Moving to a New Home or Renovating? Your Guide to Home Decor Lights and How to Make Your Home Look Elegant and Stylish with Lighting (2020)

Light plays a crucial role in our lives, manipulating our perceptions towards our environment. As a part of modern interior designs, lighting is instrumental in achieving the right ambience. Be it a residential area or an office setup, interior designers resort to different lighting sources to create a blend of aesthetics and functionality. Today, there are innumerable options for home decor lighting. Nonetheless, each lighting source has its own set of limitations, curtailed to suit a specific need. Based on their utility, listed below are the most common categories of lighting sources:

General lighting is used for the overall illumination of an area and can include the existing lighting plan. Known for their practical nature, it is considered the foundation of lighting schemes. Some commonly used sources include recessed central pendant lights and overhead ceiling fixtures, which are just some of the many reflections of a modern lifestyle. General lighting must be accompanied by other lighting layers to add life to the room. They will also help in reducing the effect of unflattering shadows cast by a central light source.

Ambient lighting can be defined as, “a soft glow, with the intensity that allows you to function adequately without causing a harsh glare”. Best suited to create a relaxing environment, artificial ambient decor lights create the effect of natural light by making the room’s overall lighting flat. Whether it is a break from work or a warm conversation with a friend, the indirect nature of these lights can help you calm your nerves. Mostly used in bedrooms and hotel corridors, they are becoming the staple lighting category in Yoga studios. Ambience lighting can help you create a certain drama, with specialised positioning. Owing to its low intensity, ambient lights are not advisable for working spaces.

Task lighting is a concentrated lighting scheme, specially designed for office environments. It allows the flexibility to increase the intensity in one area, without impacting the overall ambience of the room. This has also made it possible for a person to work without hindering the sleep of another in the same room. Suitable for activities like reading, cooking, and dressing, the focus areas are most commonly situated in bathroom vanities, office desks and above the kitchen counters.

For task lighting, a room can be first evaluated and divided into sections depending on the activities to be conducted. Since it is needed to have a stronger wattage, combining it with ambient lighting would help in avoiding eye strain.

Mood lighting is instrumental in making a room pleasantly inviting. By creating pools of light which counteract the shadows caused by general lighting, it can help liven up a setting. Equally stylish as much as functional, popular choices for mood lighting products include table and floor lamps. While buying them, it is beneficial to consider factors like proportion and plug point availability. Since mood lighting is also the closest layer of lighting to the eye level, shade selection also requires you to consider factors like textures like rough linen to glossy satin, while halogen and LEDs are good choices for the light source.

Accent lighting is used to highlight a particular feature of a room. By drawing the eye to its focal point, it intends to add style and drama to a setting. Spotlights highlighting wall mounted artworks, sculptures, etc. are examples of accent lighting, most commonly used in museums, historical buildings, and art shows. Since it prevents objects from getting lost in under illuminated spaces, accent lighting needs more lumens (light output). If you wish for an overall quieter ambience, opt for subtle accent lighting which can also help you highlight the textures of a particular object.

Lighting can enhance any setting to bring out your unique tastes. While adding more light can reduce dark and dull spaces, adding soft glowing spots can introduce a sense of calm. It can help you create the illusion of space and change. For instance, darker rooms can be made to look livelier by bringing in a spectrum of ambient and accent lighting. Adding simple elements like corner lamps and central hanging lights can help you in creating a visually larger space.

Light has always been a necessary part of our lives, with its health benefits ranging from an improved eyesight to better mental capacity. With the work from home trend on the rise, understanding the impact of artificial light has become important. By helping the brain produce more serotonin and less melatonin, appropriately placed artificial lighting can help keep some serious illnesses like premenstrual dysphoric disorders at bay. A bright and effective lighting scheme can also help reduce eyesight problems and age-related decline in visibility.

Lighting schemes can also contribute to your property’s value. Since the overall ambience of a room has a lot to do with good lighting, choosing the right lighting scheme can help you entice a potential buyer. Light helps create a sense of warmth, which can further help the buyer envision living in that house and see the true potential of each room. Regardless of whether you choose a soft glowing bulb or a neon lighting, the right combination of light sources can help you establish a space that sparks conversation.

Lighting is one of the easiest ways to achieve a particular mood in a room. A room can be made to feel anything from cosy, warm, minimalist to even romantic by playing with different lighting schemes. Dimmer switches are a great way to enhance flexibility of options. On the other hand, neon lighting can add a bold touch. Each lighting scheme has a unique sense of personality and can be used as an extension of your personal taste.

Certain design elements require an additional light source to bring out their unique features. For example, unique wall textures and paintings can be highlighted using accent lighting in a room bathed with an ambient lighting scheme. Smart use of lighting can also help you concentrate the viewer’s attention towards more visually appealing areas.

The White Teak Company is known for their classy and dazzling collections of chandeliers, pendant lights, and ceiling lights. Founded in 2016 by Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs, the goal has always been to elevate the disorganised lighting market sector in India. With a 360° online viewing feature, their website is one of those very few to offer such transparency in the buying process. High quality craftsmanship, meticulous quality testing and investment in quality resources is what makes The White Teak Company stand out from the competition.

One of the most popular products available on the website is the Unrequited Love Wall Light. A dark walnut hued scone with a Murano glass shade, this wall light can add a sense of sophistication to your walls like no other. Murano glass is a rare material, mostly handmade, and the soft dream like effect that the lamp adds is worth every penny. You can buy this exquisite masterpiece for ₹ 6,050.00 from The White Teak Company.

