I know you never do this: you’re driving along through a part of town where you like the houses, whether historical district or newer builds that appeal. It’s dusk or dark, and through the unshuttered windows or open drapes (these folks obviously don’t mind you looking!) you see the happy welcoming glow of lamps and chandeliers on the walls or artwork or furniture, and it–draws you in, somehow.  It looks like a place you want to be. Welcome to your first lesson in lighting.

I’d love to share with you the four layers of effective and appealing lighting for your home. Ready? Ok, first layer is…

General Lighting

I hate to state the obvious, but the job of lighting is to illuminate, right?  So general lighting provides the overall light source for the room or area.  Ideally, it is high in the room so it can do its job casting light over the entire space. But don’t mistake “general” to mean “ho hum”!  Like this antique chandelier I had rewired for my breakfast nook, you can really make a style statement with your overhead lighting.

If, when you think of “chandelier, you think “delicate”, think again.  In my client’s motorcyle-themed loft, these industrial chandeliers with Edison bulbs are hefty in both visual weight and manly style.

In a rustic ranch estate, sure, these pendants give general lighting, but theirs is not merely a supporting role–they are (ok, I have to say it) the STARS in this dining room!

Ample windows provide plenty of natural light in the daytime, but at night this wonderful metal cage ceiling fixture takes over the task of general illumination.

(What about the lamps, you say? Well, come back tomorrow when I’ll show the three other layers of lighting in a room!)

Having trouble choosing light fixtures for your home? Let’s talk!