Indoor lighting does more than illuminate your home – it completely transforms the whole energy of your space. Did you know that interior lights can be used as a statement, rather than just as a light? You can find endless designs that suit your home and act as the hero of a room, drawing eyes and captivating hearts like a glowing sculpture.
It’s an important design aspect that creates character, depth, and warmth with different types of indoor lights. From wall lamps that set the mood, to wall lights for living room areas that make a statement, there are countless ways to give your home a glow up – so much so that it can feel a little overwhelming to choose the perfect ones for your home.
That’s why we’re here to help.
We’ve curated the best indoor lighting ideas for your home in 2023 to help you transform your space and feel confident about what you choose.
While we’re including the hottest interior lighting trends of the year, we’ve also kept in mind the importance of choosing classic designs that have a timeless feel to them.
Now, let’s jump right in!
Why Good Lighting is Important for Your Home
If you’re about to renovate and lighting isn’t near the top of your to-do list, then it’s time to do some priority shifting. Interior lights are an essential part of transforming any home because they brighten up a space, prevent it from feeling cramped, and make the area feel warmer and more welcoming.
And it isn’t just important for any home renovation project – you can update your lighting situation at any time! Simply swap out the old in bring in a fresh, new fixture.
Lights are used in interior design to enhance a space and change the ambience. How often have you gone to a restaurant with low lighting and felt the romantic vibes? Or a doctor’s office with harsh LEDs that make the room feel cold and unwelcoming? Those illuminating bulbs are doing so much more than brightening up a room – they’re completely changing how you view the space.
Understanding the Role of Lighting
Let’s look at wall lights for living room areas as an example of why good lighting is important for your home. These are considered an important design feature in living areas because they can be used as a decorative accent to enhance the space, and they illuminate much softer than some ceiling lights.
While you can still have a ceiling light in the room, you can pair it with some wall lights to pick-and-choose when you want the room to be brighter or dimmer. Without them, you aren’t able to control the room’s brightness as much, and the space could feel empty and incomplete.
Top Indoor Lighting Trends 2023
Each new year brings new interior design trends, and 2023 is well and truly here with plenty of hot lighting trends you can easily bring into your home.
Layered Lighting
Layering your interior lights is a popular trend that looks like it’s here to stay. Not only does it look dynamic and beautiful, but it’s also highly functional as you can illuminate specific zones in one space, like an open-plan living area with a kitchen and dining space. You can install wall lamps in the lounge area for a soft touch, layered with a pendant light above the dining table, and ceiling lights for a brighter option.
Make a Statement
A unique, designer lighting fixture can create the most magnificent statement in your space, like a glimmering sculpture. It doesn’t even always have to be so dramatic – a large fixture with a simple design can stand out just as much as a sculptural one, which is ideal for those going for a minimalist vibe.
A chandelier is forever timeless, and you can find plenty of contemporary chandeliers to match your home’s personal style. Just make sure your statement light is larger than other fixtures in the space and consider how it illuminates the room.
Metallic and Natural Finishes
Metallic finishes might seem intimidating at first, but they’re actually quite simple to incorporate with existing décor when you choose the right colour for your space. Gold, silver, and rose gold metallic finishes are all easy to work with. Try styling metallic in your kitchen or bathroom where there are other similar finishes on hardware and appliances. It’s a little touch of luxe without going overboard.
Natural finishes like marble, travertine, and other stones are popular all-over interior design, and lighting is no different. These materials bring a soft, calming energy to your space, especially when paired with soft bulbs. Check out both finishes for yourself and see what suits your home the best.
Space-Saving Solutions
Sconces are one of the biggest indoor lighting trends of the year, but they’re also an item we can see sticking around for years to come. Sconces are a type of wall light that are typically used decoratively, as well as to illuminate a space. In 2023, like countless years before, saving space is important for many homeowners, and sconces are the perfect solution.
If you love a tall floor lamp but don’t really have the space, a sconce is an excellent way to make a statement and brighten the room. Recessed lighting is also a timeless classic that will brighten things up without taking up any room.
Creative Lighting Ideas to Enhance Your Home's Aesthetic
Are you making the most out of your lighting at home? There are many ways you can completely elevate your house’s overall vibe with some simple lighting changes. Here are our favourite unique ideas that will transform your space.
Doubles and Threes
Don’t be afraid to double up on those hanging lights, or even add three to create an even more impactful look. Two pendants will add symmetry in any room, while three makes them a statement piece. Just make sure you consider your ceiling height before you hang them up.
For instance, if you’re hanging a few pendants over your dining table, make sure that the bottom of the light is around 30cm to 50cm underneath an average 2.4m ceiling. If your ceiling is higher, add 7cm for every additional 30cm of ceiling height.
