Day 17: Thursday, January 24
Assignment: Assess your lighting in the living room and plan improvements
Today is a bit of a breather as we hit the home stretch...just one week to go! No big chores this evening, just a little time assessing the lighting situation in your living room. Maxwell writes that "most homes are not well lit, which is a shame, because good lighting is a luxury that everyone can afford." He's right - I'm a big believer that nothing has a bigger impact (for the smallest investment) than lighting - its often the difference between a space that feels cold and dull as opposed to one that's warm and welcoming.
Today's Assignment:
• Assess your living room lighting.First up, Maxwell's guideline: a well-lit room should have at least "three unique points of light that vary from bright, concentrated light to soft ambient light".
The photo above is of my living room, illustrating just one example of a three point lighting set up. In this part of the room, the three points of (artificial) light are: a floor lamp next to the sofa, which is on a dimmer, but can set to be fairly bright and direct (for reading), a table lamp on the small side table, which is softer and a bit warmer, thanks to its silk shade and finally, ambient light which splashes across the the fireplace, coming from a simple six bulb track. Even though the track is located on the ceiling, the light is direction-able, so I can focus it down and across the wall with a few of the bulbs while specifically illuminating artwork with one or two others. It's also on a dimmer, which is rarely set higher than about 50% power.
From the Eight Step Home Cure, an explaination the concept of light flow: "When you enter a room, your eye is instinctively drawn to the light sources. Light fixtures also create warmth and visual movement all around them. A room that relies on a single fixture in the ceiling does not allow much movement and draws our gaze up away from where we live."
I'm lucky to have high ceilings in the living room, so focusing the lighting down in the lower portion of the vertical space really helps in the evenings to simultaneously make the sitting area feel more cozy and intimate, while making the (unlit) ceiling feel even higher. Because the three points are each set at a different height, but are all fairly low, it keeps your eyes moving around the space while keeping the focus on the "human scale" portion of the room.
Ok, now with all of that in mind, take a look at your current living room lighting. Think about the three points concept, as well as the quality and intensity of the lighting.
• Do you rely only on an overhead fixture? If so, a small investment in two or three lamps will make a huge difference to your room (possibly the biggest one of the whole Cure - no kidding!). Affordable options abound, both new and used (I've found some favorites at thrift stores). Aside from how much better your space will look when more evenly lit, lighting is a fun addition to the room in other ways, adding color, texture and a bit of individuality to your decor.• If you do have multiple lamps already, do you have ability to dim them? If not, this is a great starting point. Installing a dimmer wall switch for overhead or directional lighting is a fairly simple and cheap DIY (here is our step by step tutorial) and any lamp can be made dimmable instantly with a plug in cord dimmer (I use these, from IKEA - easy!).
• Finally, really consider the quality of the light - is it too cool or warm for you? What about the brightness? There is often no need for super high watt bulbs in the living room. If you don't really love the color temperature or wattage, a simple bulb swap out can do wonders. It's worth a bit of experimentation to find a favorite, especially for the lighting in your living room.
• Make note of what you need to improve your current set up and add it to your shopping list to deal with on the weekend, if possible, or ASAP afterwards.
Helpful Links:
• How To Install a Dimmer Switch
• Tips for Lighting Your Home from a Pro Designer
Liveblogging the January Cure:
• I (Do Not) Love Lamp
Go to January Cure Main Page for links to all the posts so far.
Want to officially join us? Sign up for the daily January Cure email.
Questions? Comments? Pictures? Email us about your progress at januarycure@apartmenttherapy.com
January Cure Calendar:
• Download our PDFGet the Book: Apartment Therapy's The Eight Step Home Cure by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
Follow and Tweet! The January Cure: #januarycure
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Great reminder that I need to pick up a less bright+warmer toned bulb for my new bedside lamp. And remember NOT to throw old bulbs in the trash - especially not energy-saving ones!!
ok, this is good...
I sometimes feel that we live in 2 different homes-our living room shines during daylight hours-it looks bright and fresh and energetic-a happy home-by evening, the vibe changes, and not in a nice way. What looked good hours before, now looks tired and really blah. I know that it is the lighting and always say I'll sort it out later. Thank you AT for making me look at my "laters"!!! This can only end well...
