Choosing The Perfect Sconce Light

Good lighting should enhance your home without being noticeable or obvious. Installing a sconce light is not something that you would just do. You need to consider the lighting needs of the room and how best to secure those. There are so many sconce lighting fixtures to choose from, you should have no problem finding ones to suit your taste, budget and style of the room.

It doesn’t matter if your interior is contemporary or traditional the lighting you chose will always set the mood. This is why you can sometimes walk into a house that looks fantastic in natural light but come dusk when the artificial lights are turned on, something just doesn’t feel right. It is not often obvious although an over the top chandelier in a modern home would be. It is only bad lighting that is noticeable. Good lighting will enhance your room in a subtle manner.

If you are looking at dining room sconces for example, most people chose a traditional central light. This is not very exciting and often does little to add to your room. But if you add a wall sconce light and perhaps some table lights, the difference can be incredible.

A good lighting designer will use a variety of different lighting effects in the same room to create the overall effect. Wall sconce lighting will often be fitted with dimmer switches so when full light is not required for homework or similar tasks, the lights can be turned down. Thus the differing requirements of the one room are catered for.

A combination of lights is often used. For example going back to the dining room sconces, you may use a combination of floor lamps and wall sconce candle holders to get the desired effect. If you live in an old period property, you could even have wrought iron candle sconces to keep in the style of the house. It is important that you keep all aspects of your interior design choices from upholstery to furniture in the same style in addition to the scone light you chose.

Before you start buying sconce lights you should take a good look around the room in question. Make a list of its best points and those you would prefer not to highlight. Depending on your home, there may be a particular feature that you want to accent such as a fireplace or some ornate woodwork. You also need to think about what the room will be used for. Is it going to be a children and family room or one preserved for adult use. If used for family then you will be looking at a different style of sconce light than that which would be appropriate for a room used solely for relaxing in. A wall candle sconce would not be an appropriate addition to a room used mainly by children for example.

You need to consider the style of furnishings you have in the room. If you have selected an antique range of oak furniture you may want to add some antique sconces. If you have opted for the modern metal finish, then contemporary sconces in a similar finish may be more appropriate.

If you are decorating a bathroom for example, you will need to decide on the type of restroom you are looking to create. If you want a relaxing space you are unlikely to fit fluorescent bathroom sconces in there. Hopefully now you can see why it is important to think about the look you are trying to achieve and the purpose of the room before you start spending dollars on a sconce light.

When you are designing the sconce lighting in your home, it is vital that you take an overall view first and then take it room by room. When I say an overall view, it is best to keep your style of lighting, fixtures and fittings in style with the type of home you live in. If you live in a country cottage surrounded by pretty roses, a metal modern finish may not be the most appropriate look. If you live in a modern sky rise apartment, it would be unusual to find heavy oak furnishing adorning the living room. Obviously at the end of the day it comes down to your personal taste but someone with a real sense of style will usually work with what they start with and improve it from there.

The first room you should probably buy sconce lighting for is the entrance. Designing your lighting scheme around your front door is vital to setting a scene and creating the right atmosphere. You may suffer from a lack of natural light so the addition of some strategically placed wall sconces will overcome this problem. If you live in a period property and have a nice window feature you would like to highlight, an antique wall sconce may be just what you have been looking for. If you live in a contemporary property, you may want to install some recessed down lights to invite your guests to enter your home.

In rooms that serve different functions depending on the time of day, you will need to install flexible sconce lighting solutions. During the day you may be able to benefit from natural lighting and only need the artificial lights in the evening. But some rooms are not bright enough even when the sun is shining so will benefit from an element of artificial lighting all day. You also may want to use crystal sconces to accent certain pieces of artwork or pictures in the room. This can be done using a free standing spotlight or a directional down light or if appropriate a frame mounted light. If you have a modern home, then up lighters are a great solution. They can be hidden behind furniture to light the corners of the room. Combine them with a free standing halogen up lighter to provide the extra light if required.

If you have an old property and want to add character to a room you could add a chandelier as a feature light with crystal sconces on the walls. Combining different types of sconce lighting can really add character to a room and will have your guests murmuring their appreciation of your interior design talents. Just be sure to include a dimmer switch option as crystal lights can create a full on glare which is never attractive.

Using sconce lighting to decorate a bathroom is probably one of the most difficult tasks you will face. This is not because there is a shortage of bathroom sconces on the market. Rather there is a wide variety of styles available at all budget levels. The problem lies with the fact that most restrooms lack natural light and if you get the artificial lighting wrong, you can end up with a very cold inhospitable feeling room. The location of the light fixtures is crucial. This is partly because of safety issues as water and electrics don’t work very well together and partly because most surfaces in a bathroom are reflective so don’t hide mistakes very well. Choose your bathroom sconce with care and you may want to seek advice from a sconce lighting expert.

The location of sconce lights in a bathroom or any other room in a home are crucial. In a restroom there is often the problem that the bathroom users will have different requirements. The men will need good light for shaving while the women would probably prefer to create a sanctuary for a relaxing bath.

If the kids also use the same room, you will probably want some decent lights so they can’t use lack of light as a reason for not brushing their teeth. Dimmer switches are a great invention but they can only solve so many problems. The obvious solution is to have separate bathrooms i.e. a family room and perhaps an en-suite for the adults but that is not always possible.

Clever use of bathroom sconces can work wonders though. By using a mixture of different lighting features and techniques plus separate controls for each, you can create a number of effects. There will be plenty of light for Dad to shave and for the kids to make themselves presentable but when the occasion calls for it; the lights can be turned down real low to create a sanctuary of relaxation. Strip lights such as tungsten lights combined with down lights can help to minimize shadows around the mirror.

It is not just the bathroom where sconce lights can be used to add glamour and style. What about your bedroom? You will want lighting that will create a calming atmosphere at night but also be practical enough to allow you to read in bed if desired. You could combine down lights where the light is reflected towards the walls of the room with some table lamps. Hubbardton Forge have some beautiful ranges to choose from.

You could also try low voltage recessed lighting adding some wall sconces for reading. What you probably want to avoid in a bedroom though are the fluorescent light bulbs. There are extremely unflattering and will not show you off in your most attractive light never mind add glamour or sophistication to the bedroom.

You will need to be clever when deciding on the sconce lights you fit in your kitchen. The kitchen tends to be heart of most people’s home especially if they have kids. This is where the kids will play, have meals but you may also use this room for entertaining in the evenings. Therefore the lighting needs to be flexible. Most kitchens are fairly modern in appearance so you are probably not going to choose antique sconces or even crystal ones.

The first thing you need to consider is how you are going to generally light the room. Accents and feature lighting will come second. If your kitchen is a little on the small side, you can create an illusion of space by adding low voltage down lights to the front of your cabinets. If you have glass fronted cabinets, you can add light features on the inside to make a focal point in the room. There are numerous ways you can choose to add finishing touches to this room.

Choosing the right sconce lights will take a little time and effort but the potential effect on your home will be worth it.

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