What Are Lighting Schemes?
Excellent light quality enhances the look of even the dullest room. For example, it’s true that you can spruce up an outdated guest bedroom with ample window light and some modern lighting fixtures. In 2020, 88% of people used their personal style when picking out the lighting in their home. This means that personal style outweighed factors like current decor trends and energy efficiency. When it comes to the lighting in your home, you’ll certainly want the lighting scheme of each room to mingle with your personal style.
Light: More Than a Visual
When choosing efficient lighting for your home, consider the room in which lighting will be placed or adjusted. For example, rooms with wood paneling and variegated carpeting can be difficult to style. For whatever reason, your grandparents or family members chose to keep their home's aesthetics very dated before turning it over to family. The good news is that with efficient modern lighting and proper fixture placement, you can spruce up this outdated room in no time. Bedrooms that mimic this outdated appearance may have drop ceilings with various textured tiles. In any case, to save money on renovations, proper lighting in these rooms can dramatically change the appearance of the room. Adding fashionable lighting accessories to your home can give it the boost you're looking for, without the hefty expense of renovation.
Lighting Schemes for Your Home
Whether you have a room in mind to update or not, it's important to figure out your lighting scheme in advance. Your kitchen, for example, is a gathering place for guests and family. The kitchen is where you prep food and cook, so ample lighting is top priority in this part of your home. Each room in your home has to serve a purpose. In places like Colorado, the lighting during the winter can be dull and dim. Your home may be located in a geographical area which makes certain portions of the house look a little dimmer and gray during the winter months, so it’s imperative to choose a lighting scheme that brightens the room, even during those “off seasons.” There are 5 types of lighting schemes to consider before shopping at a designer lights Denver Co. location. Efficient lighting schemes are based on downward and upward proportions. In no particular order, the first scheme is classified as semi-indirect lighting which throws 60-90% upward while the rest of the light is diffused off of other elements in the room. Next is what we know as direct lighting, which means that 90%-100% of the lighting will be directed towards an object, such as with street lamps and some industrial lighting. Semi-direct lighting uses deflectors that diffuse 60-90% of the light, while the rest of the light highlights the walls and ceilings. Lastly, diffused lighting offers light to surrounding areas by using shapely fixtures to give a systematic appearance to your room.
Keeping the Light On
You should choose a lighting scheme that best suits the style and function of that room. Aim for color contrasts by layering lights and mixing a variety of fixtures to enhance the appearance. Cabinet lighting is becoming popular in kitchens these days because they add just the right amount of light to your countertops. Pendant lighting is an easy way to decorate and add depth and style to your home, dining room, living area, and kitchen. Pendant lighting offers warm illumination, and can be adjusted to fit the style of your room.
Design possibilities are endless when it comes to your lighting scheme. Galleria Lighting provides exceptional lighting to complete your home's theme. Stop by our designer lights Denver Co. showroom to view our student selections of pendants, chandeliers, and more.
10 Ways to Transform Your Space with Floor Lamps
Floor lamps are the secret to transforming the look, feel, and comfort of your space.
Floor lamps are an essential component of any well-lit room, and they have a massive impact on the overall look and feel of your home. Light your space, elevate your style, and indulge in comfort with these ten tips for selecting the right floor lamps for your home.
Brighten up the corners.
Illuminate dark corners with attractive floor lamps! Corner-hugging floor lamps are excellent for brightening up rooms with existing ceiling light (pendants, chandeliers, etc.), or if you want to keep things tidy and out of high-traffic areas. And, if they are the only source of light in your room (note: we rarely suggest that floor lamps be your single light source), placing a floor lamp in each corner ensures efficient lighting.

Cozy up to sofas and chairs.
If you’re lighting a furniture grouping that includes a sofa and chairs or illuminating a single reading chair, well-lit seating arrangements make for a comfortable, functional, and welcoming space. And for our cord-management obsessed customers, placing floor lamps next to sofas and chairs makes it easier to conceal unsightly cables (and minimizes tripping hazards). Depending on the way you plan to use the seating areas, you can select floor lamp styles that provide ambient light (like a Torchiere) or a lamp that features a downward shade for direct illumination.

Shed light on attractive elements.
We like to use floor lamps to accentuate architectural details, accent chairs, or a coffee table. Here’s how to do it: place an arc floor lamp with a downward shade next to a piece of furniture or decorative feature for direct illumination. The lamp base can rest in the corner or by a sofa (instead of a side table), allowing you to position the shade to highlight attractive decorative elements.

Add jewelry to your room’s decor.
Floor (and table) lamps are the jewelry of your room. And you need to select the right pieces to complement the rest of your rooms furnishings, art, overall theme or vibe, and architectural features. When choosing floor lamps for every room in your home, consider the interior style you’re after. Is it modern? Traditional? Are you skillful at mixing design styles?

Be a sleek minimalist.
