19 Secrets for Getting Good Lighting in Every Spot Around Your Home

Nothing makes or breaks a room quite like lighting. It changes the mood, sets the ambiance, and can help define spaces like living and dining rooms or nooks and kitchens, particularly in open-concept layouts. Plus, why settle for bad lighting when the fun, functional options out there are endless?

If your spaces are looking less than brilliant, take a few of these tips with you the next time you shop for a new lighting fixture or try to reconfigure your lighting situation in any part of your home.

All Around the House

These tips can be applied to most rooms in your home and will help you get a sense of what to look for when you’re shopping for new lighting fixtures and installing them in your space. In general, it’s best to:

• Include at least three sources of light in each room: General lighting (overhead or pendant), Specific lighting (task or table), and Ambient lighting (sconces, candles, or decorative).
• Maximize natural light by keeping your windows clean—it’s cheap, simple, and really does make a difference.
• Choose the right shade for your fixtures: White shades let more light pass through but can create a colder tone, while colored shades will tint light, making it appear creamier, warmer, or cooler, depending on the hue you choose.
• Incorporate reflective surfaces into your home; mirrors, glossy floors, and metallic finishes will bounce light around a room.
• Swap in more decorative lighting for builder-grade fixtures to change the look of your room.