Have you ever been in a room where the only light is a single overhead fixture?  How did it make you feel?  Did the room have warmth?  Was there any sort of ambiance to the space?  Chances are you probably felt a lack of warmth, or the fact that the space didn’t feel cozy or homey.  But you probably couldn’t put your finger on why.

Lighting is one element that makes a huge difference in the feeling of a room without necessarily taking center stage.  It is like a great supporting actor.  The leading actors (in this case your furnishings and accessories) might be fabulous on their own.  But the overall show isn’t going to win any awards without a fabulous support system.

This is where mood and task lighting come in.  With the right kind of lighting any room can be elevated to an entirely different level.  To achieve a good lighting scheme in a room, simply think about the different functions of the room.

Do you have a reading chair?  Make sure it has a lamp.  Is there a table where you’ll be sitting to eat, do homework, or play games?  It needs either a pendant light or a lamp of its own.  Will someone be sitting near the fireplace to read or converse?  Consider adding sconces.  Is there fabulous artwork in your space?  It probably deserves lighting of its own as well.

And with all of this additional lighting in a space, the need to turn on that harsh overhead light becomes minimal.  You gain instant coziness by the very fact that you can pick and choose which lights you will have on.

Luckily, in today’s marketplace there are a myriad of lighting options at a variety of price points.  You need not invest your life’s fortune to adequately light a space.   But taking the time to consider the different functions of a room, and to then add in lighting for each, is one way to make an everyday space an award winner.