Modern and contemporary interiors benefit from simplistic floor lamps that are lofty and streamlined, with drum shades, slim bases, and matte black metals and hardware. Attractive and elegant minimalist interiors have the perfect mixture of lighting to add comfort to what might otherwise be a sparse and cold room.

Tapered and timeless.
Floor lamps featuring tapered shades mix perfectly with traditional interiors and have an irresistible timeless appeal. A little timeless glamour goes a long way. And, for something unexpected, try using a more conventional floor lamp in a contemporary space.

Let’s talk about your flair.
Floor lamps with interesting shades are perfect for adding color and glamour to your room! Look for floor lamps that feature shades with bold patterns and textures, or even beads or tassels if you’re going for a bohemian vibe.

Don’t forget to coordinate.
Coordinate the floor lamps in your room with all of its surrounding pieces. Select shades that are similar in shape to the light itself, and if you are working with a floor lamp featuring a square base, use a square or rectangular lampshade. Catch our drift?

Play with scale.
Like anything else in interior design, you need to be aware of scale. Make sure your selected floor lamps are appropriate for the room and where they are placed. Small lights look out of place in an expansive room, and an oversized floor lamp can dwarf a small room and make it feel claustrophobic. There’s an art to playing with scale in lighting design, and we can help you get it right.

Select the right lamp for the job.
Make sure the floor lamps you select for each room are up for the job. Think about how you use the space and your goals and pick the lights best suited for those needs. For example, if you don’t intend to read in the area, there’s no reason to select a floor lamp with downward and direct lighting; instead, opt for a lamp that directs light upward to provide overall room illumination.
When the right combination of lighting is missing, even the most well-designed space feels incomplete. Each room in your home needs a mixture of task lighting, accent lighting, and general lighting to set the right tone and provide efficient illumination. Floor lamps fall under the category of task lighting. And since floor lamps play both a decorative and practical role in a space, they are the workhorse of your layered lighting plan. You need to consider shape, style, size, texture, and material when selecting the right combination of floor lamps for your Colorado home, and if you’re struggling, we’re here to help!

Visit or call one of our two metro-Denver lighting showrooms to work with a Galleria lighting consultant.
Attractive Wall Lighting Options for Colorado Homeowners
Wall lighting offers efficient illumination and style, and for most fixtures, installation is a breeze. Here are six attractive wall lighting solutions for the design-savvy Colorado homeowner.
If you’re looking for additional sources of light in your Colorado home, one of the best ways to brighten things up is with wall lighting.
Wall lighting creates a unique pattern on the walls of your home, and because they’re installed against the wall, the fixtures are great for task lighting in bathrooms and as reading lamps in living spaces. Also, wall lighting produces soft, ambient light that reflects off ceilings, floors, and walls.
If you’re a Colorado homeowner looking to add a touch of elegance, style, and functionality to your home, nothing enlivens a room like the perfect selection of wall lighting
Countless wall lighting options are perfect for Colorado homeowners. Here are just six.
Denton One Light Pendant (Hinkley)
Vintage warmth meets modern minimalism in the Denton collection from Hinkley Lighting. The Denton wall pendant gives your living space a touch of industrial cool. And, the textural contrast with rust wood accents, delivers a fresh take on the popular modern farmhouse style.
Circuit Collection LED Wall Sconce (ET2)
The Circuit Collection LED wall sconce from ET2 features round acrylic disks that glow when illuminated. We love the modern and elegant design in a matte white finish with metallic gold accents, and the best part? Each disc swivels, allowing you to control the direction of light for the perfect balance of style and function.
Bowery Collection LED Wall Sconce
The Bowery LED wall sconce from Fredrick Raymond draws inspiration from kinetic artistry reminiscent of mid-20th-century free-moving mobiles (like Alexander Calder’s). The contemporary LED sconce features pivoting arms and shades in a dramatic matte black finish for maximum visual impact.
Jane Two Light Wall Sconce (Generation Lighting)
The Jane collection wall sconce in matte white from Generation Lighting gives your room a touch of Scandinavian modern style. The retro-inspired collection features a luxe two-tone finish, and adjustable shades and swivel arms that add dimension and drama to every space.
Ren One Light Wall Sconce (Hinkley Lighting)
The Ren collection from Hinkley Lighting draws inspiration from a vintage object found by Hinkley’s founder that their talented design team reinterpreted in a striking sculptural fixture. Matte black pods with tantalizing interiors of luminous gold cradle a glowing globe of light for a stunning statement in your Colorado home.
Owen Wall Sconce (Savoy House)
The Owen Wall Sconce from Savoy House brings a tinge of elegant (and helpful) illumination to your home. Its sleek design includes an adjustable curved arm that can swing from side to side so you can direct light where it’s needed most. With a white fabric shade that provides a soft glow and an elegant brass finish, the Owen wall sconce is a Galleria customer favorite.
