Find Your Perfect Lighting
A striking pendant or wall light can be the making of a room – creating a warm, welcoming setting and drawing attention to the best features in the space. Best of all, you’ll find plenty of affordable styles that allow you to create impact without blowing the budget.
Here are some of the best lighting looks for 2020, along with practical tips on how and where to use them in your home.
Entry Pendant Lighting
Make a great first impression with a stunning hallway light. If you’ve got height on your side and you favour an elegant aesthetic, opt for a classic chandelier that fills the area with twinkling light. Or, for a relaxed, coastal vibe, consider an on-trend beaded chandelier. A laser-cut style in timber will add warmth and cast intriguing shadows on your hallway walls when lit, while a geometric fitting in black steel will add a touch of vintage flair.
The double height entryway at this Carlisle Homes Sheraton Grand Deluxe display home is ideal for a contemporary chandelier.
Proportion is key; choose a style that’s big enough to make a statement, but won’t overwhelm the space. Consider shape too; a fitting with curvy, rounded lines will soften the hard edges in a hallway, while one with sharp edges will add a contemporary feel. Make sure your lighting gets noticed by choosing a colour or finish that contrasts with the wall behind it.
Make your entryway welcoming by using a mirror flanked with wall lights as seen in the Carlisle Homes Arlington.
To add warmth to your hallway, add in additional layers of lighting, such as a pair of elegant, ribbed-glass wall lights above a console table or either side of a mirror, or a small pendant with a low-wattage bulb above the tabletop surface.
Dining Room Pendants
The warm glow of a pendant light – or lights – above a dining table adds intimacy and a sense of occasion when you’re entertaining. It’s also a great way to zone a dining area within an open-plan room.
For a casual dining setting, an opaque parchment pendant will provide soft lighting and create a more relaxed feel. Seen here at the Clovelly by Carlisle Homes.
Trending styles include oversized pendants in blonde or mid-tone timber with a refined, organic feel; clear and opaque glass pendants that provide a view of the bulb inside for an industrial edge; and long, linear style in luxurious, brushed-gold or brass.
A stylish chrome and glass pendant adds a touch of glamour to the dining area of the Sorrento Grand Retreat by Carlisle Homes.
Before deciding on a lighting style, consider its function. If you use your dining table for more than just meals, such as somewhere for the kids to do their homework or to work at a laptop, make sure the fitting emits sufficient task light. Adding a dimmer is wise as it allows you to easily transition from task lighting to ambient lighting when required.
Height is another important consideration; interior designers generally recommend hanging a light 70 to 80 centimetres above the tabletop for a balanced look.
Kitchen Lighting
Today’s kitchen is so much more than a practical zone – it’s the hub of the home where we gather, cook and entertain. A gorgeous pendant light above your island benchtop adds instant personality and interest to your kitchen, elevating it beyond the purely functional to a space that’s all about connection.
An arrangement of three stylish pendants helps zone the kitchen and provide ample task light at the Montague Grand by Carlisle Homes.
Choose from a single, oversized pendant or a trio of smaller pendants that run the length of your kitchen island. A popular designer look of the moment is to hang a cluster of pendants above one end of the island, creating asymmetrical appeal.
Draw attention to your kitchen pendant by choosing a bold colour or a striking finish that contrasts with your kitchen joinery. If you’re looking to create a connection between an adjoining living or dining room within an open-plan room, link the colour or finish to elements in these spaces.
You can increase the warmth factor in your kitchen – and highlight treasured artworks or decorative features – by adding in wall lights. Mixed-material styles are popular right now – think steel and timber or timber and glass with curvy, minimalist lines.
Floor Lamps
Not sure how to lift that dull corner or add texture and interest to a pared-back scheme? A freestanding floor lamp could be your answer. They’re flexible too, allowing you to move illumination exactly where you need it.
A painted rattan tripod floor light, like this one from OZ Design Furniture, will add a sculptural element to your room.
Two of the latest looks include architectural, tripod styles in matte metallics and woven rattan or rattan lamps that add texture and an earthy feel to a space. Or, for a classic look that’s sure to draw the eye, consider a sculptural floor lamp.
Bedroom Pendants
A pendant hung from the ceiling above your bedside table allows you to make a style statement in your boudoir and frees up surface space.
As seen at the Carlisle Homes Sorrento Grand in Wollert, a sculptural pendant offers a contemporary alternative to a traditional bedside lamp.
If you’ve got high ceilings, opt for an elongated style that fills the vacuum between the ceiling and bed. For a fitting that blurs the line between light and art, choose a sculptural wire pendant or a cluster of three or four pendants hung at varying heights.
Choosing the right hanging height is key – too low and it won’t provide adequate reading light and can get in the way of your bedside essentials; too high and it will look out of proportion with the other furniture in the room. To select the right height, sit in bed and make a measurement at chin height.
Wall Lights
A well-positioned wall light can serve endless functions, including illuminating a dark hallway and adding ambient light to a powder room. A delicate wall sconce in ribbed glass or a pair of lights with linen shades make sophistication additions to smaller rooms, while a bold, Art Deco style can add drama and a broad wash of ambient light to dining rooms and entryways. For practical illumination, such as lighting above a desk in a study nook, consider a wall-mounted, directional spotlight.
As seen at the Carlisle Homes Matisse, pairing wall lights with a mirror is a great way to brighten up a room and make it appear larger.
Walk-in robe and bathroom feature lights
Add a sense of luxury to your walk-in robe or bathroom with beautiful feature lights. Add a pair of sconces in a look-at-me colour or finish either side of the vanity mirror or hang a sparkling chandelier or a contemporary, linear light in your walk-in robe. Supplement ambient robe lighting with discreet, undershelf lighting so you can see the contents of your shelves with ease.
A stylish pendant lamp in marble and smoked glass highlights the geometric tiles at the Sorrento Grand by Carlisle Homes in Wollert.