Choosing Contemporary Lighting for the Modern Home

If you are looking for contemporary lighting for your home and business, you will want fittings with simple, clean lines and bold, geometric shapes. Lighting is often overlooked in a contemporary or modern home, yet it is an interior essential and will enhance the overall aesthetics of a room.

Lighting fixtures were once fairly limited but, with the advance of more cutting edge materials, you can now achieve a range of looks with contemporary lighting, which serve as a feature in the room rather than just background. You can complete the look of your interior with simple furnishings, stripped hardwood flooring and daring wall art or a modern rug in a bright colour.

Contemporary lighting involves a whole range of materials including sleek metals such as chrome, stainless steel, nickel or aluminium. Or choose contemporary lighting that achieves a more natural look, such as a cluster of dramatic wooden floor lights in different sizes. Or, for a minimalist look, just a simple oversized shade in a bright colour will give your room a fun and edgy look.

It is always important to maximise the natural light in a contemporary home; however, artificial lighting adds to your interior and is an essential when the light fades. There are various types of contemporary lighting and this includes: wall lighting, ceiling lighting, mood lighting, lighting to help you carry out certain tasks in the home – such as lighting above a kitchen work surface or in a reading area – and accent lighting to highlight a particular area you want to showcase, such as a sculpture. Your choice of contemporary lighting can either make a statement or become a subtle addition to a room.

This article will look at some of the different looks in the living room that you can achieve with contemporary or modern lighting.

Contemporary Lighting – click here to view the location of our lighting showroom in north London

Dramatic Contemporary Lighting for the Living Area

With contemporary lighting, you can create a bold and dramatic look to your living area. One option is to have clusters of circular or cubic pendant lighting, in white or glass, which can become a fun focal point in an open plan living space. The rest of the room can be decorated in neutral colours with simple, streamlined furniture.

An alternative look is to have a statement furniture piece in a bright colour so it stands out in the room – such as a favourite chair. You can complement this with wall art, a rug and bold lighting in the same or a similar colour, while keeping the walls and furniture white and minimalist.

There are a wide range of dramatic contemporary lighting designs and these can include striking chandeliers in glass and chrome or eco-friendly lighting, such as a big bamboo floor light with an energy saving light bulb.

Some contemporary illuminations are more sculptural, such as a wall or ceiling lights designed to look like an exploding firework, or metal feature lights with shapes that take their inspiration from nature, like plants or sea life.

Another option in an open plan living area is to have an eye-catching but simplistic track lighting above a dining table in an open plan living/dining room. It may be that you don’t want the traditional form of white lighting but instead prefer multicoloured lights to add drama and impact.

Serene and Discreet Contemporary Lighting

When you are choosing contemporary lighting, you don’t necessarily have to go bold and dramatic; you can also choose modern lighting to create a more subtle look to your interior and add mood and atmosphere. This is ideal both for open plan contemporary living or a modern studio apartment.

Certainly, in a studio apartment you may not want to have such spectacular or oversized lighting, as this will drown the overall look of the room and make it appear cluttered or smaller. Instead, another option is to have track lighting or recessed lighting, which produces a more subtle, streamlined effect.

In an open plan living area, you will want focal points to draw your eye to various parts of the room. One idea is to use accent lighting to highlight a stunning contemporary sculpture or an elegant and artistic furniture piece – and you can achieve this with up lighting or wall lighting.

If you crave something different, there are some quirkier ways of using contemporary lighting, such as lighting within shelving or wall art. Contemporary lighting can achieve a soft and relaxing glow and make your home warm and inviting.

Contemporary lighting can also include task lighting, such as for reading, or to hang above an open plan kitchen work surface. Angelo’s sells a variety of chic contemporary lighting to achieve just the look you want.

About Angelo's Lighting

Angelo's Lighting sell a wide range of contemporary lighting and period lighting to enhance your home and business. We sell lighting at extremely competitive prices - and we won't be beaten on price!

Contemporary Lighting – click here to view the location of our lighting showroom in north London