Lighting is the single most crucial aspect of a room’s overall design (obviously, we’re biased). Using layers of light that include a mixture of pendants, floor lamps, table lamps, and of course, wall lighting is the best way to add texture, contrast, and style to your home.
Are you a Colorado homeowner struggling to find statement lighting? We’re here for you.
Give us a call, we’re still open for curbside pickup and delivery from our Denver location!
Galleria Lighting’s Response to COVID-19
Galleria Lighting customers,
We need to make you aware of changes to our operating hours and procedures as a result of Colorado’s response to COVID-19. It is important to note that Colorado considers Galleria Lighting an essential business.
It’s our responsibility to keep our customers, employees, suppliers, and the community healthy and safe. To this end, we’ve instituted the appropriate CDC recommended sanitization and social distancing practices in our stores, at delivery and pick-up locations, and in our warehouses.
However, the situation is fluid and continues to evolve. As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our Greenwood Village Showroom and Denver Showroom locations from March 24 until April 13 (more detail below).
The Galleria Lighting Denver location (100 Rio Grande Blvd, Denver, CO 80223) remains open for curbside pick-up and deliveries, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
During this time, our reduced personnel will be focused on shipping and receiving, as well as order fulfillment. We remain open for business and can place phone orders at any time. Also, our delivery teams are still operational and delivering products every day across the Metro Area.
If you would like to place an order or check on the status of your order, please call your sales rep, reach out to 303.592.1223, or email us at sales@gallerialighting.net.
If you plan to take advantage of curbside pick-up at our Denver store, we ask that you take the appropriate measures to ensure your personal safety and that of our employees. Please call 303-592-1223 upon your arrival and we will bring your order right to your vehicle.
The health and safety of our community, employees, customers, and partners is our top priority. For this reason, we are adhering to the strict regulations of the State of Colorado and the CDC and will update you on details and changes as they occur.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.
-Galleria Lighting
15 Floor Lamps that will Make You Want to Redesign Your Space
Fifteen swoon-worthy floor lamps, you’ll want to design your entire room around.
Lighting is usually an afterthought in interior design. People start with the basics - rug, sofa, cocktail table - pieces you think have the most significant visual impact, but when you stand back, the room is still missing something. That’s where lighting comes in - intentional lighting in just the right places, elevates the look and feel of your space.
Experts believe that illumination effects how you perceive (and feel about) your home. Bad lighting creates harsh shadows and makes even the largest of rooms feel small. In contrast, great light helps the eye travel around the space and highlights its best features, making the room feel spacious.
Lighting needs to be the focal point of your interior design plan. And the hardworking floor lamp is your most significant asset. Floor lamps illuminate hard-to-reach areas and ooze visual interest.
We polled our team for their (and our customers) top floor lamp picks. Here are their fifteen favorites:
Anderson Floor Lamp (Adesso Home)
The deceptively simple Anderson Floor Lamp from Adesso Home marries smart design with subtle natural details (black marble base), for a timeless solution. Three brushed steel poles extend through an elegant white fabric shade to create an appealing silhouette. It’s the perfect starting point for a sophisticated and minimalist interior.
Newton LED Torchiere (Adesso Home)
The Newton LED Torchiere floor lamp from Adesso Home is a sleek, mid-century inspired piece that pairs classic antique brass with a smart contemporary silhouette. A 24 Watt LED shines 2,700 lumens of bright, ambient light through a frosted glass shade to illuminate the entire room.
Industrial Elements Collection LED Floor Lamp (Elk Home)
Add a touch of Scandinavian Modern design to your living room with the matte black Industrial Elements LED floor lamp from Elk Home. The over-sized arc floor lamp includes an easily replaceable LED bulb that provides up to 800 Lumens (60-watt equivalent). We love the raw industrial vibe with a touch of edginess.
The Monette Collection One Light Floor Lamp (Uttermost)
The one light floor lamp from Uttermost’s Monette collection features a clear acrylic cylinder punctuated by nickel-plated details and thick crystal accents. The off-white and slightly stubby texture of the linen fabric shade is the subtle hint of elegance that transforms a room.
Broome Collection Arc Lamp (Adesso Home)
Increase the overhead light in your living or dining area with Adesso Home’s Broome collection arc floor lamp. The lamps’ architectural silhouette is brilliant for modern industrial settings and features a unique rough matte black finish and a warm and textured beige linen fabric shade.
Task Portable Collection – Chiseled Nickel LED Floor Lamp (George Kovacs)
The Task Portable collection LED Floor Lamp from the lighting experts at George Kovacs, is an elegant and minimalist solution for contemporary interiors. Featuring a chiseled nickel finish that is complemented by a metal shade and white acrylic diffuser, the piece is the perfect task or reading lamp for your beautiful modernist home.
