Using Lighting to Make Your Space More Inviting

When it comes to adding a sense of style to your home, lighting often gets forgotten. But it’s no exaggeration to say that lighting can make or break a space. The right lighting can add a sense of coziness, closeness and warmth to almost any environment. Changing the amount of light, the color and quality of the light, and the lighting’s positioning can completely revamp a space — and affect the emotions of the people in the space. 

Yet, many families continue to live under harsh overhead lighting, missing a huge opportunity to bring family members closer together and create a more welcoming environment. 

Still not sold? Consider your favorite romantic date restaurant. We’ll wager that the restaurant has soft, warm lighting — and maybe even candles on the tables. That’s because these restaurants understand how lighting can draw people closer together. 

If you’re looking at changing or upgrading your lighting fixtures this season, this blog will help! Read on for some great tips on what kinds of lighting to consider to create your desired effect. 

Lighting Types Different types of lighting can provide different benefits to a room.  

• Primary lighting (more commonly known as overhead lighting) can provide overall brightness to a space.  

• Ambient lighting is meant to set the tone for a room, adding a soft glow to a space.  

• Accent lighting can lighten up dark corners or highlight specific features of a room.  

• Task lighting offers brightness in a localized area, allowing for certain activities to be performed, such as working, reading or washing dishes.  

To create a welcoming sense of warmth within a space, it’s best not to rely on primary lighting. If you must use overhead lighting, make sure the bulbs are soft and diffuse. 

Types of Light Fixtures to Consider: 

Chandeliers 

OK, hear us out . . . We know you probably associate chandeliers with houses straight out of The Great Gatsby. But chandeliers can work in almost any space, if selected with a bit of creativity. Chandeliers offer a great alternative to harsh overhead or primary lighting — and a small chandelier can even add a fun, eclectic or bohemian vibe to even the smallest of apartments.  

When choosing a chandelier, it’s important to consider the height and width of your room, or of your dining room table if you’re planning to hang the chandelier above it. For dining room chandeliers, the fixture’s diameter should be about 12 inches less than the width of the table. When hanging the chandelier, remember to gauge the height of the tallest people in the room, so nobody ends up staring into a light. 

Floor Lamps 

Another great alternative to overhead lights, floor lamps can provide a great deal of warm light and a sense of height to a space. There are as many different styles as your imagination can conjure, and these fixtures can fall under the categories of ambient, accent or task lighting. If you’re aiming to save space for example, a skinnier floor lamp can also be a great way to do that. This could help leave room for a nightstand in a bedroom or a desk in a home office.   

Table Lamps 

Did we mention how important lamps are to creating a warm and inviting space? If you want to become a master of the art of room lighting, lamps are your most important paintbrushes. The right table lamp can do wonders for a room, acting as a focal point, a light source, a decorating accent and an art piece — all at the same time! 

Lamp shopping is also a great opportunity to get creative. The world is full of thrifty lamp treasures hiding beneath faded or broken shades. You can use lamps to light up forgotten corners, to create distinct nooks within a space or simply to provide a light to read by before bed. And, while it’s true that table lamps can take up a little more space than floor or hanging lamps, they also provide a sense of your personal style and are an easily accessible light source — especially for task or accent lighting. 

Ambient Lighting Fixtures 

Finally, it’s time to consider ambient lighting (think pendant lights and wall sconces). This oft-neglected type of lighting provides more aesthetic benefits than practical lighting benefits — but those aesthetic benefits are very real and important. When thinking about adding ambient lighting to your space, consider soft LED light strips or string lights to create a fun and mysterious atmosphere within a room. You can also use ambient lighting to change the amount of light, or the color or temperature of the light, to fit a specific desired mood or style. 

That’s it! We hope this tour of the world of lighting has given you some ideas for how to brighten and cozy up your space in new and exciting ways. If you’re ready to start shopping for your customized space, Acima provides lease-to-own solutions* that can help you find the items to fit your space. Best of all, with Acima Leasing, you can apply for a lease right now — without using credit*! Acima Leasing is here to empower your shopping experience. Take advantage of our flexible lease renewal payment* schedule so you can get what you want now. Whether you complete all of your scheduled lease renewal payments as defined by your lease, or choose to exercise an option to purchase the merchandise early at a discount, it’s yours! If you no longer want the merchandise you chose and it’s in good condition, you can terminate your lease at any time by following our instructions. Acima Leasing works with thousands of name-brand appliance retailers and makes it simple to navigate fora retailer location near you, so why not start shopping now?

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