they are excellent.
A great way to focus the attention on objects or add an accent to areas is to use directional lighting. There are great fixtures available that can be used as both spotlights and as floods. Many of them use low wattage high output LED's and can be installed to any standard outlet. Some even run on rechargeable batteries so running a new power line is not required.
The finish you choose on your lighting fixtures is a great way to add glamor and a modern feel to your rooms. You can choose one of the many metallic finishes for a modern feel or painted classics to make your rooms feel more contemporary. Your lampshades can also be an excellent way to accent the fixtures used in your rooms.
After you are done with the lighting inside your home, do not forget the outside. There are so many options available to accent the outside of your home with spectacular results. You might want to consider solar powered lighting. These lights have become much brighter since coming on the market about 10 years ago so they are now a viable option. The solar spotlights are not quite up to par with standard low voltage spotlights, so if you have areas that you would like to highlight and accent, low voltage is the way to go in these areas.
It does not matter if you decide on new lamps, fixtures or even the color of the bulb, you can quickly enhance any area of your home with new lighting. Many lighting projects are inexpensive and can be done without a professional electrician.