Bronx Floor Lamp (Adesso Home)
A stunning veneered cherry shade is the eye-catching feature of the Bronx collection floor lamp from Adesso Home. The drum-shaped shade is highlighted with a creamy wood grain texture when lit. The warmth of this softly diffused ambient light provides an exciting contrast to three dark black oak legs, and a decorative black and white fabric covered cord hang neatly from its socket, adding to the modern aesthetic.
Adrian Collection Floor Lamp (Uttermost)
Sleek and refined, the Adrian floor lamp from Uttermost is constructed of forged steel and finished in aged gunmetal with a round white linen fabric shade. We love the contrast of shape and texture in this elegant floor lamp from the experts at Uttermost.
Capri Collection Floor Lamp (Generation Lighting)
The Capri collection two-light floor lamp from Generation Lighting offers a sophisticated look that works with virtually any style of interior design and features a slim body set into a round base that is topped with a tapered white linen shade. The aged iron finish will develop a rich patina over time.
Ivor Floor Lamp (Uttermost)
The Ivor collection floor lamp from Uttermost adds a unique textural quality to your living space with its tapered cast iron base and textured raw steel finish. We particularly love the round hardback drum shade in light beige with natural slubbing.
White Crane Floor Lamp (Elk Home)
Lighting is essential, but can it be principal? Ideal for adding balance to lofty spaces or as a focal point in smaller rooms, the White Crane floor lamp from Elk Home reaches beyond “designer light source,” using generous scale and dynamic shape to become a building block in your living room interior design. The lamp features beautifully contoured satin nickel metalwork and a chic white marble base.
Penny Floor Lamp (Generation Lighting, in partnership with Ellen DeGeneres)
Inspired by lighting in Ellen DeGeneres’s home, the Penny collection floor lamp features a timeless and mid-century-styled tripod base, with elongated legs and a white linen fabric shade that floats elegantly at the top. If it’s good enough for Ellen, it’s good enough for us!
Vera Floor Lamp (Adesso Home)
The Vera collection LED floor lamp from Adesso Home is a striking mix of industrial and elegant design, and is comprised of antique brass and white marble. 500 lumens of intense, energy-efficient dimmable LED task lighting is combined with an adjustable shade and arm for the perfect marriage of form and function. Vera’s full-spectrum LED light emulates natural daylight to ease the strain on your eyes.
Chiseled Nickel LED Floor Lamp (George Kovacs)
The chiseled nickel LED floor lamp from George Kovacs features contemporary styling and superior functionality, making it the perfect reading lamp for modern homes.
Layla Floor Lamp (Mitzi by Hudson Valley Lighting)
Featuring aged brass with black accents and fabricated from metal and concrete, the Layla floor lamp is an exercise in contrasts. We love this uniquely textured industrial modern floor lamp in loft-style interiors and ultra-contemporary homes.
Kingston Floor Lamp (Adesso Home)
A stunning mix of materials, the Kingston collection floor lamp from Adesso Home adds bohemian flair to any room. A black rattan disc houses a globe-shaped vintage-style bulb (included) for a textural and funky vibe. Walnut legs provide a sturdy foundation, and the black fabric covered cord, while visible, hangs neatly from the socket.
If you have questions about the floor lamps featured in this blog (or any others), get in touch or come see us in person!
You Should Shop at Local Lighting Stores Instead of a Big Box. Here's Why
It Would Be Best If You Shopped at Local Lighting Stores Instead of a Big Box - Here's Why
It’s tempting to shop for lamps and lighting fixtures at big-box retailers, but you shouldn’t. Read on to learn why.
National brands and big-box chains entice shoppers with their low-prices and flashy names, but the overall shopping experience comes at a cost. Before you jump at a national chain’s “good deal” on lighting, find out what they provide to customers – and what they take away.
With expansive online options and a growing number of large-scale national brands offering too good to be true pricing, it’s increasingly difficult to determine the real value of retail experience (either brick and mortar or online). Is it the product and its price tag, or is it the purchasing experience and customer service that creates value? When it comes to lighting, we’ve seen too many customers fall victim to a low price tag from a national retailer. To us, an outstanding purchasing experience with a focus on customer service creates real value.
We’re a locally-owned Colorado business with over thirty years of experience in connecting customers with lighting that completes their homes. And we offer a level of customer service, knowledge, and first-hand insight that only comes after more than two decades in the home lighting industry.
Our sales associates often help Colorado lighting customers reeling from a poor big-box experience – either online or in-person. But we’d prefer to help you avoid a potentially expensive and frustrating experience while shopping for lighting to complete your home – from the start.
Keep reading to learn five reasons you should avoid national retail brands when seeking out
the lighting for your Colorado home.
You get personalized (and exceptional) customer service.
The core of retail is customer service, and while it’s entirely possible to have a decent experience shopping with a big box lighting chain, you won’t get the same kind of passion, expertise, and attention to detail that you’ll get from a local lighting retailer.
Our team is passionate about lighting and interior design, and they enjoy helping Colorado customers create beautiful (and functional) homes. The combination of in-depth lighting knowledge and a commitment to providing an outstanding experience is what separates a local Colorado lighting store from a big box.
