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Changing your lighting on a budget
By Karen Hughes
We aren't all blessed with bucket loads of money to throw at improving our living space. Here are a few tips that can change the way you feel in your home by simply changing the lighting arrangements.
Buy yourself a lamp. They've been around forever but when was the last time you looked at the vast range of lamps that are available today? The form of lamp that most people are familiar with is that old favourite the table lamp. The electric table lamp has evolved from generations of oil and gas lamp. It is versatile and portable, as far as the flex will reach! It gives out a pool of light that is usually directed down and creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. Lamps are available in many forms with bases that can be made from glass, stone, metal, wood and even ceramic. Shades also come in many shapes and sizes and a wide range can be found online. You don't even have to travel to the store to get your new lamp it can be purchased online and delivered direct to your door.
Consider using candles. For many years candles were an expensive luxury that most people could not afford. They relied on the light given off by their heat source, usually the fire in the hearth, or simply retired to bed at dusk when sunlight faded. Nowadays candles are very affordable and available from many different stockists. Try using a tall candle in an elegant candlestick to bring a touch of class to your dining room or a short broad candle to bring intimacy to the bedroom. You've not extracted the full pleasure from a long soak in the bath until you've led there in flickering candle light.
Buy a clip spotlight. These are essentially a bulb attached to a giant clip. They plug in to your electric socket and can then be clipped to curtain rails or other suitable mount. Be careful though, the wires do trail from the socket to the light and it's easy to trip over them and pull the spotlight away from where it has been secured.
Add silver or gold paper to the inside of a lamp shade. Gold paper makes the light shining from the lamp feel warmer whilst silver paper gives a cooler feel. Make sure the paper you use is fire proof though as shades can get hot.
Make the most of the natural light that falls into your room. A blind at the window can help to reflect light into the room whilst a large mirror carefully positioned can greatly increase the general brightness in any area. Ensure that drapes are held well back from a window as bunched drapes hanging in front of the glass when pulled can drastically reduce the natural light entering a room.
Whatever you decide to do it will be a lot cheaper than a major refit.
About the Author
Karen Hughes is an interior decor consultant, get further lighting ideas at http://www.lighting-capital.com this is your first stop for information about lighting.
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