Classic Interior Lighting

Ceiling lights are the backbone of your home’s lighting plan. If you look above you right now, what do you see? You probably see a ceiling light. They are ubiquitous; they are invisible. But they shouldn’t be invisible. And they shouldn’t be an after thought. With a little knowledge and a simple plan, you can illuminate your home in style and without breaking the bank!

First, there are two kinds of ceiling lights: flushmount and semi-flushmount. As the names imply this describes whether the fixture is set at the ceiling or handing down, even the littlest bit. Each kind has its place in your home. For my taste, flushmount is practical and utilitarian. So I’m going to put flushmounted fixtures in say, the laundry room and the kitchen.

In fact, let’s talk about workhorse lighting. Day in and day out, fluorescent lighting gets the job done. Energy efficient, bright, bright lighting and cheap! You can find nice, understated fixtures for fluorescent lights. It doesn’t have to feel like you’re in a grocery store.
I also like fluorescent lights for under the counter task lighting. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so this could just be my personal bias.

Semi-flushmount is going to look more interesting and more classy.

Of course it depends on your decor, maybe classic is not your personal style or your home’s style. A fixture like this would be best placed in the dining room or perhaps the foyer as a focal point as guests enter your home. It could fit in a living room, but it depends on the size of the room. If the room is too small, an ornate lighting fixture like this one will overwhelm the room. Not the atmosphere you were aiming for!

The opposite end of the spectrum from classy is funky. You could choose a lighting fixture like this curved metal one. It’s fun and funky and it draws the eye without being too much. I think the open curves help and the ball globes for the actual lights really help to make this fun without being odd. It depends again on taste and decor, but I would love a light like this for the foyer. Distinctive without being overt.

There’s another kind of ceiling light to discuss: recessed lighting. You may decide that the light needs to be set into the ceiling and for many room this is an excellent choice. Here are a few things to consider…..

First, think about your ceiling. Is it concrete? Recessed lighting will not work with concrete. Do you have an older house with plasterwork or ornate molding? Recessed lights are probably not a good choice if only because that beautiful workmanship could be damaged during installation.

Here’s where I love recessed lighting: closets. It feels classy. The lights are bright and the recessed mounting gives you extra storage space because you’re not competing with the light fixture!

We have recessed lighting to illuminate our fireplace area. Three lights work together to light the space. This is a good use of recessed lights because A) there are no fixtures to take away from the visual dynamic of the fireplace. B) the lights can be all on for when you need lots of light, say when starting the fire or cleaning the fireplace and the lights can be selectively turned on if you want mood lighting. C) the recessed lighting can create nice visual drama in a room and when you’re not using the fireplace, the lighting can help highlight a plant or painting or whatever you use to accent the space.

As I always say, a good lighting plan includes several elements. It’s easy to imagine that you’d have an example of each of the lighting fixtures we’ve discussed in your home. In fact, it’s probably the way to go!