Shop a highly curated selection of lighting products.
Local lighting stores offer a hand-selected assortment of high-quality fixtures, lamps, bulbs, and accessories. It’s similar to a sommelier selecting beautiful wines for a fine dining restaurant.
We don’t sell anything that we wouldn’t consider for our own homes, and our assortment isn’t guided by price or vendor relationships. When you visit either of our two Denver-metro lighting showrooms (Greenwood Village and Denver), you have the opportunity to shop a lighting selection that is curated based on the unique tastes of Colorado homeowners.
Big box brands can’t say the same. Strict corporate and vendor rules guide their assortments. You’re not buying the best solution for you; you’re purchasing the best solution for the national retailer.
Fair prices from the start.
National retail lighting chains are notorious for setting high daily prices and offering occasional discounts that deceive customers. You think you’re getting an exceptional deal.
Believe us; you’re not.
Independent lighting retailers are transparent in their pricing. Daily prices are set fairly from the start, and when there is a sale, it’s a real value – not smoke and mirrors. And again, there’s value in working with passionate lighting experts trained in providing outstanding customer service.
Peace of mind.
Local Colorado lighting retailers (like us) offer customers peace of mind. There’s comfort in knowing that if there is a product issue either before or, more importantly, after the sale, you’ll be covered. We don’t sell without compromise; our team is in the lighting business because it’s their passion, and helping customers complete their Colorado homes is immensely gratifying. It’s what we love.
Support for the local community.
Local businesses create jobs – it’s that simple. A study conducted by the U.S Chamber of Commerce shows that local retailers create 75 % more jobs than big box brands. When you shop with local Colorado lighting stores, you’re supporting the community, not a corporation.
Where you shop is entirely up to you, but we think you’re better off shopping with a local Colorado lighting store instead of a national chain – you’re more than a monthly sales quota.
Please support your local lighting experts by shopping at one of our two convenient locations:
Galleria Lighting Denver
https://gallerialighting.net/denver-lighting/
Galleria Lighting – Greenwood Village
https://gallerialighting.net/galleria-lighting-showroom-greenwood-village/
10 Ways to Use Lighting to Create a More Inviting Living Room
Lighting is the key to creating a functional, inviting, and cozy living space. Here are ten ways to do it.
Living rooms are the focal point of Colorado homes. It’s where we relax after a long workday, and where families gather to watch movies and entertain friends. That’s why it’s essential to create an inviting and comfortable living room!
Not to mention that a cozy living room enhances the richness and quality of daily life, making you and your family feel happier and safer as you rest and unwind in your sanctuary.
We encourage customers to use lighting in ways to create inspiring and comfortable homes, homes that fulfill your vision of what’s beautiful. Because, adding personality, style, and function to your living room with layers of elegant lighting enhances your experience of home and improves your quality of life.
Here are ten ways to use lighting to make your living room more inviting and serene.
1. Create a feeling of warmth with ambient lighting.
Ambient lighting ricochets indirect light off the ceiling, giving your living room subtle warmth that makes people feel comfortable and relaxed.
There are different ways to create ambient light in your living room. You can install cove lighting or a cantilever detail with LED lighting inconspicuously tucked inside, or, you can place linear LED lighting atop lofty furniture pieces, like bookcases or cabinets. Many designers also install wall sconces to project upward light to achieve a comforting, warm, inviting, and serene living room.
2. Set the mood with three levels of lighting: high, medium, and low.
It’s essential to have three levels of lighting: high, particularly if your living room has unique materials like plaster or wood, or if the ceiling is vaulted; medium, which includes wall lighting; and low, including floor and table lamps.
We like to use living room up-lights to create an overall glow that acts as mood lighting. Our team also often uses recessed lights to illuminate table surfaces, art, and fireplaces.
In the mid-level area, wall sconces add a jewelry-like effect to living rooms and are your opportunity to introduce another material, like glass, metal, or fabric.
*Pro-tip: designers also frequently use wall-mounted lights in bronze or brass to create a glamorous sparkle.
3. Use table lamps and floor lamps for form and function.
Floor lamps and table lamps create layers of illumination around seating areas, like little islands of serene light in your living room. They add form and function to the room, and, from a design perspective, floor lamps and table lamps enhance visual character by allowing you to play with scale, contrast, materials, and color.
4. Create a central focal point with a sculptural pendant lamp or chandelier.
Attention-grabbing pendants and chandeliers are a perfect launching point for your comfortable and well-designed living room. Place either fixture style in the center of your space to establish a central focal point from which to design the rest of the room.
Why? Because starting with statement pieces like a chandelier or pendant lamp makes it easy to select the rest of the rooms’ lighting and furnishings. Designers use a similar approach when they pick a statement rug as the foundation of the overall room design.
