Lighting has, time and time again, been the hardest piece of a project for my clients to decide on. There are so many options and so many styles, finishes and sizes. Recently, we have been working with Hudson Valley Lighting on our whole home remodel in North Oaks which we closed on a few months ago. Whenever I deal with my own personal homes I step out of the realtor/designer role and into the role of the client. I struggle with finalizing my lighting selections just like everyone else! I seriously become a non-comittal, indecisive, crazy person! Despite the crazy person I become, the lighting has been finalized and alot of them have begun to be installed so its time to share the selections!

True to form, the home is very bright! I am known for light colors and bright spaces and this will be exactly that but with a trendy twist. Think black iron and dark stains mixed with light oak and white on white walls. The simple, modern vibe of the home will shine with the great choices made from Hudson Valley. We are mixing metals and bringing in interesting shapes with glass. So here they are, we are so excited to share the finished rooms with you but for now the images will do!

I finalized all of these already but the struggle is real when it comes to lighting selections so when I feel myself slipping into that indecisive mode here are 5 rules of thumb to stick by!

5 lighting necessities:

1. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box with your lighting. It is truly the “jewelry of the home” and jewelry can easily be changed when you decide you don’t like it anymore. It is meant to dress up the house and make a statement!
2. Size is everything! If you have a large room then go LARGE! Small room? Don’t let yourself get sucked into a certain style if it is too big for the space. It should make a statement but not overtake the room.
3. Stick to 2 metals if you are mixing. Mixing metals is so popular right now but if you try to mix too many it can start to look mismatched rather than mixed! Unless your designer is helping, stick with 2 metals and mix those metals throughout each room.
4. Don’t use the same collection for the whole house, this screams contractor grade and does nothing for the style of your home. Mixing collections is way more fun!
5. Dimmer switches are soooo necessary! I have one in almost every room because it allows me to adjust the light to the current mood. Family board game nights, you may want brighter lights. Need to relax? Dim those lights!

Still need more help? Contact us for information on design consults and home selections!