Bright Ideas To Light Up Your Life

Monday, March 1, 2010

(NAPSA)—Household lights can dramatically shape the mood and design of your home. According to ThomasO’Brien, interior designer and creator of the Vintage Modern homecollection at Target, lighting is a key design element becauseit is both practical and decorative. O’Brien recommends that when thinking about lighting, address one space at a time. Additionally, he says there’s no “onesizefits all” lighting scheme. Just as each room has a distinct purpose, it will also require a specific mix of light, from overhead to table to task to candle and even natural light. O’Brien likes to use lamps at eye level as well as special, individualceiling and wall fixtures to make a room visually interesting and keep the light focused where it’s needed. Soft pools of light throughout a room are more attractive than just one mainlight source. In the dining room, create ambience with easy-to-install dimmer switches. Dimmers can tone down a chandelier or sconces with the flick of a switch to produce low, flattering evening light. When choosing an overhead fixture for this space, makesureit’s in scale with the rest of the room, keeping the height of the room and the proportions of the table in mind. Add buffet lamps, torchieres and candles to fill in shadowed parts of the room. Family and living roomsalso benefit from a mix of lighting sources such as floor lamps, sconces and table lamps. A tall floor lamp behind a sofa can light one section of the room and also provide light for reading. You can add in smaller reading lamps on side tables for light at different levels. Large, sculptural center lamps on consoles or decorative tables create an easy modern style, while an adjustable-arm task lamp is a functional piece that also adds great style to the room. To update your room’s ambience while maximizing your budget, you can simply change a lamp’s shade. Bedrooms require lighting that is functional, flattering and restful. O’Brien recommends flanking the bed with a pair of similarly sized lamps, suitable for reading. The shade of a bedside lamp should be slightly above or at the same height as the reader to avoid glare. You can add atmospheric light with a lamp tucked on top of an armoire. An easy chair can be paired with a stylish floor lamp to create a spot for relaxing and reading. When selecting lamp shades, choose a semiopaque material that directs light toward the reader, not out into the room. Paper shades have a clean, translucent, neutral glow and are brighter than fabric shades. “There are wonderful lighting options available that mix simple elegance with shape and function,” says O’Brien. “Lighting is a product that can be genuinely affordable and authentic at the same time. I’m impressed by Target’s terrific range of mix-and-match, budget-friendly lamps and shades.” For more low-cost lighting options, visit www.Target.com.

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