Lighting within a space can make a night-and-day difference in its overall atmosphere. When working with smaller and more confined spaces, it’s especially important to be strategic in your choice of lighting to optimally brighten the area. Certain lighting techniques can illuminate smaller spaces more effectively than others.
Lighting choices can be customized to fit any aesthetic, all while keeping the size of the space in mind. The following techniques will help you optimize your lighting and create ambience within a smaller space.
1. Dazzle Your Space with Chandeliers
Chandeliers might seem too large for small spaces but they can be designed to maximize their illuminating effect. Choose something with an open design so none of the light is blocked like a modern rustic chandelier. Or if you have a more extravagant style, adding something with lots of glass or crystal pieces can help refract the light and brighten your space. Chandeliers can bring a note of elegance and sophistication to any size space.
Available in various styles, they can be designed with either stand-alone bulbs, or bulbs that are contained within clear glass, acrylic, or other unobtrusive material such as thin brass wiring. Lighting can even be further enhanced, creating sparkle, as crystal chandeliers with surrounding crystal prisms.
2. Make a Statement with Stunning Pendant Lights.
When working with a smaller space, it’s especially important to keep size and proportion in mind. Perfect for both their dimension and design, pendant lights are a great option for lighting up a smaller area without overcrowding the space.
In order to get the most out of your pendant light fixture, opt for something without a shade so none of the light gets blocked. If a shade is a must, choose a wide design to disperse the light as much as possible. Other designs might feature an open lantern style to allow plenty of light through the glass or even crystal elements that enhance and reflect light throughout your space.
Both space-savvy and stylish, pendant lights are simple and minimalistic in their design—taking up very little room while offering optimal illumination.
3. Illuminate From All Around with Wall Sconces
Sconces are versatile wall mounted fixtures that are especially perfect for smaller spaces. Tasteful, functional, and refined, wall sconces can be discreetly positioned and don’t take up any of your high-value floor space.
Whether you choose a more minimalist and sleek design or a luxurious fixture like the one below, these small lights can make a big impact on a space. Sconces reflect light off the walls they’re installed on and sometimes even the ceiling. Depending on your budget and tastes, you can opt for sconces with one bulb or multiple bulbs for even more light.
Wall sconces can even function as task-oriented lighting in certain rooms of your home. For instance, installing the right sconces adjacent to your bathroom vanity mirror can elevate the space and offer extra lighting while you’re getting ready. Likewise, sconces can add a tasteful touch of lighting to illuminate some of your favorite artwork on the wall.
4. Brighten Dark Corners with Standing Lamps
A great way to illuminate all corners of a smaller room is to situate light sources wherever they’re needed most. By placing standing lamps in darker corners, you eliminate shadow traps in the room and open up the space so it appears much bigger when it’s all lit up.
If the natural lighting in your space shifts throughout the day, consider getting an adjustable lamp that you can position differently depending on where you need the light. Classic standing lamp designs use lamp shades, but it’s important to consider getting a shade with a wide opening on the top and the bottom, like the ones below. This allows the light to brighten the space in both directions.
Additionally, standing lamps are generally easy to move around and adapt to the design of your space any time you feel like changing up your setup.
5. Add Light and Heat with a Fireplace
Adding a fireplace is yet another way to add light–and warmth–to a smaller space. Depending on the fireplace and the way it's incorporated into the space, they can take up very little room. Installing a modern fireplace can be a perfect way to add a focal point to the room, and even add more surface area to display artwork or other accent pieces on the mantel.
When working with smaller spaces that may otherwise feel cramped, opt for an electric fireplace that will take up little floor and wall space. These fireplaces won’t be obtrusive but will still illuminate the room and create a cozy feeling. What’s more, many modern fireplaces can be installed to have different control settings, allowing you to set whatever ambience you want, whenever you want.
Conclusion
We know your options are limited when working with a space that’s small and compact. Lighting can work wonders to not only brighten up a room, but create an illusion of more openness and space within otherwise confining walls.
Any of the above mentioned lighting techniques are sure to help you transform your small space into a warm and inviting one with the powerful effect of proper lighting. Use any technique, or a combination of them, to liven up your space with some strategic illumination.
Author Bio:
Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.
