How to Layer Lighting
Hi everyone! I hope you’ve had a happy, healthy, and sane holiday season. Now that it’s officially 2023 and we’re fresh off of all the excitement, it’s time for a little R&R. For me, that means cozying up in our home with blankets, old movies, and some rustic winter meals (this soup from Half Baked Harvest was excellent - we paired it with a loaf of rosemary sour dough). Part of creating this blissful hibernation atmosphere is having just the right lighting in our home during the long nights.
If you follow any other interiors accounts on social media, you likely saw the video trend where people make it very clear that the one rule in their home is to “never use the big light”. Well, we do use the big light, but I refuse to put it above 27% dimness. The key to creating a perfectly Hygge vibe is layering your lighting. I like to leave the twinkly lights up long past the end of the holidays, as their warmth and sweetness cannot be beat. Where we live, the snowy and cold weather hasn’t even started yet, and I like to have some cozy tricks up my sleeve for when it finally hits!
No matter what time of year it is, making sure you have a variety of lighting in your home is going to make it feel a hell of a lot better. My formula is to have at least 2 of the following:
A dimmable overhead light fixture
A floor lamp
A table lamp
Sconces
Candles
The more you layer, the more interesting and beautiful your interior scene will become. Regardless of how many lights you have, I consider it to be best practice to have them all on dimmers. It gives you so much flexibility to set the atmosphere to your mood, whatever it may be in the moment.
For me, having just the right lighting in my home helps me romanticize life a little more. It recalls a time when we didn’t even have electricity, when we were more in sync with the sun’s rhythm and the night was a sacred space to unwind without distraction. Not to mention, having the lights down lower really helps me adjust into sleep at bedtime.
If you’re feeling like the lighting in your home is somewhat one-dimensional (this is often the case if your main source of illumination is recessed lights), toss in even a single lamp and see what happens! I can promise you, shortly you’ll be very much invested in painting your nighttime canvas.
Below are some light fixtures and lamps that I’m absolutely loving lately, in case you need some inspiration to get started! Images are all linked to the product page.
The Yaffa Pendant from Lostine.
Riaz chandelier from Lulu and Georgia.
Piaf Chandelier from Stoffer Home.
The Aldorno sconce from McGee and Co.
The Arthur table lamp from Amber Interiors.
The Clark flush mount from Circa Lighting. TBH it’s pretty damn expensive for a flush mount but it’s PERFECT.
Until next time,
Nicki
