Change Your Room’s Mood With Clever Lighting

Change Your Room’s Mood With Clever Lighting

Fed up with that stark modern minimalist look you’ve had in your sitting room for a good few years now? Would you prefer a cosy den you can cuddle up in with a good book and mug of tea instead? Yes, well you can plump for cosy cushions in a warming burgundy or chocolate colour, add in a throw or two and swap your blinds for lined curtains.

But none of that is going to work the ‘cosiness magic’ if you don’t get the lighting right. Because, when it comes to creating the right mood in your home, it really is the lights that have it.

These days you can even get LED lights which are designed with either a ‘warm’ tone (ie yellow) or a ‘cold’ (blue) one. The yellow tone creates a more relaxed atmosphere (instant cosiness, in fact) and is far better for your up lighters, spotlights etc at home to help you chill out while watching TV, reading etc. On the other hand, the blue tone is better in a working environment as it aids concentration and keeps us all more alert (it’s similar to the blue light from our computer or Smartphone, in fact).

Creating a cosy look with lights

But getting back to our cosy look, what type of lighting would work? Well, strategically placed table lamps or floor lights would add a warm ambient glow, while under cabinet lighting would have a similar (though not as strong) effect by lighting up particular shelves.

Another way to get this warm patch of light in a particular area would be by adding picture lighting above favourite art works. Then again, how about fairy lights around the fireplace?

For cosiness, especially at night, a dimmer switch is essential. Turning down your main (accent lighting) will also make those table lamps, picture lights and fairy lights stand out more. In other words, what you need to get cosy, is to layer your lighting. That means using different types of light (task and ambient) rather than one main light source from the center of the ceiling.

Get a party swinging with lights

But what if you were after a party – rather than a cosy – atmosphere? Well, we’re presuming you’re after a vibrant rather than a romantic mood. We’d still keep the lights low but we would advise plenty of sparkle this time. This is where a mirror ball twirling in the center of the room and reflected in a couple of large mirrors propped up against the walls works wonders.

Fairy lights or a string of warm, coloured LED’s would work well in this scenario too, especially the flickering or colour changing LED strips. Think about investing in a couple of oddly shaped lampshades for table lamps in order to create interesting shadows on the wall and ceiling.

Whatever mood you’re looking to create in your home we’re sure you’ll find the particular form of lighting you need on our website Sherwoodlighting.co.uk or Sherwoodlights.co.uk Our team of expert lighting specialists would also be happy to advise you. We also offer free fitting.