5. Take control with dimmers.
Dimmers are a worthwhile investment. They allow you to set the mood for entertaining and daily life, and you can adjust light levels as day turns to night. If you are using LED’s (and you should), it’s crucial to select dimmers compatible with your selected light sources (don’t worry, we can help). Most lighting manufacturers list compatible dimmers on spec sheets and websites. And with the proliferation of smart technologies, in many instances, you can control light levels with your phone.
6. Get strategic with lamp and fixture placement.
You don’t want to blast the top of someone’s head with light, or worse, blind comfortably seated visitors with an errant bulb. Light the coffee table instead of sofas and chairs, and place sconces in areas outside of natural traffic patterns. For example, flanking the fireplace mantel or on walls where people have plenty of room to move around them.
Also, lighting should trace the perimeter of your living room. Use sconces or a continuous light strip at the ceiling’s edge to trace and anchor the room with inviting illumination.
7. Your living room lighting mantra is texture, scale, color, and shape.
Like all things interior design-related, when it comes to living room lighting, you’ll want to play around with texture, color, scale, and shape.
As we mentioned in point four, a large and dramatic pendant lamp or chandelier is the jumping-off point for the rest of the room’s lamps and fixtures. Use a large and dramatic fixture as the foundation for the remaining layers (more on layered lighting below), and play with various sizes, contrasting materials like metal, fabric, wood, and glass, and don’t overlook the importance of color.
8. It’s all about layers.
Layers of light are crucial for creating an inviting, comfortable, and functional living room, and there’s no single lamp or fixture that’s going to give you everything that’s needed to get the job done. The proper layers of ambient, accent, and task lighting brings your room to life.
Layered lighting is the key to making your living room more inviting. But getting it right isn’t as easy as placing a lamp in each corner of the room. We could write a book covering the details of layered lighting, but you’d be better of dropping by and working with our expert lighting consultants.
9. Use light to accentuate architectural features and art
Framed photos, art, and interesting architectural details add visual character to your living room and make the space uniquely yours. You should accentuate them!
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to lighting architectural features and art, but there are a few things to consider. Do you want to illuminate the art or feature directly, or have pieces live in a well-lit room? Whatever route you choose, it’s best to avoid natural light. Direct sunlight exposes paintings and photographs to UV and infrared light and causes them to fade. Position pieces away from sources of bright natural light to avoid damage.
10. More lighting isn’t’ always better.
Over-lighting is one of the most common lighting mistakes customers make in their living rooms. People gravitate toward bright spaces like moths to a flame, but in living rooms, where you want family and guests to feel comfortable and at ease, too much light is a mood killer. Be intentional in lighting your living room, and rely on a central chandelier or pendant, a few sconces, and table and floor lamps to illuminate the room.
*Pro-tip: a pendant or chandelier in the middle of a room makes a big impression; start with a remarkable fixture to design the living room around.
Colorado homeowners spend hours agonizing over the perfect seating, and days pondering the ideal shade of paint, but often overlook proper lighting. And in a room where you relax, watch television, entertain guests, and read, light serves a crucial purpose in both the style and function of the space.
Whether you realize it or not, lighting is the subtle element that changes your experience of home. The ten tips in this blog will set you on the path to creating a comfortable, beautiful, and serene living room.
Need help in creating a comfortable and inviting living room? Drop by one of our two locations and chat with a lighting specialist.
A Colorado Renter’s Guide to Lighting
Too many people think that great lighting is only for homeowners. Renters also deserve exceptional illumination, and they can have it with our simple guide to light for Colorado renters.
Colorado’s rental market is hot. The rest of the nation finally figured out that Colorado is an excellent place to live, and thousands of people rushed into our state, filling every available apartment and rental home. Fortunately, a decade-long price escalation in Colorado’s rental market leveled off toward the end of 2019. And while today’s rents aren’t exactly cheap, because of expanded apartment construction in city-close areas that were once un-trendy, there are more options and better deals.
“There are some new light-rail stations that make a case for super-easy access to downtown Denver – things that are little cheaper than what you would find in LoDo but are still in up-and-coming areas.” – David Pierce, CoStar Group
Colorado’s explosion of rental properties (and people) brings renter-specific challenges.
The lighting struggle is real for Colorado renters.
Homeowners can take advantage of every trick in the book when it comes to lighting their homes, but renters run into unique challenges. Rental properties aren’t known for statement lighting, and rental agreements don’t often allow renters to make light fixture changes or put large holes in the walls. This means that renters nearly always get apartments with uninspired and less-than-flattering light, with shadows that make even the well-rested look desperate for a nap.
Renters don’t have to settle for uninspired lighting. You can improve your rental home lighting with our Colorado renter’s guide to illumination.
1. Make the Most of table lamps and floor lamps.
Floor and table lamps are the easiest way to transform your space without worrying about losing a security deposit. And since style, color, and shade options are virtually endless, table lamps and floor lamps let you flex your design muscles.
