5 Ways The Right Lighting Can Elevate Your Home

When you shop for a new sofa or another piece of furniture, it’s not hard to envision how it might look in your living room. And if you’re considering a new wall color, you can test pretty simply with swatches.

But shopping for lighting can be more complicated.

It’s easy to fall in love with the design of a light fixture or lamp, notes interior designer Maggie Griffin, but how will it illuminate your space? How will it work with the lighting you already have? And which variety of light bulbs will provide the kind of light you need?

Here, three interior design experts — Griffin, founder of the Atlanta-based Maggie Griffin Design; Jennifer Bunsa of Bunsa Studio Interiors and co-founder of WorkRoom Miami; and Caitlin Murray, founder of L.A.’s Black Lacquer design — offer advice on choosing the best lighting for any room, and on navigating the range of new lightbulbs and LED technology.

GET GLOWING

Although many people worry about having enough light, the biggest challenge is usually avoiding glare, says Busa. Many houses have can light in the ceiling which floods a room with light. Make sure those are on a dimmer, and then add other fixtures and lamps that offer a softer glow.

Rather than choosing a fixture that functions as a spotlight, Busa says, “I always try to shop for things that are more like glowing globes that are a little bit warmer.”

“Lighting can make you uncomfortable if it’s too bright,” she says.