Light Of Heart

- Merrie Destefano

While every home requires careful attention on lighting in each room, the needs of a Victorian often go above and beyond basic lighting. Despite floor-to-ceiling windows, historic homes are infamous for their dark corners, shadowy hallways and poorly-lit stairways. Since this is a problem for nearly every owner of a century-old house, we decided to get some expert advice on how to solve the problem.

We asked for tips and suggestions from lighting experts in three different companies: Magnolia Hall, King’s Chandelier Company and the Louise Gaskill Company. Here’s what they have to say to help throw some light on the subject.

MAGNOLIA HALL

“Interior lighting, when chosen well, creates a big impact on the elegance and comfort of your home,” says Michelle Thomas, lighting specialist at Magnolia Hall. To simplify the process, she advises that homeowners think of lighting in the three following categories.

Ambient Lighting.

According to Michelle, ambient lighting is ideally soft and typically used in Victorian bedrooms and dining rooms for relaxation. “Beautiful fabric and heavily fringed table lamps in a bedroom would provide the soft illumination needed in this setting,” she says.