I need serious professional help with this one. I'm in a small basement apartment with few overhead fixtures and lighting it is the bane of my existence. I'm lucky to have full-sized ground level windows but the one in the living room only brings in light for an hour or so a day. There are two small spotlights in one corner of the room and that's it. I'm just totally lost as to what to do without doing any electrical work and being on a tight budget. I never thought I would say this but I just want some POT LIGHTS.
Easy! In my studio apartment there are two overhead fixtures, a gooseneck reading lamp by the daybed, one dimmable pendant over the table, a fluorescent striplight above the sink, a hi/low light built into the vent hood and a USB plug LED light in the computer armoire. As the compact fluorescent bulbs burn out I'm replacing them with LED's. Good reminder Rebecka! Must take that collection of CF bulbs (and dead batteries) back for recycling. I'll move them to the new landing strip shelf, right next to the glass milk bottles and library books. Guess it's a takeoff strip too.
Is this Maxwell's apartment in the picture? It looks like the floor lamp and table lamp are right next to each other which looks weird to me. And they are both right below a window which is also a light source. Am I missing something here?
Got this covered; so can continue to play catch up although my 'cure' simply will not be done by the end of the month - BUT great strides have been accomplished.
Short of living literally 'bare bones', no one should need to rely on overhead lighting unless showing your place at night for resale or searching for something dropped on the floor.
Hi Matilda,
No, its my apartment, not Maxwell's.
It's just one illustration of the 3 point concept, not a roadmap for all rooms - everyone will need to experiment with what works best in their space. This arrangement works well in my room, especially in the evenings when there is no natural light coming from that high window..
I made a huge mistake with a fairly expensive lamp purchase some time ago. It's my "ambient" lighting lamp, one of those lamps that arcs over the sofa. I love how the lamp looks when it's off, but it has a bright white shade the light is casts is both harsh and dim. I can't afford to replace it but if anyone has suggestions for how to warm up the light from this lamp, I would be grateful!
@Laurel: Can you replace the shade or the bulb? Those are the the two things I can think of off the top of my head. Maybe a cream or linen-colored shade will help soften the light, and if you can find a softer bulb, it will lessen the light. FWIW, I hate white lamp shades and avoid them whenever possible, because of this exact issue.
I have an arc lamp that I was initially disappointed with over the coach. The light was not pleasant. I moved it over a desk where the reflection off the hard surface really helped. I played with different basic bulbs for color and brightness till I got one I liked.
How things reflect is my challenge with two walls of windows and high ceilings. Works great in the day but just can't get enough light at night without looking like a house of lamps. Now I know my large collection of lamps is messing with my flow and will review.
I'm struggling with this one. My 1930's living room has lighting issues, but is also sorely lacking in outlets. Because the walls/ceiling are plaster and the outside of the house is stone, none can be added. The room is about 20' long -- one side has adequate lighting (two floor lamps), but the other half -- where the couch, TV, and kids' game area is -- has a single window and a single outlet, that's taken over by cords for the TV, etc. The electrician has said not to add anything more to that circuit. What have others done where lighting is needed, but outlets are lacking?
During my tidying I have rediscovered lamps that have been put away in cupboards/stored on units - I am going to use them ! I love the idea of the dimmer, something for the shopping list - my DH is loving the Cure and is downsizing the number of gadgets he has (which I am loving), and has even decided to tackle the wire issue around the TV/harddrive and the stereo/sound system. This will make me very happy - it is a no go area for me.
I have started selling some items from the Outbox on Ebay - it is a good incentive for me to keep filling the box. The proceeds are for a 'Reward' weekend away with my husband. :)
Will there be a Cure later on in the year to help and guide us to blitz our homes again?
This is an important one and a challenging one for me. My living room has two windows at one end that only get good sunlight first thing in the morning and one light fixture in the center of the ceiling. The fixture has three bulbs, but with a max of 40W, it's just not that bright. When my writers' group comes over, I notice that we're all squinting by the end of the evening. With just one outlet that's already very full, it's hard to imagine what I can do, but I will definitely try to envision a solution tonight.
Sorry Janel! I didn't mean to sound critical.
The previous owner of our condo installed the same half-circle sconces everywhere. I guess he was going for a "modern" look, but they use a weird fluorescent bulb that's hard to find, expensive, and looks yellow. They're in odd places on the walls, too. I've added a floor lamp and table lamp to my living room, but even all 4 lights plus the north-facing patio door leave the room depressingly dim. I could seriously use a professional consultation on this one, too!
