10 Expert Lighting Tips for Interiors

From choosing the best light bulbs to taking advantage of reflective surfaces, check out our expert tips to light up your interior like the pros.

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April 13, 2015

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

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Make Your Home Light and Bright

HGTV Spring House 2014 is packed with expert lighting ideas like a clever use of mirrors and a proper filtering of natural light. Discover how you can make your interior feel airy and sunny, too.

Drapery Liner

Window treatments can have a huge impact on filtering light as long as the proper drapery liner is used. Homeowners on tight budgets can add a thermal liner to ready-made drapery panels with adhesive bonding tape and an iron. Or, for a more high-end approach, the liner can be professionally sewn to custom panels.

Lampshades

A lampshade's coloring and material can have a tremendous effect on its lighting. To brighten a room, it's best to choose pure white lampshades made from light, airy organic fabrics such as linen or cotton. This ensures the lampshade will filter artificial light vividly, casting a more flattering glow on the space.

Mirrored Furniture

Rooms with abundant natural light can be elevated to new heights with the addition of mirrored furniture. Once placed in the space, the reflection from mirrored console tables, coffee tables or end tables adds instant glamour while also bouncing the light into adjacent rooms.

Glass-Paned Interior Doors

A smart trick for passing natural light from one room to another is to replace any solid doors adjacent to the room with glass-paned doors. Here, the abundant light from the sunroom cascades into and throughout the living room thanks to the glass panes.

Proper Wattage

A common problem with lighting is improper wattage. While most table lamps or ceiling fixtures are outfitted with 75-watt bulbs for practical reasons, the wattage is too high for decorative purposes. To cast more flattering illumination throughout a room, swap out 75-watt bulbs with 25- to 40-watt bulbs.

Dimmers

Designers are adamant about installing light fixtures on dimmers to rid rooms of hot spots. This same method is applicable to table lamps with plug-in tabletop dimmers.

Updating Old Lighting

Homeowners illuminating their home with antique table lamps may wonder why they don't output sufficient light. This may simply require a change of the lampshade harp, the metal accessory which connects the lampshade to the lamp. If a lampshade sits crookedly and too low on the lamp, consider upgrading to a taller harp. This will allow more space below the bulb for light to peek through.

Globe Bulbs

Chandeliers are routinely outfitted with flame bulbs which can appear stuffy and formal. Instead, add a softer touch to traditional chandeliers with globe bulbs. These are available in two different styles, opaque white or clear. For a more diffused look, it's best to choose opaque white. Clear bulbs put out harsh light which reads more yellow, creating an unflattering effect on a living room.

Battery-Operated Ambience

Rooms frequented by children and pets aren't the best fit for candlelit ambience. For the same effect without fire safety concerns, use battery-operated candles instead.

Uplights

Uplights are used to highlight decorative accents at night. Small in stature, uplights plug directly into outlets and shine up and onto featured objects, dramatically putting them on display.