Best of … ambient lighting solutions

Contributed by Lisa Pratto, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Every room needs light.

Light to work. Light to read. Light to see so that you don’t walk into a wall. Beyond their utilitarian purpose, lights can make a room pretty.

They can also create a mood, set the tone and establish ambience.

When looking for ambient lighting solutions, try to think outside that junction box and get creative. It’s your home; let your personality that will shine through.

Destination Lighting

Use dimmers

Recessed lights are another decorative ambient lighting solution, especially when used over a fireplace, a favorite piece of art or a cherished sculpture. Using the light to accent an architectural or decorative feature in your home is a trick used by many designers. Older recessed cans were large and noticeable but the newer versions are sleek and petit pot lights that discreetly highlight all the details of your home. Shop at Destination Lighting for dimmer switches that are a great addition to recessed lighting.

1000bulbs.com

Flexible rope lights

Ambient lighting solutions can show up in unexpected places as well. Rope lighting from 1000bulbs.com can be used to create diffused lighting source inexpensively. With the affordability and flexibility of rope lighting, you can be creative, funky and decorate with light for the event, the season or on a whim. Entertaining? Make your guests feel like stars when they look in your bathroom mirror.

Pegasus Lighting

Low step lighting

Likewise, if you are building a new home, consider installing footlights from Pegasus Lighting along long hallways and up a flight of stairs to help light the way at night. This may seem like a little luxury but it is cheap and easy to do during the construction phase. They can even be used effective on a TV room to re-create a classic movie theatre feel.

An item as miniscule as a light up doorbell can also be used to set the mood of a home. Believe it or not, they come in a variety of modern shapes, sizes and colors to let all your guests now what to expect before they even enter your home.