If you aren't supposed to throw out the energy saving bulbs (or any bulbs for that matter), what do you do with them? Ewaste? Any advice appreciated.
For those with limited lights, outlets or who are in basement apartments, would adding one or more mirrors help? They may help to bounce around the light....
My living room is 1920s, "modernized", and has 3 can lights (2 down, 1 washing the area above the mantel), 2 sconces flanking the mantel, an overhead light, floor lamp and table lamp. The can lights are on dimmers. Sounds great, right? My problem is the overhead light installed by the previous owner is a faux-Tiuscan pendant light that hangs down nearly 30" from the 8' ceiling. It's half over our coffee table, and we constantly have to look out so we don't bonk our heads on it. It matches the 2 sconces, so I'd have to replace 3 fixtures. Trying to find a semi-contemporary/transitional "set" for a reasonable price has been daunting. *sigh* Oh, and the switches are both deep ivory and off-white in the same ganged wall plate...grrr.
Similar problem in my apartment--only two outlets in the room, and it would look ugly to run an extension cord past the fireplace to the corner that sorely needs a lamp.
Where I live, the hardware stores will recycle these bulbs for you, and so does Ikea. Also, there is a household hazardous waste center where you can drive up and drop off batteries, bulbs, old paint, garden sprays, etc. They take anything, no questions asked, to keep it out of the landfill.
@Laurel, is it a fabric or glass shade? if it's fabric, why not paint it with a diluted paint to help soften the glow? i say diluted paint so the shade doesn't become completely opaque.
Matlilda, Of course not, I didn't think you did - I was just explaining that all situations and solutions will be different, but hopefully the end results will all consistently be an improvement!
Our semi-mountain home has wood walls in the living room. Not wide, verticle paneling but diagonal, thin, wainscotting which is angled differently on each wall, meeting in a dark corner. Problem is, on wall had a huge German shrank/shrunk(?) which I don't hate that hides TV and electronics. Getting a decent way to light the corner now is super-tricky, though. Most standing lamps come to can akward height next to the shrank and paper-lantern types look strange too. So for now I've a standing lamp with a bendy neck which isn't bad but its boring beige shade is. Has anyone tried RIT/fabric painting lamp shades? Any luck? I just can't find a good bright one which fits it.
I tend to think the more lamps in a room the better. you can turn them off or on as needed
The floor lamp does look like it is next to the table lamp, but it isn't. It's at the end of the couch...
Any good ideas for overhead lighting on high ceilings? We have two lamps, but this is the light that is easiest to switch on from room entry. We have a pendant light in the dining room, but seems silly in living room?
I've seen some fabulous living rooms with pendant lights but I think the key is to be dramatic. This house tour has a great example - the giant feathered pendant above the sofa. Swoon! http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/-title-house-to-69760
@brooklynbeetle: Lowes and IKEA both collect CFLs for recycling, and I would be shocked if Home Depot didn't collect them. You can also see if your city has a hazardous waste processing facility. I can't wait for my CFLs to die so we can replace them with LEDs.
I know it is a bit of an expensive option, but I have been absolutely thrilled with my Phillips Hue bulbs. I can instantly change the entire lighting profile of several rooms in my apartment with the press of a button on my phone or ipad. Nothing is cooler to me than being able to hit a button called "Movie" and have all the lights in the kitchen/living room slowly fade to black except for the one ambient light by the tv which dims to a soft orange glow. There's a billion other combinations you can use as well. I'm very fond of them as you can tell!
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202195326/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=ge+wireless+receiver&storeId=10051#.UQGRDWdFrMI
I want to put all my living room lamps on the above device so I can turn them all on and off at once.
http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-TB121C-Digital-Tabletop-Appliance/dp/B000E8XGBI
I have the above intermatic timer for my bedside lamp. I set the lamp to turn on 1 minute after my alarm goes off...it's harder for me to ignore light than noise in the morning...
that RUG! pure amazingness and hugeness.
Finally one I think I am already set on! Our living room is pretty big, three times the size of our old one, and when we first moved here we had TWO lamps (because that was all there was space for at our old house.