Create a Piece of Art
Whether you don’t have enough room on your walls for art, or you just love making an artsy statement, choose lights that also look like an art piece. From interesting shapes to unlikely textures like earthy terracotta concrete, there are many different types that make a bold statement and let your creative soul shine in your home.
Texture and Shape
Have some fun with the textures, shapes, and overall designs of your lights! Whether it’s a textured travertine wall lamp, or a fluted glass pendant, you can instantly enhance a space with a unique fixture. One of our favourite ways to spice up a room is to mix metal finishes with stone, creating a beautiful juxtaposition between contemporary and organic.
Dim the Lights
Achieve that effortlessly chic vibe in your bathroom or powder room by adding one or two low-hanging pendant fixtures beside the mirror and dim the brightness. Double points if it’s a warm, yellow light! This creates such a boutique feel, elevating the space with soft, glamorous lighting. Using a dimmer rather than a low-voltage fixture also gives you the ability to brighten things up if needed.
Hotel Vibes
Ever been to a beautiful hotel and fell in love with the luxurious vibes of the bedroom? Installing a pendant fixture that hangs low enough to reach the side of the bed is an easy trick to make your own bedroom feel like a glamorous hotel room. Make it a glass pendant for an ultra-sleek, stylish feel. Simply warm things up with your own comfy and stylish cushions, furniture, and other décor, and you’ve got yourself all the hotel vibes, but in a space that truly feels like home.
Wall Lamp Focal Points
Creating focal points is a huge part of interior design to make a space feel more balanced and harmonious. You can use lighting to do this by putting wall fixtures to create a focal point. Generally, you should put two identical fixtures to create symmetry, and this will make a room feel more welcoming and finished.
Create More Space
Who would have thought that a large ceiling light would create the illusion of more space in a room? Don’t hesitate to go big with your statement fixtures, like huge pendants or chandeliers, which are going to draw the eye upwards and disperse plenty of light to make a room appear more spacious. This works especially well for small spaces – just make sure it’s not so low that you’ll hit your head on it! If that’s an issue, simply hang it over a coffee table.
How to Choose the Right Indoor Lighting Fixtures
When it comes to finding the perfect lights, there’s no real right or wrong answer, but there are some guidelines that can help you narrow down your choice. Follow these four important steps when choosing the best indoor lighting fixtures for your space.
1. Consider the Lighting Type
There are three types of light to know about when choosing fixtures: Ambient, accent, and task lighting.
Ambient is the type you’ll see in every single room as it’s used to illuminate the whole space – examples include recessed lights, LED’s, ceiling fans with lights, chandeliers, and sconces.
Accent is pretty much what it sounds like – lights that are used to create accents in a room. These typically come in a decorative form with interesting shapes and designs, but accents can also be created using recessed lights and wall sconces.
Task is used to help directly illuminate a space when you’re doing a task, such as cooking, getting ready in the bathroom mirror, reading a book, working at a desk, and so on. These include table lamps, cabinet lights, vanities, and some wall fixtures made for direct light.
Now, walk around your home and take note of which types correspond best with certain rooms.
2. Think Practical and Pizzazz
While lights serve a practical purpose, don’t forget that they can also being used in a decorative way. Like an art piece on your wall, a light fixture can take your space to another level with interesting, eye-catching features.
Create a balance in your home by having a mix of both practical and decorative. Walk around and consider which rooms could go heavier with the decorative to make a statement, like your living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Go for an oversized fixture for dramatic effect, and then style it with smaller fixtures to balance out the look.
3. Understand Each Room's Function
Every room has its own function, and lighting plays a big part in assisting with that. Consider the role of a room and how it needs to be illuminated.
For example, a living room works best with dimmable lights or a mix of ambient and accent fixtures to set the mood. Other examples include your bathroom, which should generally be bright to help you get ready from all angles, and your bedroom, which works best with soft light for winding down before going to sleep.
4. Choose a Style
Once you’ve got all the rest figured out, now you can have fun with choosing the design and style of the fixture. Think of a room’s aesthetics and either match or contrast them.
For instance, if your space is highly contemporary with sleek lines and textures, create an eye-catching contrast by installing a travertine sconce with a carved stone and natural look. Or, if your home is quite earthy and soft, juxtapose the look with sleek shapes and metal materials as seen in many modern pendant lights.
Your Guide to Lighting Like a Pro
With this ultimate guide to indoor lighting, you now have the best tools under your belt to create a cohesive and balanced space using the right fixtures that match your interior style.
Those glowing bulbs do so much more than just brighten your home and let you see in the dark – they change the entire mood of a room, can make a small space feel large, draw the eye to wherever you want it to go, and they can serve as a decorative piece to elevate a space.
Now it’s time to get out there and start having fun! There’s no better time than now to experiment with various lighting ideas and fixture designs to make your space come to life and create the perfect ambience.
Explore our range of lights today and find the perfect fit for your home.