Use a mixture of lamps in contrasting shapes, styles, colors, and materials to add visual appeal and functionality to your space. For example, place a floor lamp on one side of your sofa, and a table lamp on the opposite side (atop an end table), to amplify the functionality, comfort, and visual appeal of your room. For even more impact, we like putting lamps in unexpected places, like a kitchen or bathroom. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
2. Variety is the spice of life (and lighting).
The best living spaces feature a variety of light sources dispersed in a triangular pattern throughout the room and at different heights. We suggest that you use an array of table lamps, floor lamps, and ceiling fixtures to make your room feel more comfortable, eye-catching, and functional. And again, don’t be afraid to experiment! Beautifully designed spaces often use lighting in unexpected ways or exciting shapes and contrasting materials/finishes, to give a room that extra bit of elegance and flair.
3. Adjust track lighting.
Renters often move into a new home or apartment and leave their track lighting positioned as-is. But the easiest thing you can do to improve rental home lighting is to adjust the tracks when you move in. Aim track heads to wash walls with light or illuminate work surfaces like kitchen counters, and don’t blind your family or guests with spots awkwardly directed at seating arrangements.
4. Use adapters.
You can convert unattractive track lighting and flush-mount fixtures into hanging pendants that match your style by using adapters. Most of the standard track lighting brands sell easy-to-use pendant adapters for this purpose. Keep in mind, you might have to wire a plug to the end of your pendant’s cord, and in some instances, swag the pendant a few inches (or more) from the track and drop the cable from a plant hook (it’s easier than it sounds). Pendants draw people’s eyes away from the track and to the fixtures themselves, and the best part? When you move out, you can take your pendants with you.
5. Sconces are still an option.
Your lease probably doesn’t allow you to hardwire a wall sconce. But, assuming that you can put a few holes in the wall (that you’ll patch later), wall sconces with a standard cord and plug that need no rewiring or drilling, are still an option. If you want to hide the cable, you can use wire mold painted to match your walls, or opt for an industrial look and leave the cord visible. Either way, you’ve taken your lighting from ho-hum to cool.
6. Don’t forget about form and function.
Function is crucial when selecting lights for your rental home or apartment, but don’t forget to tie everything together for a seamless look. Your lighting is no different than any other piece of furniture, and you can use different finishes and materials, like glass, wood, metal, or concrete, to tie your fixtures into the overall aesthetic of your rental property.
7. Use the right bulbs.
Once you have your rental home or apartment lighting fixtures sorted out, you need to make sure you’ve got the correct light bulbs. Opt for LED lights, and select bulbs with a color temperature of 2700k, to give your home a flattering warm glow (flattering to both your home and your guests).
Start your smart home journey! Visit one of our two convenient metro Denver locations to speak with a smart home lighting specialist.
Easy Smart Home Lighting Tips for Security, Convenience, and Comfort
Innovative smart home lighting keeps your family comfortable and safe.
With each year, home automation systems grow more innovative and affordable. But too many homeowners don’t know that today’s smart home devices can add comfort, convenience, and security to their lifestyles and homes.
Smart home technology not only saves time and energy (both your physical strength and the power of your home), but home automation tools keep you and your loved ones safe and secure.
Turning on all your outdoor lights in the evening isn’t what smart home lighting is about. Intelligent home lighting means using the latest in lighting-specific home automation tools to efficiently illuminate and protect your home and your most valuable asset – your family.
Intelligent and automated lighting is the smart move for convenience and security.
Keep reading to learn five ways smart home lighting improves your home security and comfort.
Personal Safety
Smart home lighting prevents theft and also offers significant personal safety benefits. For example, your outdoor lights can automatically illuminate when you arrive home from work, helping you become more aware of your surroundings. And you won’t have to worry about tripping hazards on your path from the car to your door, or running over your kid’s bike left in the driveway.
Porch Pirates Beware
Smart home lighting prevents theft. Your home lighting control system lets you set rules to determine how your lighting functions. You can set a rule to ensure that the porch light not only stays on throughout the evening but that it also brightens as a person nears your front door. Responsive lighting deters trespassers from attempting a break-in or stealing an Amazon package from your front porch.
Convenience
Advancements in lighting technology make your life at home more comfortable. You can use your smartphone to control your smart lighting system while you’re away from home or resting on the sofa. Don’t feel like getting off the couch to adjust the lights before you Netflix and chill? No worries. With smart home lighting, you can set the mood without moving a muscle (aside from your fingers).
Interior Lighting
When it comes to home security, interior lighting is just as important as exterior lighting. When you’re traveling, automated smart home lighting lets you set your home’s lights to activate at specific times throughout the day to make it appear as though someone is always at home. It would be best if you didn’t have to worry about returning to a burglarized home after vacation. The only thing you should concern yourself with on vacation is what to eat.
Also, smart home lighting allows you to control your home’s illumination from a mobile device. If you forgot to set your lighting schedule before leaving for vacation, there’s no need to worry.