We have six now, which seems to work pretty well, except that I just rearranged the furniture yesterday and we lost an end table (which was in an awkward spot anyway, but convenient for a lamp). The lamp that used to be on the end table was swapped with some tree branches with string lights that we'd moved out of the playroom to make space for the Christmas three, and will now go back in there. I'm thinking I need a floor lamp next to the bookshelves where the end table and lamp used to be. But, we don't have one that will fit, and buying one isn't in the budget right now (unless I score one at a thrift store).
I agree that more is better. We tend to turn lights on and off as we need them. There are also eight sconces around the room, but I don't care for the light they give off. They have glass shades now, and I bought little fabric ones to replace them, but they didn't fit. They are nice when we need it bright though.
@lotsofcloth Outlets can always be added, is just might be expensive. I am preparing to have all the knob and tube wiring replaced in my house which was built in 1916. I have plaster walls and ceilings. They will snake lines to the attic and then run them down in the walls. Some will also come up from the basement. In extreme cases they run a conuit outside the house to the attic and then down through the walls. You need to schedule a wall repair guy to come in after and patch the holes but it can be done. If you have old wiring to those outlets really listen to your electrician about not overloading the circuits.
Thanks! I am not sure I could find the right kind of shade to replace with, it's one of these lamps: http://www.cb2.com/big-dipper-arc-floor-lamp/s126317 and I would need any replacement to work with the diffuser. As for bulbs, I did try a few but they didn't seem to make any difference. I'd really love some suggestions on "warm" bulbs!
@strawberryjam it is a fabric shade and I might be willing to paint it but it makes me nervous in case i mess it up! Any online tutorials for this would be welcome!
We have three lamps in our living room -- two matching ones on either side of the sofa and one in the opposite corner next to our little bar and the table we eat dinner at. The light from the two lamps by the sofa is pretty good I think, as they have shades that diffuse the light a bit -- I might check the wattage that we use though and think about lowering it a bit. And I am totally getting the dimmer from Ikea for the other lamp. I really like having it on to add more warmth to the room, but it gets a bit bright for the boyfriend. I think a dimmer would be the perfect solution.
Forgot to note that while we have an overhead light source on our ceiling fan, we never use it. I'm not actually sure it even works. I should look and see if it's possibly to take the light portion off of it.
You need a better electrician. Or one more experienced with plaster walls.
The electrical circuits in your house can be upgraded to handle more technology and lighting. Wires can be run anywhere. Jlwimd is correct--wires can be run in the attic or basement and even through plaster walls. It's a bit more difficult and time-consuming, and therefore more expensive than similar work with drywall, but it can be done. Or you can do what the previous owner of my 1901 house did and just run electrical conduit right above the baseboards to get the outlets where you need them. Painted the same color as the baseboards, the conduit, while it wouldn't be my first choice, does blend right in.
My father electrified the attic of an 1880s Victorian with plaster walls--ceiling fixtures and outlets. There will be holes in the walls that need to be patched and painted. And it isn't cheap, because it takes more time than fishing wires through drywall. Labor comes at a price.
But if it makes the difference between an non-functional, dark room and a functional, pleasantly bright room, it might be worth it.
I luckily already have my overhead light on a dimmer switch with a fairly warm coloured bulb (we had to get an energy saving bulb that specifically worked with dimmers otherwise it makes a scary buzzing noise). I also have a floor lamp but that's it at the moment as I don't really have anywhere else I can put another lamp. The living room is on my project list for this year so will see what I can do then.
In the meantime I'm going to get a floorlamp for an empty corner of the dining room as it looks quite bland at the moment.
Given most of us try to use energy efficient lighting, a little more information on how to identify & select the color of light a fluorescent of LED bulb will provide is helpful...
These bulbs should show a Kelvin rating on the packaging, indicated by a number, usually between 2700-4200, ending in a K. The lower the number, the warmer the light the bulb will produce. Lower K bulbs may cost a bit more, they require some technological jury rigging to make what is normally a cool light, appear warm. But the difference the color of bulbs can make in a space is amazing.
Also being English I have no idea what drywall is. If I need to get more outlets we have to cut into the wall but that's pretty standard here. My house is only 1950s but is really lacking in outlets so everything runs off extension cables.
*or LED
My favourite design subject! I gushed about it a little while ago so I'll try to hold back. But it's easily one of the most powerful aspects of making a room feel the way it does. And it doesn't need to be expensive at all.
