Do you have any idea how many light fixtures we need to fill our new house? Too many. Too many is the answer. Deciding on light fixtures can definitely be a daunting task, but you don’t have to let it be! I’ve got two simple pointers that are sure to help you out if you’re building your very own dream home, remodeling your current home, or just moving into a new place and you’re ready to add your personal touch! And if you’re here just because, I can’t wait for you to see what light fixtures we picked out so far and why!
How to Choose Cohesive Light Fixtures for Your Home
So, I spent years decorating our last home and some of the things I didn’t realize I’d be so sad to leave behind were our light fixtures. I think maybe it was because they were the first real decor items I was ever really in love with. Whatever the reason, I clearly have a thing for lights. *Shrugs* It’s true. Alright enough chatting. Here are two “rules” I like to follow when choosing fixtures for my home.
1. Pick Your Style
There are lots of decorative styles you can choose from. Just Google “decor styles” and find one you can’t live without! Honestly, in my “rule” book, if your style is cohesive throughout, you’re golden. I want to add that mixing metals is completely acceptable; don’t get too hung up on oil rubbed bronze vs. brushed nickel.
I loved the style we had in our last home, but this time, I wanted to lean a little more on the rustic side. An easy way to incorporate a specific style is through light fixtures. I went with a rustic style to bring in a rugged feel with cool toned metals but still incorporate the softer look of natural wood tones that I love so much.
When I saw this Ackwood 7-Light chandelier from Home Depot’s Home Decorators Collection, I knew it was the one for our future dining room! I had the style down, but from here, I took note of all the elements that made this fixture special to me. I loved the wood tone, the cool metal, its shape, and the frosted glass. It is important to do this when you are trying to dress your entire home with new decor. This next tip will explain why.
2. Bounce a Specific Element
Once you’ve nailed down your style, your next step is focusing on specific elements. What I mean is, make sure that at least one element from each light fixture can flow to the next. You can allow that flow with the shape (square vs. circular), design (cage vs. drum), color/metal, or even the type of light bulb you use; think Edison bulb vs candelabra.
How simple is that!? I really believe these two tips will help so much when you begin the seemingly overwhelming process of purchasing light fixtures for your entire home!
Our Choices for Fixtures in Our Main Living Areas
After I chose our dining room chandelier, I knew I wanted to stick with the elements of straight edges and wood tones for all our fixtures. I searched the internet for anything that kept those features. I got so lucky when the majority of what I fell in love with was right down the road at our local home improvement stores. I always prefer having the opportunity to see items in person.
This Boswell Quarter 3-Light chandelier will be hung in our entry and our breakfast nook. The spaces are on opposite sides of the house which makes me more comfortable hanging the same fixture in more than one area. I probably wouldn’t choose the same fixture if the spaces were near one another-that’s just my personal preference.
You’ll see all the light fixtures I chose are square or rectangular. Also, they all share a similar wood tone. As far as design, I really prefer the cage design because it allows sight lines and doesn’t obstruct views as much as a drum or globe design might.
I thought I hit the jackpot when I found this Boswell Quarter collection! The 3-light chandelier is perfect for those larger areas, but the 1-light pendant is great for our hallways. We bought 6 of these pendants; three for each hallway.
While I was searching “rustic light fixtures,” I found these Palermo Grove Sconces and couldn’t resist. I had to find a place for them in our new home, so when our electric was being roughed in, I decided at the last minute that sconces would look so pretty on our large dining room wall. I am so glad I didn’t hold back. I know the soft light these sconces provide will be nothing short of amazing.
It makes my decorator heart so happy that all of our fixtures are pretty similar, but obviously not too matchy-matchy. I really can’t wait to hang them all up! I still have a few vanity lights to pick out, ceiling fans, and also our mini pendants for above one of our bars (see all about our kitchen here)– I’ll save those for a future post!
So that’s it, really. It can be totally overwhelming trying to pin down exactly what you want, but if you focus on sticking to one style and making sure to incorporate similar elements, I promise you’ll make the right choices!
What do you think of the rustic style I love? Do you have any other questions I haven’t answered in this post? Let me know!
As always, have a happy day!
