Did you know the average American household has 67 lights in them? Or that single-family homes average closer to 80? With so many lights in your home, they deserve a little extra attention. So how do you go about finding or deciding on the right lighting for each room? Well, luckily I have a few recommendations on lights you need to elevate your home into a magazine cover-worthy modern farmhouse.
Before reading this, please remember that these are only suggestions. If you don’t like them or don’t have the budget for them, you can still have a stunning home. With that out of the way, let’s dive into the perfect lighting fixtures to bring your home to the next level.
Let’s start in the kitchen. As I often refer to it, the kitchen is truly the heart of the home, and the right lighting can make or break the room. Of course, a majority of kitchens have recess lighting and at least one hanging fixture, but the most luxurious kitchens have more than that. One of my favorite ways to add extra pizazz to your kitchen is to include lighting under the cabinets which adds visual depth into the space.
The under-cabinet lighting adds a special visual touch to the kitchen, but the additional brightness also makes working beneath the cabinets a little easier. These lights, especially if you use LED lights can also save you a ton of money on your electric bill. There are quite a few options for these depending on your budget, so do a little research to find the right one for you.
While we’re talking about kitchens, cabinet lighting for your glass door cabinets provides a luxurious look in your modern farmhouse kitchen. I would be remiss not to acknowledge my love-hate relationship with glass front cabinets. Although they can be beautifully done, they are also hard to clean and can present somewhat of a challenge to decorate. As you can see we are currently refreshing the decorations in ours. Regardless of my relationship with the cabinets, I feel like if you have them you may as well make them look as visually appealing as possible.
Adding LED light strips into your upper cabinets not only provides an elevated look to your display, but the additional feature also gives off the perfect dim lighting to leave on as a night light or mood lighting. The project itself isn’t too difficult and the finished project is well worth the time and money.
The next lighting upgrade may be a little boujee, but trust me when I say you will absolutely love it! Sometimes you often find yourself walking in and out of spaces with full hands and then have to go back and turn off the lights. Or if you’re like me, you forget to go back and that contributes to your ridiculously high energy bill. These are the perfect locations for automatic or motion sensor lights. Take for instance your closet, instead of having to leave extra space for a light switch, imagine ceiling to floor customized cabinetry all-around your closet that automatically lights up when you walk in. Sounds glorious, right?
Now imagine that one of those customized cabinetry doors instantly lights up and shines brightly on your neatly organized clothes and accessories. I guarantee you will feel like you’re living a dream. I recommend including these lighting fixtures in your pantry, closet, or laundry room.
This one is a big one – update your bathroom light fixtures. If you want to instantly elevate your home, this will do the trick. Bathroom fixtures typically have a dull, yellow glow and often mimic the lights found in your grandmother’s house. For whatever reason, it seems as if bathroom fixtures mostly remain throughout time in builder-grade homes. Switching your fixtures to unique, updated pieces or even swapping them over to wall sconces can make a glorious difference.
Remember that there are already quite a few different metals or hardware pieces in the bathroom, so I recommend matching your new fixture to the current (or desired) hardware. As I’ve previously mentioned, it’s okay to mix metals but try to limit them to two per room. In smaller bathrooms, it’s probably safer to stick to one finish, but feel free to get a little creative in larger bathrooms.
The last lighting update I recommend making in your farmhouse is to update the fixtures in your main living areas to statement fixtures. In your dining room add a royal chandelier, add in gorgeous pendant lighting in your kitchen, in the entry hall opt for a large round hanging light. These are purely examples and you can feel free to update as you’d like, but the main point is that swapping your flush mount ceiling fixture for something a bit more eye-catching will make a world of difference. Not only do these light fixtures provide an added aesthetic element, but they also tend to be brighter as well.
At the end of the day, lights are a prominent feature of most homes. To make your home the modern farmhouse of your dreams, try using some of the updates above in your home. Let me know in the comments below if you would like any additional tips on improving the light in your space or if you have any questions on how to implement the updates above!
