Luxury Interior Lighting Guide

When you see celebrities’ million-dollar mansions on TV and their gorgeous interior designs, there’s one thing you might not notice immediately, but definitely boosts their design theme’s overall impact. You will realize that their lighting is absolutely perfect.

Lighting is one of the most essential aspects of your home’s interior design. Aside from illuminating a space, it can transform the look of a room into something spectacular. These days, lighting is more than just a light bulb at the center of a room. Some have even evolved into artistic, one-of-a-kind lighting solutions. When you combine the right lighting with the right styling and aesthetics, you can also make your home feel luxurious and glamorous.

Here’s our luxury lighting guide that will help you take your home’s interior design to the next level.

Types of Light

Keep in mind that there are two types of lighting – natural light and artificial light. You need to know the basics for you to come up with the best lighting plan for your home.

Natural Light

Natural light can come from sunlight or combustion sources such as fireplaces and candles.

Photo by Mark Nichols Modern Interiors

Sunlight is the most natural light source available; however, it is difficult to control. When doing interior design, you should consider the amount of sunlight that gets into the room. You need to think about window treatments such as blinds, drapes, or even mirrors that can control natural light.

On the other hand, combustion light, such as candlelight and firelight is useful in building a room’s atmosphere. Soft lights generated from candles will make your living room or dining room feel more cozy and welcoming.

Artificial Light

Artificial light, which is the opposite of natural light, refers to any light source that is produced by electrical means. Artificial lighting from lamps, light fixtures, etc. can add layers to your space.

Photo via Houzz

Warm lighting is ideal for residential homes. It can highlight your home’s features, create zones, and alter how your rooms are perceived.

Kinds of Interior Lighting

The five main types of interior lighting that you can have in your home are general, ambient, mood, task, and accent.

General Lighting

General lighting refers to the main light source in a room. It illuminates a space more for functional reasons than aesthetic reasons.

A central pendant light is usually used as general lighting in a room. If you want to give your room a classier vibe, you can also install a luxury chandelier or an artistic light installation that can become your room’s statement piece. You can also consider using LED lighting which, according to the Apex Electric team, is very cost efficient and energy-saving.

Photo by Shakuff

One thing to keep in mind is that the secret to great lighting is to layer it. General lighting should be combined with other kinds of lighting to create lighting layers that will bring your space to life.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting is similar to general lighting since its purpose is mainly functional. It will usually be connected to a dimmer so that you can control the light levels in your room.

Photo by Ian Engberg

Ambient lighting is also softer compared with general lighting. Some examples include eyeball spotlights, wall sconces, back-lit walls, or concealed coffer lighting.

Task Lighting

Task lighting is any light source that allows you to carry out specific tasks in a room, such as reading or cooking. These tend to require a higher number of lumens so that it can fully illuminate a room while you are doing something. Desk lamps or pendant lights hanging over a kitchen are some examples of task lighting.

Photo by NOW by Steven G

Floor level directional lights or riser lights on stairs are also task lighting examples that can be used to create foot flow paths in a room or hallway.

Mood Lighting

Mood lighting makes a room more pleasant and inviting by creating pools of light. Table lamps and floor lamps are popular mood lighting options that you can use to add some drama to your room’s interior.

Photo by Space Lab

One tip on how to position your mood lighting is to place your source of light, such as a lampshade, a little bit above eye level. It illuminates the whole room while not casting a down shadow.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is similar to task lighting because it also serves a specific purpose, which is to highlight a room’s particular feature.

Photo by Leili Design Studio

Accent lighting helps you highlight a particular focal point, such as artworks or statement pieces. Some examples of accent lighting are picture lights or track lighting. Take note that accent lighting should be stronger than ambient lighting.

Luxury Lighting Effects

There are various lighting effects that you can consider for your home. Here are the lighting effects that you can use to express the feel of luxury in your home.

Spotlight Effect

A spotlight is used to highlight a room’s particular feature, such as architectural elements, artworks, or statement pieces. Spotlight effects can be created with task lighting, ambient lighting, or accent lighting.

Photo by Michelle’s Interiors

Upward Lighting

Upward lighting is a softer alternative to downlighting. Upward lights direct light towards the ceiling and allow it to bounce back down to create a warm, subtle glow.

Photo by Nina sobiNina Design

Wall Washing

Lights used for wall washing softly illuminate a vertical surface. Place the light at an adequate distance so that the beam reaches the entire surface.

Photo by Inspired Dwellings

Wall Grazing

Wall grazing is when you place a light close to the surface that it is supposed to illuminate so that the wall’s texture will be highlighted.

Photo by Hanson Carlen

Perimeter Lighting

Perimeter lighting emphasizes the dimensions of a room and expands its apparent size. Interior designers and architects use coving or cornice lighting to create perimeter lighting.

Photo by SM Design Associates (SMDA)

Luxury Lighting for Every Room

Dining Room

Layer lights to accentuate elements in your home. In a dining room, you will want to highlight your dining table and chairs. You can add pendant lights to provide ambient lighting. Make sure to measure your table and choose a pendant light that is ⅔ of your table’s dimensions.

Photo by Dana Benson Construction

You can also add accent lights along your kitchen bar or dessert table to create a cozier setting.

Bedroom

The right mood lighting will make your bedroom feel more relaxing. Lamps or low hanging pendant lights beside your headboard will cast a warm glow on your bedroom, making it the ultimate place to relax and unwind. Make sure to install mood lights a little above eye level so that it does not create unwanted glare.

Photo by Mia Rao Design

Bathroom

Radiant light coming in from the sun will give your bathroom a luxurious atmosphere that can rival any spa resort. You can add natural light into your bathroom by installing large mirrors that will allow light to bounce around the room. Another option is to install sheer drapes that can let beams of sunlight pass through.

Photo by Lang’s Kitchen & Bath