HOW LIGHTING CHANGES THE TONE OF A ROOM

We want to shed a little light on the role of lighting.
Like most aspects of a beautiful interior, good lighting has both functional and aesthetic purposes. Therefore, the right lighting can completely change the tone or mood of a room. A bright room may feel industrial whereas a dim room may feel intimate and cozy. A room that relies on a flood of natural light will appear airy and open while a room with many light sources will have a more dynamic feel. With so much at stake when it comes to lighting decisions, how can somebody ever choose the right lamp for the right space?

To start, you can classify your room’s décor. Is it strictly traditional or trendy and modern? Perfectly coordinated or mix-matched and eclectic? Having an idea of what works best with your decorating style is a useful first step. Once you know the look you’re shooting for with your furniture, your lamps and other light sources, you can get to shopping!

FLOOR & TABLE LAMPS
It’s unlikely that a standing lamp will be the focal point of a room. Still, it can make or break a decorating scheme! The key is to find the ideal combination of form (looks) and function (light). One easy-to-remember tip: the darker the shade, the less light the bulb will project into your room. A translucent white or cream shade will illuminate your room much more than a dark blue or black shade. Before you decide to buy that bold statement shade, think about the primary function of your lamp. Is it there for mood lighting, reading or decoration? For purely decorative lighting, you can choose an opaque fabric shade that will illuminate the space from ceiling to floor rather than outward. For reading and other light-needy tasks like brightening a room, select a translucent or uncovered lamp that diffuses light all around. As for the base, clear, wiry bases add less visual weight and blend into their surroundings while wood or iron bases provide texture and richness.

CHANDELIERS & HANGING LAMPS
Statement lighting hung from the ceiling can be a bold design characteristic. Because they’re harder to switch out than table lamps or floor lamps, it’s important to find hanging lights that you’re ready to commit to for a long time. For most decorators, that means more neutral fixtures. The big benefit to hanging lighting is that they bring indirect, evenly spread ambient light to any space, incorporating comfort and luminous energy into their surroundings. A chandelier or a cluster of pendants adds an interesting visual element to the ceiling, drawing the eye up to take in the entire room. Although hanging light fixtures are most often seen over dining tables and in formal entries, we think its times to expand the role of the chandelier. In the bedroom or even a glamorous bathroom, a stylish overhead light fixture presents a full-room lighting solution when natural light is limited and an alluring alternative to more basic options.
Here at Bova Furniture, we carry a luminous selection of lamps and overhead light fixtures, particularly contemporary models. Shop online or come by our store sometime to get a closer look!