3 Tips For Setting The Mood With Lighting!

This article is provided by Debra Lewis.

Overhead lighting in the home is a staple, but after a while, it can get boring. White light, a wonderful invention that extends our ability to do things, does not always add to the ambiance of a room. Step into a whole new world of color and texture by using colors, fairy lights, and paper lanterns to set the mood in any given room. It does not take a lot of effort to completely change the feel of a room with the strategic placement of colored fairy lights or a cutout lampshade over an existing light.

Using a Lampshade With Cutouts or Facets

Texture is often overlooked as a way of adding mood lighting to a room. It is possible to achieve the effect by using a lampshade with a pattern cut into its fabric and a high-or low-wattage light bulb. A bright bulb creates sharper edges in the pattern, whereas a low-watt bulb softens the texture.

If a table lamp is not an option but an overhead light is, go with a faceted glass globe or, once again, a patterned shade. A faceted globe throws the light around the room and creates interesting geometric patterns, whereas a patterned shade does one of two things: throws the exact pattern onto the floor or wall or distorts it over distance.

Use a sharper pattern for a room when you want to keep people's attention, such as during a party, and go soft for a more romantic, relaxed setting.

Softening the Room With Highlights

Sometimes a room is best with soft lighting and accents. It makes for a cozy feel and in some cases, a romantic one. Turn off the overheads and use items such as LED candles and a string of fairy lights. They will provide enough light to find your way around the room, but their soft glow makes the space much more appealing. Lighted decorations and Christmas lights from Christmas Lights Etc are quick to put up, simple to arrange, and easy to use as desired.

Use String Lights to Draw Attention

String lights make quick work of decorating a room to set the mood. They are flexible, resilient, and cover as large an area as you need. For a party atmosphere, get string lights that flash in a pattern and change color. Or use a string of soft white lights to highlight part of the room- they would not put out enough light to completely light up the space, but they can create a relaxing or exciting feeling depending on which mood you want to set.

When decorating to set the mood, think of the phrase "painting with light". Light is more than something that helps us see in a space. It accents, punctuates, and raises the feeling in or softens the mood of a room. Let your creative side out and push the boundaries of lighting to set the perfect tone.