Where and How to Install Accent Lighting

If you’ve ever been in a beautifully decorated but poorly lit room, you’ve no doubt discovered the impact that lighting has on a space. After spending hours, weeks, or even months perfecting the design of your room, make sure that your install lighting that will make all of your favorite design elements stand out.

Once you have your general and task lighting picked out, it’s time to focus on accent lighting. Are there special spots in the room that you want to showcase? Do you want a unique fixture that serves as an accent piece and a light? Are you searching for new, inventive ways to use every day lighting?

Whether you’re still planning your room or just missing a pop of lighting, we have some ideas to help you can elevate your accent lighting and transform your room into a real showstopper.

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Chandeliers

Traditionally, chandeliers have been grand and opulent, but modern varieties come in more size and style options than ever before. Whether your style is modern, classic, rustic, or farmhouse chic, you can find a chandelier to match it. Lighting shouldn’t just be utilitarian; it should be both functional and stylish.

If you’re considering a chandelier, think outside the box. Entryways, dining rooms, and kitchens are great places for chandeliers, but you can put one virtually anywhere.

If you want your bathroom or walk-in closet to feel exceptionally glamorous, consider installing a crystal chandelier. You can even put a small one in your laundry room to make it feel like less of a chore when you’re in there.

Bedrooms are relaxation havens, so choosing a chandelier for the center of the room can make it feel more elegant. Make sure that you put the fixture on a dimmer switch so you can turn it up to invigorate you in the morning or turn it down to relax and unwind in the evening.

Enclosed front porches or backyard pergolas are great candidates for chandeliers. Instead of bright, utilitarian floodlights, elevate the style and coziness of your outdoor spaces with unique fixtures made from natural materials like reclaimed wood, antlers, or seashells.

Tip: make sure that fixtures are rated for outdoor use before making your purchase.

Choosing the right chandelier for your room can be tricky. If it’s too small, it’ll look a bit comical, but one that’s too large will devour the visual space in the room. A professional can assist you in selecting the perfect fixture to suit your space, help you pick the best spot to hang it, and determine the ideal height based on its location.

Lighting an Art Display

Achieving proper lighting for art is a challenge. Different pieces require different lighting solutions, and it can be difficult to figure out how to weigh various factors to bring out the best in your art.

Oil paintings or works framed in glass will reflect light, so broad light sources that produce less glare are a smart choice. Acrylic works, on the other hand, aren’t glossy so you can use nearly any light that you like.

Sculptures are usually lit from multiple sources so you can see the full piece. However, determining the proper placement for each light is tricky because you need to show off the piece without blocking it with the light source or shining light in the viewer’s eyes.

Picking the proper bulb and placement for the light depends upon the individual piece. Halogen lights produce crisp, white light that won’t alter the look of a painting, but they produce a lot of heat. If you mount the light too close to an oil painting, it’ll bake the veneer and paint, cracking and degrading the work.

Color temperature is an essential consideration for art lighting, and the color you select will depend upon the characteristics of each individual piece. LED lights are easy to use with art because you can find them in a variety of color temperatures, and they do not produce heat so you can use them with any medium.

Depending on your décor style and the piece of art, you might choose a traditional picture light or mantel light, or you can select any variety of track light, directional recessed light, or telescoping fixture.

Finding the perfect combination of light bulb type, color temperature, mounting distance from the work, angle of the light, and fixture type can get overwhelming, especially because one solution might not work for every piece in your collection. Consult with a professional who will make your art shine with the perfect accent light, while still maintaining a cohesive look with the rest of the room.

Cabinet Lighting

If you have glassware that you want to highlight or if you’re going to use a cabinet to display special décor pieces, interior cabinet lighting would be an excellent choice. Cabinet lighting can become overwhelming if you light every cupboard in a large kitchen. However, if you choose just a handful of spots to feature, it makes them more unique. You can install just a few glass-paned doors, or you can remove a few cupboard doors altogether for an open, modern look.

Once you’ve determined which cabinets you want to accent, choose your lighting. Rope lights and LED tape lights are both popular choices because they don’t show much around the perimeter of the cabinet.

In a modern kitchen, toe-kick lights under the base of your island or cabinets would be a unique, contemporary touch. Your specific location and the length that your illuminating determine whether rope lights or LED tape lights would be best. Keep in mind that rope lights don’t come in as many colors, and they create more heat than most LED tape lights.

Toe-kick lights would be a great addition to an outdoor space as well. A professional can help you select and install the best lights for inside your cabinets, under your cabinets, and in your outdoor space.

Show Off Your Best Décor with Accent Lights

Accent lighting is, perhaps, the most fun layer of lighting to select, but it’s also complicated. It needs to show off special places in the room but still be cohesive with the overall design. With so many options in front of you, it can be hard to figure out where to even start. If you’re overwhelmed, give us a call. All you need to know is what you want to highlight, and you can leave the rest to us.