Light, both natural and artificial, affects the entire atmosphere as well as the appearance of every room. This is one of the reasons why choosing and installing light fixtures requires some planning, creativity and effort. Furthermore, regardless of whether you are renovating your house or you want to spruce up your interior design, lighting fixtures offer an excellent way to add interest and style to your home or your business. Especially overhead lights. They are vital elements of every room, and because they come in so many great designs, shapes, sizes, colours, styles, finishes etc. you can utilise them as beautiful decorative pieces.
The easiest and most fun part about choosing overhead lighting fixtures is finding ones that complement your decor, the colours and enhance the style of a space. However, not only are there endless options when it comes to the visual aspect of light fixtures, but there are also several types, all with their own set of advantages regarding functionality and style. Of course, you don’t have to choose only one type for the entire home, or even for an entire room, but it’s important that the ones you choose give you enough light, and complement your style. The most common types of overhead light fixtures are pendant lights, chandeliers, flush and semi-flush lights or recessed lights.
Pendant Lights
Source: The Architecture Designs
One of the most popular types of ceiling lights, pendants are fixtures that feature one light bulb and, as their name suggests, hang from the ceiling. Not only do they offer great ambient lighting, but they can also be the perfect task light. This is why many homeowners and interior designers use them over the kitchen island, the dining table or another type of large counter. However, even though people often choose them in order to provide light in the kitchen, pendants can also be a great choice for the living room, the office room, the bedroom, etc.
Furthermore, because they are available in some incredibly beautiful styles, designs and finishes, you can get a dramatic pendant light as the main fixture in the middle of a room, as a stunning decorative element. They can be accompanied with recessed lighting fixtures to provide more brightness, should you need it, like in the kitchen or in the living room, or you can combine them with a nice desk or floor lamp in an office room, for instance.
When they are installed above a kitchen island, homeowners choose to use more of them, in an odd number, typically three. The three pendants are placed with an equal amount of space between them and centred. Pendants are usually positioned in the centre when they are installed over tables and other larger objects, or if they are installed as the main lighting fixture in a room. Also, you need to make sure that they aren’t positioned in a way that they would obstruct the view or you would look directly into the light.
Chandeliers
Source: Living Story
Like pendant lighting fixtures, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, but they are multi-arm, or simply put, they feature more light bulbs. However, unlike a pendant light, a chandelier isn’t the best option if you are looking for a lighting fixture to hang above a kitchen island or in a smaller room as chandeliers are often bulky and add a lot of visual weight.
Nevertheless, they are one of the most interesting decorative fixtures, which can add a lot of class and elegance, and they are most commonly used in living rooms or other larger rooms. Furthermore, they are always used as the main lighting in a room, and it isn’t common to use them as a part of a lighting composition.
Chandeliers come in many different designs, sizes, so they can look beautiful in most contemporary homes, affecting the ambience of the room, and making it more aesthetically pleasing and balanced. They are the perfect decorative element if you want to add drama to a room. They instantly capture the eye, as they are designed to impress. This is why they are often chosen for bigger open areas, rooms with a higher ceiling, set at the centre of the room. Nevertheless, because they are so impressive, if you decide to use a chandelier in your room, you should make sure that it matches the rest of your room perfectly. This includes the floor, the walls, the art, the decorations, and so on.
Like pendant lights, when you are installing a chandelier proportion is vital. If the lighting fixture is too small for the room, it can seem out of space and underwhelming, and if it’s too big, it can feel overwhelming. Furthermore, you have to make sure you position it right in regards to the floor or the object above which it’s hanging.
Flush or Semi-Flush Lights
Source: Pavilion Broadway
One of the most common types of ceiling lighting fixtures in today’s homes, regardless of the style they are decorated in, are flush mount or semi-flush mount lights. They are also called simply ceiling lighting fixtures because they are mounted directly on the ceiling. These types of fixtures are available in many different styles and finishes, so they are often used to add more style and beautiful illumination. They can provide a great task light, and they can also be great for creating a nice warm ambience over a wide area in a room.
Flush mount light fixtures are mounted close to the ceiling, whereas semi-flush mount ones are suspended, with a small gap between the fixture and the ceiling. Both types are a good choice for busy rooms, as well as smaller places, like hallways and bathrooms, because they can illuminate the space alone, without the need for other fixtures.
Furthermore, flush mount fixtures are much better suited for rooms with lower ceilings, than pendant ceiling lights or chandeliers, or even semi-flush mount fixtures. Like with other lighting fixtures, flush and semi-flush mount fixtures have to be placed strategically, with proportion always in mind, especially if you are placing more than one in one room.