Lighting is an important aspect of home design that often goes overlooked. It can make or break your environment, and create an atmosphere full of serenity and visual interest, or lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Understanding how lighting works, and following some simple rules will not only enhance your decor, but will make every room feel more comfortable.

UNDERSTAND THE THREE TYPES OF LIGHTING

To maximize a room’s usefulness while adding beauty and drama, use all three:

-Ambient Lighting: Main source of light that illuminates the entire room, usually provided by a ceiling fixture.

-Task Lighting: Used for specific jobs like cooking, reading, or applying makeup.

-Accent Lighting: Brings drama and depth to a room, illuminates specific features like art, books, and architectural features.

LOCALIZE LIGHT SOURCES

-Avoid lighting an entire room with a single source, especially one overhead light, which leads to eye strain.

-Multiple points of diffused light that layer well with each other create the most visual interest.

-Use a variety of lamp heights to provide layered pools of light.

ALWAYS USE DIMMERS

-A single light source in the center of the room casts the same shadows throughout the day and night, creating tension. It’s more natural to have variations in light throughout the day.

-Reduce energy consumption and increase bulb life.

SCALE AND PROPORTION

Coordinate the size of table lamps with table height and furniture scale.

-A tall console table with a long piece of art above looks most appropriate with a tall, slender lamp.

-Low end-tables look great with shorter, more squat lamp designs.

Did you find this post illuminating? Begin personalizing your own space with our incredible selection of designer lighting.

If you love mixing prints or textures, layer neutral pillows to get an eclectic look while keeping a muted color palette.

To see more throw pillows, click here.

Rustic weddings are the perfect way to say “I do” with understated glamour. The talented event designer Matthew Robbins has compiled an edition of Bridal Insider in Bridal Guide magazine with essentials to pull off this stunning style, highlighting such items as Simon Pearce’s Nantucket Lantern.

Here are some of our other favorites for a beautiful rustic wedding:

Love is in the air, and we want to celebrate the season! For a limited time only, enjoy free shipping on any order over $200, including sale items! Here are some of our new favorites for yourself, or for your sweetheart:

Caring for your bed linens can be easy if you follow some simple suggestions. In return, you will prolong the life of your bed linens and preserve their beautiful appearance. While we recommend always reading the care label on each item for best results, here are some other helpful tips that will keep your linens fresh and clean.

Washing – Prewash your linens before first use. Separate your linens from other items in the wash, especially those containing polyester, which tends to create pilling, and items with heavy zippers, which can damage the fabric. Separate light and dark colors. Avoid overloading the washing machine, which can cause fibers to break down from excessive abrasion and agitation. You can wash most linens in warm water on a gentle cycle with a cold-water rinse, but be sure to check the care label.

 Detergent – Use a mild detergent without added bleach, whiteners, or fabric softeners. Do not pour detergent directly on textiles; rather, add it to the water as the wash tub fills or dilute detergent with water, then add linens. Unless linens are very soiled, you only need to use half the recommended amount of detergent. We love LeBlanc‘s Linen Wash in Blue Violet, which has a pH-balanced, bleach-free formula with a soft, floral scent.

Bleaching – Chlorine bleach will weaken fibers and cause the fabric to yellow. If white fabrics need bleaching, use an oxygen-based bleach.

Drying – While line drying outdoors is gentle, safe, and imbues linens with the fresh scent of the outdoors and natural bleaching of the sun, it is not always practical. You can machine dry most linens on low heat, but be sure to check the care label. Shake out damp linens before placing in the dryer. Never use a high heat setting, which will weaken the fibers, damage the fabric, increase shrinkage, and shorten the life of your linens. Remove items from dryer promptly, while still damp, to minimize wrinkles. Smooth and fold, or press with an iron, if desired. For that natural, outdoor scent without the sunlight, try LeBlanc‘s Lavender Dryer Sachets for a subtle hint of fragrance.

Ironing – Check to make sure your steam iron is clean – mineral deposits could cause brown spotting. Iron linens while still damp. To restore the lustrous face of sateen fabrics, iron on the reverse side. For embroidered linens, iron them on the reverse side atop a towel to preserve the three-dimensional effect of the embroidery. Use a press cloth to protect delicate lace and cutwork.

Shrinkage – All natural fibers will shrink to some extent, but in most instances we generously overcut our products to allow for shrinkage. Do not wash or, especially, dry linens on a hot setting, which is most likely to damage the fabric and intensify shrinkage. Always follow instructions on care label.

Storing Linens – Store bed linens in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Linens stored long term should be wrapped in white cotton, muslin (old pillow cases work well) or acid-free paper. Avoid storing linens in plastic bags or boxes, which can cause permanent yellowing; natural fibers need to breathe. Cedar chests can also yellow or streak fabrics. To keep your clean linens fragrant, we love elizabethW‘s Sachets and Drawer Liners.

For more from our Closet Shop, click here.

For over 150 years, Moser has been mastering works of art in their stunning lead-free crystal. In an array of dazzling colors, Moser‘s collections for bar and table strike a perfect chord in the chillingly beautiful hue of Alexandrite.

For more colorful crystal by Moser, click here.

Throughout Chinese history, the Horse has been a symbol of power, strength and freedom. Often associated with the sun or flame, the year of the Horse will be filled with adventure, speedy victories and travel. As we usher in this exciting New Year on January 31, 2014, these elegant and artistic keepsakes will remind us to live each day to the fullest:

If you love all of Herend’s colors but can’t decide on which one to get as a gift for a newborn or small child, you’re going to love the Patchwork collection.  Hand painted shades of green, blue, yellow, and pink on bright white porcelain, this is perfect for little boys and girls alike.

For more baby gifts, click here.

No.  Chlorine bleach will cause fading and discoloration. In addition, it will break down and permanently weaken cotton and linen fibers.  If necessary, we recommend using an oxygen-based bleach or better yet, a solution specially formulated to clean fine linens, such as Le Blanc’s Linen Wash.

Fabric softener is designed to coat fibers in oils, waxes and fragrances that might make the fabric feel soft, but the build-up of chemicals can damage the fabric over time. In addition, fabric softeners clog the pores of Egyptian cotton sheets, preventing them from breathing and decreasing the luster and gloss of the appearance. High quality Egyptian cotton linens do not need to be treated with fabric softener and, actually, with repeated washings and dryings, become softer naturally.

To view our Fabric Care selection, please click here.

This dining room from the Winter 2013 issue of California Home + Design looks like a work of art.  It features vintage Gio Ponti chairs, wall art made from 1970’s fabric design, and even a Tony Duquette Sunburst chandelier that was literally assembled one spear at a time:

But am I the only one who thinks “Better not touch anything here”?  A good room should not just be a museum, but a place where people feel comfortable.  The right rug could do exactly that for this dining room: Enhance the decor of the room, while letting you kick off your shoes and savor the wine, dessert, and company.

For example, Dash & Albert’s Icelandia Grey Hand Knotted Wool Rug is made from a soft tufted wool and has subtle gradations of grey to channel the modern and sophisticated look of the room:

This Safavieh rug by David Easton has a geometric pattern and colors that play with the pattern and tones of the art on the wall:

Finally, a Safavieh Oushak rug, like this one, could balance the room’s modernism with warmth and history:

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