Lighting Tips for the Holidays
With the holidays coming up, you will want to create the perfect atmosphere for your friends and family to enjoy your home – a place where they will want to gather and feel comfortable. The best way to do this is to use inviting and ambient lighting. At Lighting Distinctions we can help you to furnish your house with the ideal settings for any holiday occasion.One of the newer products is Light Charm holiday ornaments and crystals that magnetically attach to your light fixtures and create great decorative accents to other accessories. These are a quick and easy way to infuse seasonal charm into your home. The magnet easily clicks onto chandeliers or iron-based fixtures and can support one pound of weight, eliminating the possibility of damage from drilling or wires.
With the right type of chandelier, pendant or lamp you can create appealing and attractive lighting in each room in your home. You’ll want to create a flattering glow but still be able to see what you’re doing and enjoy conversations. One of our consultants can help you make the right decision.
The dining room is where you’ll congregate for festive meals so you want to make the table the brightest spot in the room and draw attention to the delicious spread. Chandeliers and pendants are perfect for this as they will draw the eye to the table. Be sure to limit the wattage to 100.Indirect lighting is best in other parts of the room and creates a relaxing atmosphere with a subtle glow. Table lamps on a sideboard or sconces on the wall are recommended as are battery-powered votives placed in a glass-front cabinet.
After a hearty meal you’ll want to retire to the living room and unwind. In this room it is best to light three or four corners and focus a light on a particular focal point like a painting or chair. A combination of floor and table lamps can be used and you can mix downward and upward glows to get the lighting just right. You’ll also want to allow for reading in as many seats as you can and this can be done with down-glowing lamps on three-way switches. You can also put overhead fixtures on a dimmer to create a comfy atmosphere.
Naturally the kitchen will see much action during the holidays so focus on some overhead lighting that can be placed on a dimmer – that way you can increase the light while cooking and dim lighting when not in use to create a gentle glow. Lower sources like LEDs can be added to illuminate counter tops and pedants, table lamps and under cabinet lights are always ideal for the kitchen.Guests will want to use your bathroom to freshen up and reapply make up. You’ll also want them to feel their best, so use sidelights like sconces around a mirror and overhead lights to fill in shadows and illuminate the room fully.
If you’re having guests stay over for the festive season, be sure to create a cozy bedroom atmosphere with reading lamps on either side of the bed and angle track fixtures away from the bed towards a dressing area. You could place a small lamp with a low wattage blub on a low table to mimic candlelight and create the perfect ambiance to the end of a festive day.