Enhanced Intruder Protection
Responsive lighting keeps homeowners aware of potential intruders and is an effective deterrent. Most light and smart home systems include features that allow you to control the level of illumination. And, as we mentioned in point number two of this blog, home lighting automation gives homeowners control over brightness. As an intruder nears your front door, the light grows brighter, and since intruders work under cover of darkness, sufficient illumination makes your home an unattractive target.
Smart home lighting makes managing your home’s light fixtures a snap. It also keeps you and your family safe. And opting for automated outdoor lighting adds to the curb appeal of your home and provides even more protection against unwelcomed intruders. And that’s a win for you and us.
Start your smart home journey! Visit one of our two convenient metro Denver locations to speak with a smart home lighting specialist.
The Elements of Great Lighting, Simplified
People are intimidated by the process of selecting lighting for their homes, but they don’t need to be. Here are some easy ways to simplify things.
Experienced designers know that lighting is an essential ingredient for a well-appointed room and not the afterthought many people consider it. And homeowners tempted to spend their time agonizing over floorplans and furnishings, need to remember that lighting transforms a space – not just by brightening up dark corners but also by setting the mood.
Light is powerful. The right light lifts spirits, inspires tranquility, and influences productivity. In our homes, the light brightens simple moments like our morning routines or the time we spend with family and friends
In contrast to many other lighting fixtures, wall sconces are appropriate in nearly every room in your home. From the patio to the bedroom, the entryway to the laundry room, wall-mounted workhorses elevate the style and beauty of a space.
It’s all about layers.
The consensus among designers (our team included) is that you need multiple light sources in a room. Layered illumination is essential: each room needs a mixture of lighting, including accent, task, and overhead lights.
In the living room, start by hanging a decorative ceiling fixture like a pendant or chandelier near the room’s center. From there, look to the outer edges for downlighting to gently wash walls, art, and window treatments with warm and functional illumination. You can achieve this through valance lighting, soffits, or even floor lamps that bounce light off the ceiling.
And, depending on your room’s layout, accent light can be used to accentuate artwork, with table lamps placed beside seating for an additional layer of light. The goal is to create a contrast between light at the room’s center and the perimeter and brighten the dark spaces in between. The subtle interplay between dark and light creates appeal in your living spaces.
Don’t hold back in the kitchen.
Forget ambiance; in the kitchen, it’s all about bright light.
Install recessed lights or high-hats along the edge of your kitchen ceiling to flood the space with light. And hang pendants over the island for comfortable illumination that doesn’t take up counter space. You’ll see guests without looking around a hanging fixture as long as you don’t position them too low.
Don’t forget under-cabinet lighting. Run LED light strips beneath your upper cabinets to create an evenly lighted counter space for cooking and food preparation.
Think about the orientation of your room.
North-facing rooms without direct sunlight require more thought. Spread horizontal light throughout the space by installing recessed fixtures at the perimeter of a north-facing living room with a decorative pendant at the room’s center. From there, use table lamps to illuminate dark corners and wall sconces to highlight the art or architectural features.
Use a similar strategy in dark bedrooms, combining a central hanging pendant or chandelier with subtle up-lights in the room’s corners, bedside lamps for reading, and wall sconces where it makes sense for extra style and illumination.
Get rid of lousy bathroom lighting.
Too many bathrooms use recessed fixtures over the sink that cast unflattering shadows. Instead, choose wall-mounted sconces to cast even illumination across your face in the mirror.
And create a sense of spa-like luxury and intimacy with a sculptural pendant lamp over the tub. Also, consider using LED strip lighting beneath floating shelves to cast a warm glow over your bathroom floor.
Brighten up the corners.
It’s easy to use an oversized floor lamp to brighten up an empty and dark corner. The trick, however, is finding a lamp in a finish and material that complements the surrounding space, turning your lonely corner into a polished and intentional part of the overall room design.
Go light on the overheads.
Excessive overhead lighting generates spots and undesirable shadows – use this style of lighting sparingly. Instead, hang a large chandelier or pendant in common areas, and in the kitchen use globe fixtures for even lighting that leaves countertops open. Try floor lamps and wall sconces in living rooms, and hang a sculptural centerpiece above the table to create functionality and depth in a dining room.
Use ambiance to your advantage.
A simple way to adjust the light in a room throughout the day is by using a dimmer on each fixture as opposed to replacing wall switches with a dimmer to change every light at once. And in the bedroom, use a bedside light with both a dimmer and movable shade for extra flexibility.
Choose your bulbs wisely.
For inviting and warm light, choose your bulbs carefully. Stick with a range of 2,700 to 3,000 kelvin, usually advertised as “warm white.” As you approach the upper reaches of the color-temperature range, more blue is introduced, giving your home the harsh look of a warehouse. Use bulbs advertised as “daylight” in utilitarian spaces like your garage.