How To Use Chandeliers, Pendants, And Lamps To Brighten Your Home Effectively August 23, 2017 00:00

What’s one of the biggest differences between walking into an office and stepping into a home?

Simple: one has style and exudes a sense of character, a personality, while the other… well the other one just… doesn’t.

And if you’ve ever been exposed to the chronic dullness of your typical 9-to-5, you’ll know darn well which is which.

While wallpaper and decorations are certainly some of the design elements that really contribute to a charismatic home, one aspect of any space that’s sure to solidify its charm is the lighting fixture.

That’s one of the reasons why we’re diving a bit deeper into the lighting choices in the world of interior design today. Because after all, the initial step of using ANY design element properly is knowing first and foremost what it is and where it works best.

A closer look at the show-stealing chandelier

When tasked with imagining a lighting fixture, few structures spring to the mind’s eye as quickly as the ever-elegant and dazzling chandelier.

These visually striking lighting elements are more often than not quite stunning and tend to act as the focal point of nearly every space they inhabit.

And while most people think of chandeliers as being especially ornate and detailed in their visual complexity, that doesn’t mean they necessarily always need to be intricately crafted.

In fact, some of the most striking chandeliers are of a simpler and cleaner design. What’s more, choosing to go with an understated style (like, perhaps, one that’s geometric rather than baroque) just may be the bold design choice that gives your home the personality you’ve been looking for.

Given their ability to really draw the eye, chandeliers are best used in entryways, dining rooms, and other spaces meant to impress.

Pendant lights: understated, simple, effective


If you’re looking for a suspended lighting option that’s both elegant and a bit more toned down than a chandelier, look no further than the ever-popular pendant light.

Rather than drawing attention to itself with artistic grandiosity and visual flare like the prior lighting fixture, the pendant light is more reserved in its nature.

Not only is its design humble, usually only consisting of a single light source covered in a decorative casing, it’s also typically used to brighten a space in groups.

So, while a single chandelier may brighten up an entire entryway, a group of three pendant lights may be used simply to add some accent or task lighting to, say, a kitchen island or countertop.

But don’t be fooled by the pendant light’s lack of illuminating power; this lighting option can be critical in injecting a subtle and strategic burst of style and color to any living area.

Traditional and versatile – That’s the way of the lamp


This one hardly needs any explanation or introduction. A lamp, after all, is just a lamp. Right?

Wrong.

Lamps have come a long way since their humble beginnings as simple providers of illumination without all the frills and thrills of those other fancy lighting fixtures.

And while hanging lights like pendants and chandeliers are unquestionably all the rage right now, the truth is that the tried and true lamp has a lot more to offer than many people think.

Part of what makes these fixtures so useful in interior design is their versatility. First off, they’re completely unencumbered by having to adhere to ceiling mounts and other structural challenges.

All you need is a plug and, in some cases, an extension cord and this particular fixture can bring illumination to nearly any space.

But beyond that, lamps are also getting more and more unique and stylish with each passing day.

And part of the reason why lamps lend themselves better to more creative design schemes is that they don’t have nearly as many spatial limitations as other lighting options.

There’s an enormous difference, for instance, between having a radically designed lamp at waist level compared to the same design suspended from the ceiling. One merely contributes to personality of the room rather than dominates it.

It’s helpful, then, to look at lamps as a type of lighting that you can play with, that you can use to interact with other elements to paint an overall picture of the feel you want to communicate.

Whereas with other fixtures, you’d better be sure you’ve found the right design because there’s simply more at stake with these hanging elements.

The question is which lighting option gives your home the right kick?

While you can of course mix and match all of these options throughout your home, which do you think create your home’s character the most? Does one lighting choice really embody the style you’re going for more than the rest? Let us know in the comments below and don’t miss out on the variety of lighting choices over at the Flux Smart product page today!