If you want to create an inviting atmosphere—you’ll need dim lighting. For a more energetic space, you’d need brighter lighting. If the lighting is too low, you’ll flatten the soft textures in your space. If it’s nice and bright, you’ll get to amplify the welcoming ambiance.
Interior design revolves around lighting, you see. You can make or break a space with the right lighting! Thie lighting is, in fact, one of the prime factors in creating a luxury bedroom, too.
In this piece, you will be walked through strategic lighting choices that can make your home feel more luxurious—all vetted by high-end interior designers.
The Role of Lighting in Interior Design
For a rookie, lighting would just illuminate a space. But from a designer’s standpoint, it does so much more. Lighting sets the mood—warm and ambient lighting creates a cozy atmosphere while brighter lighting adds focus. With accent lighting, you can highlight different features in a room. Like wall sconces flanking your favorite piece of artwork can make it the focal point of the space. When you choose the right fixtures, lighting itself can double as a work of art!
Add in all the pops of color you want; they just won’t click if you haven’t done your homework on lighting.
Layering Light for Depth and Dimension
Did you know one of the hallmarks of a luxurious interior is layered lighting? We’d go as far as to say, take out these layers—and you’ll take luxury out of the home. The three main layers you want to focus on are:
- Ambient lighting. This is the foundational light source that will illuminate the whole room. It comes from overhead fixtures, like chandeliers, recessed lights, etc. As an Arizona luxury interior design firm, we love to choose dimmers for these lighting sources. Take ‘em high or low and set just the ambiance you need.
- Task lighting. This is the lighting that’s focused on particular activities. Think: undercabinet lights for cooking and a floor lamp next to a chair for reading.
- Accent lighting. This is the type of lighting that adds drama. You can use it to highlight art pieces or even a whole textured wall. Examples are spotlights, uplights, picture lights, etc.
When you layer these three types, you can create a space that is dynamic. You can toggle the lights to create the mood you’re looking for at a particular time of the day.
Choosing Luxurious Light Fixtures
Let’s just say some fixtures are more luxurious than others. Below, we’re handpicking our favorites to add to luxury Arizona homes.
Statement Chandeliers
Chandeliers = luxury. A chandelier can easily form the centerpiece of a room.
Options to consider: Crystal chandeliers for timeless elegance; geometric shapes for a modern touch.
Sconces and Wall Lighting
These fixtures are space-savvy. So if you’ve got a low ceiling or a small room—like the laundry room—you can skip the chandelier and go for wall lighting instead. They still manage to add sophistication to the space, though.
Options to consider: Flank a mirror in the bathroom; light up the hallway; create ambiance in the bedroom…the options are plenty.
Pendants and Oversized Fixtures
We love to use pendants and oversized fixtures to create a bold statement. These are typically used over dining tables and kitchen islands.
Options to consider: Fixtures in finishes like brass, polished nickel, matte black, etc. They look so regal!
Recessed and Cove Lighting
Recessed lights are great if you’re after a clean and modern look. Cove lighting can help add a soft glow around ceilings as well as built-in features.
Incorporating Light to Highlight Design Features
You’ve got your hand on the right fixtures—now, where to add them? Fixture placement makes a big difference in the light levels of your home. By strategically mounting your light fixtures, you can highlight architectural and design features that make your space unique.
- Artwork. Use picture lights (or directional spotlights) to highlight a piece of artwork. This can be a painting—or even a wall-mounted sculpture, gallery wall, etc.
- Furniture. Do you have a teal sofa in a gray living room? It’s the accent piece for sure—so give it its share of attention with a dramatic overhead fixture. The same applies to dining tables.
- Textured walls. Textured walls make your living space inviting—even more so when you enhance their depth by grazing light across them.
- Floors. Yep, you read that right! In luxury homes, even the flooring creates a statement of its own. If you want to subtly highlight that luxe hardwood floor—or plush high-end rug—use uplighting or integrated LED strips along the baseboards.
Playing with Light Temperature and Intensity
Learning about lighting temperature basics can help you perfect your home’s lighting scheme. This is because the temperature and brightness of your lighting really affects the atmosphere. Here’s what to keep in mind as a starter:
- Warm Lighting (2700K-3000K). This light creates a cozy and intimate ambiance. You’d like it in your bedroom and living area.
- Neutral Lighting (3500K-4000K). This offers a clean and balanced light. It is suitable for your kitchen and bathroom.
- Cool Lighting (5000K). This is good for task-oriented spaces—where you need some sort of clarity. For example, in your home office.
Adding Tech for Some More Luxury
With such advancements in tech, we’re certainly not putting a full-stop at just lighting. A truly luxurious experience also equates to convenience, and we can get that by incorporating tech into our lighting systems. Smart lighting can improve your living experience in more ways than you’d know!
For example, smart bulbs can help control the brightness and color temperature of lighting—all with a tap on the phone (or even a voice command). With automated systems, you can set schedules to turn lights on or off. In fact, with the rise in Artificial Intelligence, systems can now monitor your light usage patterns and adapt to them. That means they will be trained upon your behavior, and will automatically switch lights on or off (or dim them) as you would usually do—but without your instructions.
We’re also seeing integrated lighting in luxury homes. You can combine lighting with sound systems for a super cool experience!
Lighting the Outdoors
We’re firm believers that luxury extends beyond the interior. So, be sure to incorporate lighting into your outdoor spaces, too.
If you have a gravel pathway, light it up with pathway lighting. This guides guests during the darker hours in a discreet and stylish way. Landscape lighting can help illuminate your trees, plants, and water features (think uplighting and spotlights). And don’t forget outdoor chandeliers and pendants; these add elegance to patios like none other.
Tips to Create Luxurious Lighting
You learned quite a lot about luxurious lighting. But before we wind up, here are a few more tips to make sure you can make your space opulent with that lighting:
- Don’t shy away from investment. High-quality fixtures look better—and perform better. So you’re getting aesthetics as well as a well-lit space. Not only that; they will also last you longer. It’s really just the upfront cost to cover 😉
- Make sure you evenly balance the lighting in your home. You don’t want a corner overly lit and another one too dim.
- Don’t treat lighting as just…lighting. Think of it as sculptural art—the type that can complement the rest of the decor.
- Tailor your lighting to your lifestyle. Love relaxing? You’ll love dimmable settings for lights. Often find yourself being productive? Task lighting FTW.
Let’s Light it Up… 💡
If you need a hand in adding it to your home—we’ve got your back! Let’s chat today and decide the best ways to make your home downright luxurious with lighting.
You can also go through our Instagram and see how we’ve leveraged lighting for this purpose in our design projects ⚡