Lighten Up! Using Lighting to Change Your Design
Using multiples of this beautiful lighting by Bobo Intriguing Objects adds additional light and drama
With the days getting shorter, it’s more important than ever to be sure that you have lots of natural and indirect lighting in your home. As a Lifestylist one of my favorite ways to keep your home feeling fresh and new is by moving things around and making changes for the seasons. We recently visited the Clayton Homes of Desoto Home Center and made some easy updates in their model homes that you can do in your own home - Here are some of our favorites.
Edison style bulbs aren't a huge light source but they are so pretty they can be used without ashade.
Change Out Your Lightbulbs Adding light to your home can be as easy as changing out your lightbulbs! The old style compact fluorescent bulbs that many of us use may have saved on energy costs, but they gave you home a pink or blue hue that really can change the feel and look of your home. Plus they contain small amounts of mercury that can be harmful to your family or pets if broken.
These LED bulbs by Sengled that we spotted at the International Builders Show can also be a speaker, security camera or wifi device!
Invest in LED Bulbs and you will immediately see a difference in how light and bright your home feels. The price has come down considerably on these, they are very energy efficient and many last for up to 30 years. I especially like investing in these for areas where it’s tough to change out bulbs.
Be sure with lamps and other lighting sources that you check out what is the max wattage that fixture is rated to use, and what size of bulb - very important to keep your home safe and to make sure you have the right bulbs when you need them.
Keeping the blinds up during the day helps flood this home with natural light
Letting in Natural Light It’s amazing how much light window treatments can keep out of a room. This might be what we want in a bedroom, but in areas where you read, work, and bake not enough light can really make a difference. A rule of thumb we use is that window treatments shouldn’t cover more than 20% of a window. You might want to pull curtains closed at night (or close the blinds), but try keeping them open during the day and take advantage of that free light source!
The Westerner model before
Color Color can play a difference as well. In the Westerner Model, this living room felt a little dark and dated with these burgundy drapes.
Moving furniture from in front of the window and changing the window treatment made all the difference in how bright this home is
We kept the drapery hardware and just changed out the drapes for a lighter pair of grommet panels we bought at a local discount store, look at the difference! We also moved around furniture, added a few lamps and now the home has an entirely new feel.
Add an Additional Lamp or Two It’s amazing how much light just one lamp can add to a room. The taller the lamp is, the more light it will introduce into a room. You also want to pay attention to the shade color - darker shades let less light into your room.
Layering Textures Warming up the feel of your home is easy to do by adding interesting pillows, adding an area rug and also putting a soft, inviting throw on a sofa or chairs. There are great looking slipcovers you can buy for your furniture that can give it a completely new look as well, and it’s much less expensive than starting over. We have different colors and textured slipcovers for our family room sofas that we change out with the seasons.
Don’t be afraid of making changes that you think might not be “correct” or what someone else might do. Your home should be a reflection of your lifestyle and what you love - if it does that it’s always the best choice. And our best advice? Have fun! Enjoy the experience and do what is right for you.
February 3, 2017