Your Villa Magazine Desert Cities May-July 2021

D E S I G N + B U I L D Transforming your home lighting BrandPointContent.com edited by YourVilla Staff When it comes to choosing beautiful, functional lighting, the selections can appear endless and may be leaving you with no idea where to start. Erin Hoover, director-design, Luxury Space for Kohler Co., offers the following suggestions on choosing ideal home lighting. Factor in function. Ask yourself what you’d like your lighting to accomplish in the room you’re addressing. How is the room used? Do you need a main source of illumination for the space, or do you need to supplement that with decorative accents? Where do you need direct and indirect light? Consider existing architecture. Even if you like an eclectic look, you’ll want to at least partially align each fixture with the rest of your space in terms of form, line and/or color. In general, high ceilings work well with pendants, chandeliers and linear- style lighting and lower ceilings work better with flush or semi-flush fixtures and sconces. Stay savvy in the kitchen. Since most kitchens feature multiple light sources, Hoover recommends designating one fixture as your statement or focal piece, then choosing other functional and decorative accent pieces that align. Introduce style to your bathroom. Depending on your daily routines, you may want your bath to offer both bright, functional lighting (for grooming) and mood lighting (for relaxation). Popular layouts feature 7- to 9-inch sconces mounted on each side of a vanity mirror, or a larger single sconce placed on the wall overhead. In powder rooms where steam isn’t an issue, Hoover likes decorative sconces that feature linen-look woven shades; she also recommends installing dimmer switches. Fit out your foyer. Hoover recommends considering the height and depth of these important, first-impression rooms before deciding on the pendant, pendant cluster or chandelier that will make the right statement. “A single pendant can look stunning in a foyer that’s nine feet wide, whereas a 36-inch chandelier or two-tier chandelier is perfect in a grand foyer,” she advises. Since your lighting design is so important to the beauty, functionality and overall mood of your home, it should never be an afterthought. Take time to choose from the wide variety of bright, beautiful styles available, then invest in the fixtures that will truly transform your living spaces. 24 | YourVilla Magazine