Change the entire look of a space, indoors or out, with lighting that expresses your personality, sets a mood or simply illuminates a space in the best possible way. Chris Madden, host of HGTV's Interiors by Design, visits with lighting-design expert Paul Osgood at the Callard & Osgood design showroom in Chicago's Merchandise Mart to examine the wide variety of lighting options available.
Table lamps and floor lamps are often used in living rooms and family rooms to provide overall lighting. A light-colored shade is best for filling a space with even amounts of light, whereas a dark shade contains the light and directs it downward -- a good choice for showcasing items on a tabletop. Track lighting and recessed lighting are also used for highlighting items such as wall art and freestanding sculpture.
In the dining room crystal chandeliers are a beautiful traditional choice but certainly not the only option. A metal chandelier with rawhide-edged shades would lend a rustic touch to a southwestern-style dining room (figure A). A wine lover might prefer a metal chandelier with twining grapevines and hanging bunches of grapes -- an appealing look for a French country kitchen or dining room.
A swing-arm lamp, mounted on the wall next to a bed or placed next to an armchair, makes a good reading lamp. Halogen lights are especially good for reading: their bright light and true color make the written word jump off the page.
Wall sconces (figure B) -- fixtures mounted on a wall -- come in a variety of styles and may be used in a hallway or bathroom or to flank a bed or a fireplace. When mounting a wall sconce in a hallway, pay attention to the depth of the fixture to make sure it doesn't impede traffic.
Dimmer switches expand the lighting range of a single fixture. Set the light high for allover lighting, lower for romantic or relaxing evenings.
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