However if you have decided to go for a particular period look then choose lighting to match. A good example would be a retro look from the 1950s. In that case you could source some Eames style lighting.  Ray and Charles Eames were mainly active in the mid twentieth century and were some of the earliest designers using modern materials including plastic resin and fiberglass. They are perhaps better known for producing chairs but there are many Eames type lamps around to choose from.  There are some good examples here: Eames era floor lamps

I think you’ll see that they have a brilliant retro look which would be in keeping if you had chosen fifties style sofas and chairs for your lounge or dining room.

A little earlier and you might think about Tiffany style lamps and there are plenty of Victorian, Edwardian and Colonial type reproductions around too if you have that look in mind.  Of course you don’t have to put up with the same energy supply issues – I don’t think we want to quite go back to gas lamps to be authentic.

Table lamps help open up a lounge

Rooms with a low ceiling and few features need opening up so that they don’t look small, dark and uninteresting. You can use lighting to make the room seem larger and disguise the lack of highlights.

Lounges need varied lighting because you carry out many tasks there. Sometimes you want a romantic atmosphere. Sometimes a place to relax. Sometimes you want to read or watch TV. So install a means of varying your lighting by adding dimmer switches to your lighting.

Use table lamps with beautiful shades to add further pools of light and also a decorative feature. See Lamp Shades Central for a good article on choosing lamp shades.

Place uplighters between items in the room to increase the sense of space. For example, place an uplighter between a plant and a sofa to help make the room look larger. Don’t overdo this however in a small room.

Use wall lights to also reflect light upwards on the walls and ceilings and make them look higher.

Recessed ceiling lights will help if a pendant lamp shade would hang too low within the room.

Getting your lighting right is essential for controlling the whole atmosphere and mood in your home and of course, the mood you want to convey varies from room to room.

Plus you clearly need lighting for a lot more than getting the atmosphere right in your home. You need effective lighting for moving about safely, for reading, putting on makeup and shaving and for cooking as well as for relaxing, watching TV, dining and chatting.

Then there is a third use for lighting and that is as a decorative element in your home. Some lamp shades and ceiling lights are truly beautiful and other types of lights can be used to light up other objects you own and enhance them.

So there are many things to think about and decisions to make before you select so much as a light bulb or a lamp shade and this blog aims to help you make the right decisions with your lighting.