Ask any interior designer—or, okay, your friend whose TikTok feed is filled with DIY home hacks—and they’ll tell you light can make or break a home. Unless you have a crystal chandelier or statement pendant that shines at full wattage, overhead lighting can feel depressing. Clinical. As if you’re in an interrogation room, which is likely the last environment you want to replicate in your personal space. However, your home’s vibe can totally shift with a lightbulb idea. Or, to be specific, a few.
“A single overhead fixture creates harsh shadows and leaves a room feeling unfinished,” explains Nadia Watts, an interior designer based in Denver, Colorado. ‘The fix is simple: Always add at least two other types of lighting so the space feels multidimensional.”
Design by Nadia Watts; Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
Layered lighting might be the secret to an inviting, lived-in environment; however, coordinating different sconces, lamps, and flush mounts can feel like a tall order. For Watts, it’s all about balance. “The magic happens in the mix,” she says. “You want a room to feel versatile and inviting at any time of day.”
Many pros have different approaches. Los Angeles designer Nina Freudenberger says there’s no exact formula that works for every space. However, Sarah Solis swears by the 70-30 rule. “I like to think in terms of 70 percent ambient and 30 percent task,” says the Los Angeles-based designer. “Too often, spaces are over-lit with what I call ‘ceiling acne.’ Restraint is key.”
Design by Sarah Solis; Photo by Michael Clifford
Think of ambient light as fixtures that brighten your overall space such as pendants, flush mounts, or recessed lights. Meanwhile, task lighting illuminates a specific area like a desk or bookshelf. When it comes to sourcing the perfect task fixtures, Solis encourages you to consider how the light will be used. “For example, a lamp tucked near the corner of a sofa in a living room instantly grounds the space,” she says. “In kitchens, I focus heavily on functional lighting—under-counter strips, in-cabinet lighting, and overheads.”
Watts agrees that this is a failsafe formula, but has one suggestion: If your home boasts arched doorways or coffered ceilings, allocate 10 percent of your ambient lighting to accent fixtures, which will help highlight those architectural details. “I layer in more accent lighting because it helps break up the scale,” she adds. “Pools of light create intimacy in spaces that might otherwise feel too expansive.”
Meanwhile, Freudenberger typically follows the three-fixture rule. “I always recommend working with three different heights of light sources, like a mix of table lamps, a floor lamp, and sconces,” she explains. “That combination naturally creates depth and warmth.” However, for small space dwellers, she says two light sources is fine.
Design by Nina Freudenberger; Photo by Chris Mottalini
But just because you’re following the 70-30 rule—or the three-fixture rule—doesn’t mean your space has to feel cookie-cutter. To help bring personality to your lighting, Freudenberger recommends playing with scale. “I tend to go oversized with table lamps because they add presence,” she shares. “I’ll place floor lamps in more unexpected corners rather than next to a table lamp, which can feel redundant.” Freudenberger also likes to mix up finishes so her fixtures feel “collected and timeless.”
Want to up your room’s cozy factor? Watts says it’s all about the smaller details. “If you are after that ‘glow’ we all crave in the evenings, it’s about both the type of bulb and how you filter the light,” she explains. Warm bulbs ranging from 2700K to 3000K can “instantly make a room more inviting,” while a fabric lampshade can diffuse light and add a sense of softness. And, if you want your lighting to adapt to the day and mood, enlist some dimmers. “The ability to control intensity is what separates a flatly lit room from one that feels dynamic,” Watts says. Talk about a bright idea!