Klove Studio resonates with the potent energy of instincts and emotions. Evoking a sense of innate synchrony in nature, the brand seeks to establish the importance of light in healing and spiritual learning. Today, Klove is well recognised as a luxury lifestyle choice, renewing confidence in distinctiveness. By combining the delicacy of flawless hand-blown glass with the sturdiness of primal metals, it seeks to immortalise the magnificence of light. The product range offered is specific, and each product has a story of its own, a poetic reflection of the brand’s philosophy.

Apart from their signature teardrop chandelier, one of their most popular products till date has been the Asteroids chandelier. Inspired by the celestial brilliance of the Nordic sky, this masterpiece brings together the intrigue surrounding astrological myths and alchemist goddesses in the form of hand-blown glass globules in hypnotising shades of amber, charcoal and orange. You can buy this beautiful chandelier from Klove Studio for a price available on request that varies with the size of the chandelier.

FOS Lighting has established a niche in the market when it comes to affordability and quality. Each product is designed keeping in mind the middle-class Indian man’s budget, incoming trends, and quality parameters. FOS Lighting also offers the option of customising the products to suit a customer’s unique tastes and add precision. For more than a decade, the brand has successfully solved lighting problems for both residential and commercial setups. Be it a bedroom or a working space, FOS Lighting has delivered impeccable results while elaborating on the true essence of luxury and opulence.

The most popular product category of the brand is spot lighting, with this aesthetically carved five light spot being one of the most sold products till date. A confluence of elegantly crafted brass and metallic frames highlight the expertise of the artisans. The intricacy of the design is well suited as an accent lighting. Available for ₹ 14,220.00 you can buy this product from FOS Lighting.

One of the leading lifestyle product brands in India, IKEA was founded in 1943, and has come a long way since then. Having recently entered the lighting industry, the brand has grown rapidly to incorporate various lighting solutions. Having always worked towards creating a better everyday life through affordable, sustainable means, IKEA products are known for their innovative award-winning designs which are minimalist, simple, and adaptive to diverse customer requirements.

The IKEA PS 2014 pendant lamp is undoubtedly one of the best innovations in the contemporary lighting market till date. Having won the prestigious international design Red Dot Award, the product can change its shapes and intensity with a simple pull of strings. The geometric design with its fiery insides inspired by science fiction, works as a beautiful addition to dining areas. Priced at ₹ 11,990.00 you can check out the product on IKEA.

Jhoomarwala has a legacy of its own when it comes to unique Indian lighting solutions. Founded in 2005, the brand has been lighting up Indian homes with products that celebrate the traditional diversity of the country. With the advancement of technology, Jhoomarwala has grown to incorporate the latest technologies into their modern design aesthetics. Today, the brand is a household name in India, and synonymous with good, affordable, and reliable lighting solutions.

Known for their signature chandeliers, one of the most in-demand products till date has been this 6 Globe Moroccan Jhoomar, for its unparalleled intricacy. The colour combinations of rust red contrasting with aquarian blue project a constellation of stars on the ceilings. A valuable addition to rooms where you wish to add a traditional touch, it is a truly mesmerising piece of art. You can buy this chandelier for ₹ 33,950.00 from Jhoomarwala.

Conceived in 1960, the Jaquar Group has become the undisputed market leader in the organised bath fitting category. Having entered the lighting segment too, their products are a reflection of their passion for technology, high quality, and unmatched customer service. The trademark of the brand can be seen in their exquisite craftsmanship and contemporary designs.

One of their signature product categories is wall lamps. Offering a variety of designs from timeless elegance to quirky to artful, Jaquar aims to satisfy every customer’s unique requirements. This wall lighting product testifies to the Jaquar legacy of unparalleled product quality. The craftsmanship is evident in the grace with which the swan necks bow down, and the metallic chrome finish adds to the overall elegance. The Meta Swan Wall light with Three Arms offers the perfect solution to sophistication intermingled with exquisite beauty. Available for ₹ 18,500.00, you can check it out on Jaquar Lighting.

"Innovative functionality" – these are the words that summarise The Black Steel’s signature trait. Founded in 2015, under the sustained guidance of design professional, Mr. Prateek Singh, the company has grown from artistic lighting solutions to innovating in interior design. The products offered reflect their commitment to centuries old traditions from the industrial art era. The exclusive nature of their designs goes hand in hand with the timeless versatility of their products, meant to be cherished for ages to come.

One of the company's first iconic art pieces and the most popular till date, has been The Industrial Sprocket Wheel Lamp, a meticulous result of intense design thinking and equally bold experiments. The lamp is a modern distillation of chain driven bicycles invented by British bicycle designer, H. J. Lawson in 1879. The lamp appears like a creative desk object by day and an art piece during the night. Priced at ₹ 18,790.00 check out this limited edition classic masterpiece at The Black Steel.

Light & You brings together a spectrum of the world’s most renowned brands and designers. Presenting a curated collection of lighting products, the designs are selected by professionals with more than a decade’s experience in this field. Every iconic creation listed on the website reiterates the company’s core belief of evoking emotions through light. If you like to experiment and find yourself on the lookout for unconventional, out-of-the-box design pieces, then Light & You can be your ideal shopping destination.

One of their most eye-catching products is the Black Luzy Suspension Lamp, an indoor suspension lamp in production since 2019. Created by German designer Ingo Maurer, its plastic glove with a frosted bulb at the tip of a pointing finger makes the viewer stumped in their path to think and marvel at the strange work of art. Fusing shocking aesthetics with functionality, the product is bound to leave an impact on you, breaking the stream of long ubiquitous designs flooding the market. You can buy this lamp for ₹ 53,880.00 from Light & You.