8 lighting tricks used by interior designers

How light and lamps can transform your interior? Enchant them with expert advice.

Want your interior to look like it's from an interior design magazine? Looking for original solutions and ways to have a wow effect? See what you can do with light and learn 8 lighting tricks used by professional interior designers. Of course, not all of the ideas presented below will work in your interior, but we hope you will find at least a few among them that will inspire you and make your home shine.

8 lighting tricks used by interior designers

1. In the living room you can afford more

You want to make the interior of your living room impressive? Bet big ceiling lamp - but one that's... really big! One of the most common mistakes we make when choosing light fixtures is choosing lamp shades that are too small and lamps that are too delicate. The lamp can reign in the interior, be the proverbial "dot over the i" or "cherry on the cake", but first we must let it do so. If the lampshade is "lost" in the room due to its size, you will never achieve a spectacular effect. Interior designers advise not to be afraid of large lampshades, especially in the living room, where you should go big! It is undoubtedly a good idea to "try on" the chosen design before buying it.

2. You get bored quickly? Opt for lampshades!

If you like change, get bored quickly and love to rearrange your furniture from time to time, change the style and arrangement of your interior, but do not have the time or money for expensive and lengthy renovations, bet on table lamps and their lampshades! Buying new lampshades, assuming you have painted the walls in a universal light shade, is the easiest way to make an express and low-cost change in the decor of your home. Opt for strong colors, choose an interesting fabric pattern or an eye-catching form of lampshade, add some matching pillows or dishes, and we guarantee that your interior will completely change its face. If you feel that this is something for you, choose lamps with a simple, universal base, which will fit into various, even the most fanciful concepts (such a lamp is, for example, the Sawa table lamp)

3. Light instead of walls

In addition to providing the light necessary to work and function in the apartment after dark, the lamps can also perfectly delineate functional zones and divide the interior into sections, so you can successfully use them instead of... walls. If you are a lover of minimalist or industrial style or a homeowner and care about open spaces, use the variety of lamps available on the market to highlight the separate functions of different zones, give them the right tone, atmosphere and style.

So, start designing your home and lighting by thinking about what you - as household members - will be doing in the various rooms and areas - where you will be eating meals, drinking tea, playing board games, reading, watching TV or working. Such a detailed plan will allow you to better plan the placement, size and type of individual lamps that will guide guests through your interiors, subtly weaving a story about what is happening in its various parts.

4. 1, 2, 3 and... light!

You want to be sure that your interior will look great and that you will feel good in it, regardless of the time of day? Into each room enter at least three different types of light. Remember that you can choose from ceiling lamps, plafonds, pendant lamps, tables, floor lamps, wall lamps, spots, leds or directional spotlights - recessed into the ceiling or placed on rails. The range of available lamps is extremely wide, and if you take even a moment to think about the function of a room and what will be going on in it, you can easily identify 3 types of lamps that, like the three musketeers, will stand for good style, effective lighting and the right atmosphere in the interior. This simple trick will also allow you to take care of layering lighting, which is the basis of properly lit spaces.

5. You can sculpt your interior with light

Light in the interior is not only so that you do not trip over objects and easily find the TV remote control. Light has the power to shape a space, highlight its advantages and hide its shortcomings. Every interior designer knows that with properly designed lighting you can hide an uninteresting wall, make a rectangular interior seem more square, and our gaze will follow exactly where we skillfully direct it. Lamps that work best in this role are lamps with movable fixtures and wall lamps. Directional light and wall lamps best highlight and shape a space, and with a properly positioned light stream, we can not only highlight a decorative coffee table or a beautiful painting, but also bring out the shapes of furniture or emphasize the texture of walls.

6. Set the tone for your interior with the right light temperature

When decorating an interior, we focus on choosing the most beautiful lamp, often downplaying the choice of the right light bulb - specifically, choosing the right color temperature of light. Meanwhile, it is of great importance not only for the appearance of the room and the chosen light fixture, but also for our well-being and how we function. Cooler temperature with blue light works great in office spaces, warehouse halls or conference rooms to motivate and stimulate action. At home, however, nothing builds atmosphere like warm light, which calms and soothes.

How to choose the right light bulb so that its light is neither too cold nor too warm? Remember that the lower the "temperature" of the bulb expressed in Kelvin, the warmer the light. So if you want pleasant, cozy light in your living room or bedroom, choose a bulb between 2,000 and 3,000 Kelvin. Modern dimmers, which additionally save energy, are also great for building the mood.

7. Invite light to the table

The general rule for hanging lamps over a table or kitchen island is to hang them at a height between 71 and 86 cm, counting from the bottom of the lamp to the surface of the countertop. However, it is worth remembering that smaller lamps, those with softer shades (also those hung in larger groups) are worth hanging lower, while the larger ones slightly higher than the specified values. Remember warm light, which, although not very faithful to the colors of the food being served, makes for a calmer, more enjoyable dining experience. It is also an interesting idea to hang a pendant lamp relatively low over the coffee table in the living room. Such a decorative accent is very impressive and will be a perfect minimalist interior decoration.

8. Light up the stairs

If you live in a house, plan the lighting of your stairs already at the stage of the installation project. We rarely remember it, but if you entrust the interior design to a professional, you can be sure that he will not forget about this - only seemingly insignificant - element of home lighting. Gently illuminated stairs provide security after dusk and at night, but also create an unusual atmosphere in the interior. Thanks to modern technology, you can install a motion sensor that will allow household members to move freely from upstairs to downstairs without turning on the overhead light each time.