I have some ceiling lights that I never use. I think the bulbs have blown in most of them and I haven't the ladder, need, or desire to replace them. I'm one of those people who likes lower light than most. My favourite places to loiter are cafes with soft, warm light or live music venues where the house lights are down and the light is on/from the entertainment.
I'm trying to make my home equally enjoyable. This is something I've been thinking of for a long time. And since I'm on a bit of a personal recovery, and following the aptly named January "Cure", maybe it's time to actually do the things I've had in mind.
I'm so excited, I finished my lamp project for the Cure last night ! I found a slightly damaged designer capiz shell lamp at Salvation Army two weeks ago and talked the cashier into selling it for $5. I added a $10 IKEA white shade & $5 harp. Now I have a beautiful lamp on my desk where I needed more ambient light for only $20 (while the original cost $140 online).
I prefer to buy lamps in pairs and still hoard incandescent 3 way bulbs for mood lighting in the living room. My best lamp buys have been from TJ Maxx / Marshalls / Home Goods - they have great pairs of stylish lamps for reasonable prices for anyone looking to upgrade.
I second the rug praise! I would love any advice on where to find something similar, yet affordable. I realize it's a lot to ask, but here's hoping.
Laurel -- drape or wrap the shade with a scarf or sheer fabric to soften it if you don't want to paint it.
@katiejean -- I grew up with a German shrunk! All the Americans we knew then got them to take home and they were giant! Dark wood, sterotypical Bavarian style. I heard that they were popular because the Germans are taxed by room, and a closet is considered a room. I don't know whether that is true or not, but these big storage units were very popular.
My mom went contrary to the style, since she wanted Danish modern but was overruled when they got the shrunk. So the rest of the house was much more modern and clean, and the shrunk was left to be what it was. I could see the opposite approach working well too. In either case, an interestingly shaped pendant toward the side-front of the unit could nice. Or even three of them grouped together. If your shrunk has openings for displays, some under-cabinet lights in there would also help. Good luck!
@jlwmid, thanks for that -- I didn't even realize it could be done. It's below a bedroom and above a narrow crawl space, but it's good to know it could happen if we ever decide to go that route. And yes, original cloth wiring, with low-amp circuits, so we're being very careful.
Thanks. It helps to have some information to go on. It's a bit complicated, because the crawl space below the room has been fully sealed for radon purposes (and is only a few feet high), but it sounds like there are other options, and that it's worth talking to another electrician before giving up on making the space what I'd like it to be. Thank you!!
Part of the plan for this year's tax refund is to hire an electrician to replace the truly hideous boob fixtures with track lights in living room & kitchen--open plan house, so they need to match. That way I can bounce light off the walls, & make it bright enough for the elderly members of my church group to read without having to use the uglies, which I now put on only for cleaning. I find it very hard to read if the light source is above & in front.
Found a floor lamp with 3 bulbs at Target, with brushed metal shades that are much larger than the usual mean little ones--looks nice & modern. It's behind my reading chair, in the corner, the only place a floor lamp is not in danger from my pack of wild dogs. I do not have table lamps for that reason, but would like to find a wall light with a metal shade that could be mounted on the book case behind the other chair. I've tried clip-ons, but they never stay tight enough to keep the bulb where I want it.
Guess this one is in my blood. Except for my mini laundry room I already have three balance light sources in each room. Feels good to say I have completed this task.
Laurel, i tried looking around for painted shade tutorials. i found plenty, but honestly since i've never done it myself, it's probably best you find one yourself so you can compare outcomes to what you want. i did see a neat idea of tea dying a shade, though. which would eliminate the need for paint (and worry about pesky brush strokes--though those can probably be eliminated by using a foam brush), and still keep the shade from going opaque. good luck!
Fantastic timing with this assignment! It's low-key and we have everything we need, we just need to put it up. I am exHAUSTED but hopefully I'll gain some energy by Sunday and we can get our third light source up (by which I mean, my husband will put it up)
http://shoes-off-please.com/2013/01/24/living-room-lighting/
In my small (@ 600 sq. ft) apartment the living and dining rooms are one, and of course, there's the weird mounted desk alcove too. So the living space has one table lamp with a too dark (golden) shade and 3 can lights mounted on the ceiling in the dining area. Looking at the ceiling lights you would think they could be aimed, but turns out that is not the case. When I need to sew I have Ott work lights that I pull out. I have french doors that let in light during the day.
