Lighting Buying Guide

This guide aims to inform you on different aspects of lighting to help you buy the right combination of lighting for your home. Each one of us has individualistic taste that reflects our lifestyle and preferences. When it comes to lighting, few of us pay attention to details, whereas a thoughtful approach can help you bring to life your very own home in ways that add drama and ambience to any space just the way you imagine....right out of the home décor books.

Start with a realistic list of the modern lighting fixtures you need.  

With lighting, you need to look beyond the trend, for you don't want to buy a fashionable lamp only to change it one year down the line. Work on the list with emphasis on,

-Interior lighting: Living room, Bathroom, Study room, Bed rooms
- Outdoor Lighting: Home & Garden Lighting

Before you decide how much you want to spend. A good lighting plan will,

• Highlight and illuminate
• Improve on poorly lit areas
• Bestow a room with desired ambiance
• Personalize and enhance safety and security

Once you have rescheduled your list and prioritized areas, you would exactly know where you stand. Maybe you are looking for complete lighting make-over or installations. Or perhaps, you would like to do it in stages, starting with the high-priority list. Here are some of the known lighting solutions, segregated for your convenience,

Ceiling

Ceiling lightingg and lights above can add a great deal of charm and elegance to a room.

Chandeliers: One of the most popular ceiling lighting, chandeliers can enhance the aesthetics of a room like few others. Traditionally arranged tastefully in the dining, chandeliers are also placed in living rooms, hall ways, entrances, and foyer and entertainment rooms. As to the ideal distance from the ceiling, ideally it should be about 32-35 inches above a table.

Ceiling fixtures: Ceiling fixtures are not just decorative; they can be used to highlight important areas in the kitchen, bathroom to the ceiling. You can find ceiling light fixtures in different shapes and sizes to fill the platter.

Pendant lights: Unlike fixed ceiling lights, pendants are hanging lights suspended from the ceiling. You can create the most interesting impressions with pendant lighting.     

Low lights: Fixed directly in the ceiling, recessed lights can be used as spotlights in all rooms.    

Track lighting: Track lighting consists of a light or series of lights mounted to a metal track. Just move, swivel, or rotate a light to suit your immediate lighting needs.

Wall Lamps

For highlights and accents, wall lights come in handy to add softer shades to a room décor. They can be practically used anywhere, from living area to bathroom. Indirect lighting decorates a wall space, and when used intelligently can offer the most intriguing combination of art and décor themes. When used in bathroom, you can highlight the areas you wish, like above a mirror, and opt for a shade to minimize the glare. There are great modern and combination wall lights available for a variety of interior settings like,

Wall-mounted fixtures: Wall sconces can be fixed to walls.  Used to highlight paintings, art work and other décor areas, they illuminate the surface of a wall and add a touch of sophistication..    

Swing-arm lamps: For study and work, swing-arm lamps offer utility and function.

Table Lamps

Table lamps, desk lamps or task lamps serve well in the study room. Used to highlight specific work areas, you get a wide variety right from architects lamps, task light, bankers lamp, dimmable and adjustable desk lamps that can swivel and swing and can be used for a variety of functions.

Floor Lamps

While buying modern floor lamps, you may want to ask a few questions,

• 1. What is the purpose of the lamp (aesthetic, functional or highlighting specific areas or a combination of all)
• 2. What is the styling theme at your home? Does the lamp compliment the theme?
• 3. What is the ideal material: Glass, steel, paper, wood, bamboo, bronze?

Types of Floor Lamps

• a) Console Floor Lamp: It is a classic design with a single pole and a glass or cloth globe.
• b) Tree lamp: Used to highlight different areas, a tree floor lamp has a central pole and have three or more branches
• c) Arc Lamps: Aesthetic and modern, it can just stand as a statement or be used to highlight specific areas
• d) Torchiere/Torch Lamps: Designed to highlight and focus on light upwards, this light offers a great ambience.

Outdoor Lamps

Outdoor lighting is equally crucial to highlight important zones for safety and security as well as to provide right amount of illumination for outdoor life. Here are some important types of lights,

Path lamps: important to highlight walking path that leads to home, the lighting is used to line up a path.     

Light lamps: Useful in patio and outdoor areas, you can hang them on the wall next to the front door, or in an open entrance, or outside the house on walls that lead to the garden.

Floodlights: You can highlight any favorite area like sitting area in the garden, or a great looking plant for outdoor theme. 

String lights: String lights are festive lights but can bring a new dimension even if you light them on a tree or a path during outdoor parties or to highlight trees and shrubs.

Lanterns: Offering an interesting contrast to modern décor, you can light up lanterns to highlight the yard, lobby, backyard, entryway, or driveway.