Decor & More: The Right Light

Why do you hire a designer?

With all the accessibility of products  on the internet you might ask yourself why hire a designer? Can't I do this myself?

When undertaking a large or small project it's the details that matter.

Let's look at lighting.
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Lighting is critical, and so often overlooked when planning a room.  Without the correct placement of outlets , recessed wall washers and task lighting your rooms will never look right.

Lighting is what makes a room come alive. 

It should be subtle and deliver a feeling of well being.

This involves doing a furniture plan and thinking abut all the different aspects and choices of lighting.

Walls need to be washed with light to accent pictures, as well as important cabinet pieces and architectural details like mantles, bookcases and dark areas.  They should not be the large recessed lights that give an ugly airport runway effect, but small and able to be swiveled to hit the walls at different angles.

There have been so many strides made with the small 3" recessed LED lights now that run cool and don't need bulb changing often for years at a time.

It's also important to have task lighting, lamps are a must, sconces add light at a different height and can be decorative or subtle depending on your preferences.  Chandeliers are also an element that adds layers of light.
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Having lighting sources at different heights in a room is essential.

Kitchen and bathroom lighting needs to be thought through very carefully.  

Lighting your face when you are putting on makeup, the correct height for sconces to achieve this as well as waterproof lighting in showers are essential.

Kitchens need adequate under cabinet lighting for task areas as well as hanging pendants, say over an island or kitchen table.

Recessed light should again be used to wash the cabinetry and walls.

Just putting in lines of recessed lighting is not the answer and looks harsh, down lights make people look tired and are unflattering.
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Hope this helps in making the right choice for your home project. 

Let us know what you thought and leave a comment or follow us on Instagram @dennison_dampier. 

Until next time!