I've known for a while that I need to change out that shade, And, I don't know how, but the alcove space could use some lighting. It will need to be either wall/ceiling mounted, or if on the desk, it will have to have a a very small footprint. The desk space is less than 3 foot across.
The funny thing is that I have this really wonderful floor lamp in the bedroom. Solid bronze with a marble base. Uses an UNO shade.Weighs a ton. Just have not figured where it could fit in the living space. The lamp belonged to my grandparents, dates back to the 20's at least. And it sports a CFL bulb - perfect blend of old and new.
This is timely. One of my "project goal" was to revamp the living room, especially the lighting. We just got an outlet and overhead light repaired by an electrician yesterday and it feels like a different place. So we have overhead light and a floor lamp, but I am wondering about good sources for table lights. We have orange-shaded Ikeas lamp (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90155016) but mixed withe blue aquarium light, it's kind of strange.
I am obsessed with light! Our dark Canadian winters feel so bleak without TONS of artificial lighting. I have 9 lighting sources in the living room, 3 in the dining alcove, 3 in the kitchen, and 4 in my bedroom. Next step, when I figure out how I want to do this, is a brighter fixture in the bathroom, and a 2nd fixture in the entryway.
Do you have any suggestions for a living room with no overhead lighting? We priced having a fixture put in but discovered it would be overly expensive since there is no attic space... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Laurel,
What wattage are you using? I saw the lamp and since it has a white fabric shade, it should soften the light, go lower in wattage, and not try to use it as a main light source, but as ambient lighting. In other words, don't go more than a 60W (or its equivelant) in an incandescent bulb, but use soft white bulbs in it, and see what you get.
Also, check to see if the shade itself is replaceable. It may be, if so, you may be able to find one that is off white, or in an ivory or parchment color that may work.
The color temperature is as important as is the wattage when it comes to lighting.
Every overhead light in our apartment is on a dimmer. When we moved in we thought it was great, until we realized that a) bulbs burn out SUPER fast and b) most CFLs are not for use with dimmers! Does anyone have suggestions for other bulbs? I'd much prefer warm light.
And we need at least one more lamp in our living room. Maybe one coming from behind the couch? I'm tempted to just knot up some Christmas lights and hang them from the corner and call it a day.
I live in a 1960 MCM era apartment building with a large living/dining area that is the main part of the unit. The dining area has an OK "crystal" chadelier with bright, shiny brass parts (which I don't mind as I think it helps warm up the light of the bulbs) and houses 5 candelabra based clear flame bulbs (incandescent).
This is on a dimmer, and came with the apartment, so I can vary it's light output. I have a small, cheap IKEA accent lamp that is currigated white plastic that sits on a LACK shelf that lishts up the forner of the dining area. I also have my landing strip with a very cool, one of a kind teak elephant lamp, and it's fitted with a 3 way incadescent bulb and contrary to what some say, 3 way bulbs won't be going away, as are some other incandescent bulbs, just the more common 60-100W ones of the old style will be gone, or are gone, but newer more energy efficient ones are replacing the older style bulbs, from what I've read. So, no fear of not being able to get incandesent bulbs.
That said, the living room nas 4 lamps, one on a table in front of the slider with a parchment shade, base is brushed brass and is a former bomb shell, dating from the Vietnam war that my late Dad brought back, and my late Mom made into a lamp for their 30th anniversary in 1976. It sports a 13W (60W equivelant) spiral CFL that is on a timer so when I come home in the dark, there is at least one lamp on in the living room, and is a nice thing to see as I approach the building, to look up and see that lamp lit at night.
There are 2 table lamps, and a floor lamp with 3 shades (early 60's Lightolier lamp I bought at an estate sale years ago), one of the shades (the top gun mettal) shade is upturned to it bounces off the ceiling, the other two are aimed either at the nearby chair, or the wall for reflective light.
The two other table lamps have silk shades one more of an oatmeal color, the other more white, but quite old and they give off a soft light. Now I spread my lamps out so they are on most sides of the room. I have no center lighting in the living portion of the space.
The room is bright, but still feels a tad flat, unless I hit the dining room light, and reduce its brightness to about half, then it fills in the center of the space somewhat.
