Accent Lighting

Have you been decorating your home, but are finding that something is missing?  Accent lighting can be the missing element that can pull it all together.  A feature piece in a room can easily be overlooked if not placed in the right spot or if there is nothing to call attention to it.  Why spend all that time finding the exact right piece to fit into that corner of the room if no one is going to notice it?

... I got the perfect piece of accent lighting to bring it into everyone’s view ...

Accent lighting can call attention to specific pieces in the room that you are proud of.  I have a piece of artwork that is just fabulous.  To me, it glows.  But for awhile I found that no one even noticed it when they came in.  It was on a main wall where I thought that logically, everyone would see it, but rarely did anyone ever comment on it.  Until I got the perfect piece of accent lighting to bring it into everyone’s view.  Suddenly, people were asking me where I got this fabulous piece of artwork, yet it had been there for over a year. You can do the same thing with any piece of artwork, with a family heirloom, or even with a piece of furniture.

... it can be particularly useful in a minimalist or metropolitan designed room ...

Another bonus of accent lighting is that you can buy them in almost any style.  You can buy pieces that are meant for a conservative décor or a traditional room.  I find that it can be particularly useful in a minimalist or metropolitan designed room, as the key to this type of design is usually a very subtle approach.  Accent lighting will draw the eye to specific features of the room and make it more interesting and more appealing to the eye.

... Accent lighting can be the perfect solution in a dining room ...

Another facet that is important in home design is the mood.  Usually, in the evening, bright, garish lighting is completely inappropriate.  Who wants to eat dinner around a table with a bright light shining in your eyes?  No one of course.  But you don’t want to go the other route and be unable to see your food either!  Accent lighting can be the perfect solution in a dining room.  Aside from the already mentioned fact that it calls attention to key pieces in a room (which can be great for encouraging conversation during dinner); it also sets a mood for the meal.  Soft lighting, under lighting, floor lighting – all these are soft and subtle ways of lighting a room and making a meal more pleasurable.  It encourages conversation (most people are more likely to speak freely in soft lights than in bright lighting) and helps people to feel relaxed.

Accent lighting has many benefits.  It can be the final touch that brings the room completely together.  Best of all, it doesn’t have to break your budget.  You can find affordable lighting pieces to go with any room or you can spend a little more and find lighting accents that are unique and an interesting feature to your room.

This article was written by Joanne Humber.