When was the last time you bought a lamp or really any light fixture.  Only when we move or renovate do we typically come face to face with choosing a lamp.  As designers, we know how daunting that task can be.  What are the options? Who has what?  How do we know it will work in our space?  Will it be tall enough or too big?  Why can’t the lampshade go with the base better?

In the next couple blogs, we thought it might help to “shed some light” on all the dilemmas about lighting for the home and help those of you looking for some solid guidelines.

Generally,  the hardest factors involved  in choosing a lamp is finding a lamp large enough to make a proportioned impression in the room as well as insuring it gives  you enough light for the space with the right kind of ambiance. The most common mistake is choosing a lamp that is too small.  Of course if the lamp is going to sit on a table, the table has to be large enough and in proportion too.  The lamp shade shouldn’t extend beyond the table edges and if the lamp is to be used for reading, the bottom of the shade should be at the same level as the person’s ear when seated.  A  floor lamp would naturally stand taller but be positioned just behind so as not to blind you should you look up.

The basic idea behind lighting design comes from creating a balance of light throughout the room that will highlight its architectural pluses,  add useful lighting for tasks and pop the features that should be accented.

Looking at this lovely bedroom from the recent Hampton’s Showhouse created by Jennifer Garrigues and Diana el Daher and shown on traditionalhome.com, you can see the play of light throughout the room during the day coming from the spacious windows and reflecting off the paint colors and art work.  But it is at night the hard work of lighting design shines through (no pun intended…).  The designers employed not just bedside reading lamps but floor lamps by the chair and couch and a ceiling chandelier!  No corner was left to lurk in the dark and any harshness from an overhead light was tempered by softening lampshades.  Each  area where you would want to curl up with a good book was also supplied with appropriately positioned light.  With lamps on, the neutral color shades would work across the room to create a warm and inviting space and importantly, not compete with the artwork in the room.

This glamorous living room designed by Steven Gambrel and photographed by Simon Upton for the February 2011 Elle Decor Magazine demonstrates how lamps can bring a room together with their generous size and color.  Using the airy  pair of chandeliers over the space and tall candle holders, lots of  dramatic ambient light can be achieved  for any special occasion.

Some design tips to keep in mind for lighting design:

Lamps give furniture permission to be used.  In other words, without light nearby a guest is simply left in the dark feeling isolated.

Lamps should be used both flanking large furniture pieces and slightly behind a persons shoulder to avoid glare in the eyes as well as on a diagonal or triangular layout in a room for good balance.

As a rule of thumb, to determine how much light should go in a room, multiply the width of the room by the length of the room to get the number of  square feet.   Multiply the square feet  by 1.5 to arrive at how many watts.  So a 12 x 14 room equaling 168 square feet multiplied by 1.5 needs approximately 252 watts.

Our next blogs will deal with the nitty gritty about pairing shades and lamps, how high a chandelier should hang and other practical aspects.  In the meantime check out some of our new additions to our interior lighting line.  The shades are already superbly matched and the proportions are generous.  Happy hunting!