What I dislike immensly are dark rooms, or dull rooms. I live in Seattle where it's gray and often rainy from mid to late Oct through at least April and that gray light is not conducive to warmth, it tens to suck out the color in the room in a big way, making it feel very drab, when it's not so indoor lighting helps that, if done right. I dislike it when people only have lights on in the room they are in, and this is especially true at night during the winter months where the rest of teh house is totally dark, but the room you are in and once you leave a room, turn off all lights, leaving guests to fend for themselves down a dark hall to the bathroom.
I use 3 way sockets in my lamps with incadescent bulbs, and dimmers on everything else that I can retrofit where it is needed, or simply limit my wattage to no more than a 60/65W/equivalent bulb, outside of 3 ways, and I'm finding that those that top out at 150W on the high setting is bright enough.
I have no issue with defused florescent lighting for rooms that have tasks/projects going as I need to SEE what I'm doing and for safety, if nothing else, along with close at hand task lighting in lamps or under cabinet lighting.
I like a 3 layer approach, overall lighting to bring up lighting levels enough to be safe, and prevent the room from being dimly lit, lamps for reading/task, and to spread that light around, varying it's intensity, and accent lightong of various types, be it direct cans, both direct and indirect through bounce lighting,smal lamps to bring light to a dim corner, and small floor uplight cans behind plants to bring a bit of the dramatic to a space, all together help to bring depth to the space, as well as lighting.
Yech, typos everywhere in my conment above. (shakes head in dismay)
I love the warm glow from paper lanterns, so I bought this very inexpensive floor lamp from Ikea to light up a corner of my living room:
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90207812/
Four lamp:1 table lamp in the corner, one floor lamp near the fireplace, two tall paper shade floor lamps in the corner. No place to read because it's too dark. The longest wall has no electric outlets, ergo no lamps, ergo not light. ARGGHHHHHH!
Sydog - LED's work much better in dimmers than CFL's, there are CFL's that are specifically for dimmered fixtures. You can also replace a dial-style dimmer with a 3-position switch which may also help. See my previous post about finding LED or CFL bulbs that still give you warm light just like an incandescent would - look for 2700k - 3100k on the packaging, this indicates the color of the light emitted. The lower the number, the warmer the light.
I was on the fence about this one but I put a spare lamp on one of the living room bookcases and I seriously can't believe how much it helped. The whole rooms feels sooo much cosier. Going to try the same with other rooms this weekend.
There's a floor lamp in my living room that I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to get rid of via Craigslist. I never use it because it's annoying to turn on and the light looks like an interrogation room lamp! Once I finally clear it out, I'll replace with a table lamp on a side table. Should be a big improvement.
Help! I have a lighting question. Moving into a new place and it has all recessed lighting. I am not used to that. It's dated, right? The previous people "upgraded" it to this. I prefer chandeliers. Is it tacky to do both?
I'd love to see AT do a list of attractive and affordable floor lamps.
Also advice on how to choose a replacement lamp shade.
I moved a lamp from our spare bedroom that hardly gets used and put it on a side table in the living room. Looks loads better and it means the lamp is actually getting used.
I'm going to be a pain in the butt and state that this post is epitome of missing the point. Three "unique lighting sources" does NOT mean 3 different lamp shades all pushed together on one table.
If you are lighting a set (which your home is the set for your life, so you'd better be thinking of it that way), you want three light sources - one that illuminates the characters, one from a different angle to help fill in the shadows, and a third to light the backdrop.
In decor, three independent lighting sources means, for example, lamps flanking a sofa and a third lamp over a desk, or as a down-light over the TV or focal point. It does NOT mean a lamp next to a window next to a sconce.
Additionally, each light should serve a purpose in addition to allowing you to see in the room. For example, the light arrangement above is utterly pointless because all three "light sources" (there are only two) only illuminate the chair immediately adjacent to them. A reading lamp next to a cozy chair is a great option, but three reading lamps next to a cozy chair? Now you're just making modern art.
The beauty of a light comes from its functionality, whether it's to highlight a favorite art piece, allow for easier reading, or illuminate the faces of individuals in a conversation circle (and if you don't know what that is, go back to interior design 101). Otherwise you have a lamp on a table on a stage and no point to the arrangement.