Lighting is a vital component in any part of your home. From making a space functional to creating breathtaking and stylish displays, there’s no end to the benefits good lighting practices can offer. However, even so, it’s common to neglect the home’s entryway in the interest of saving time—and maybe even a little bit of cash. But we’re here to tell you that incorporating quality lighting in this space is incredibly advantageous to anyone who wants to come home to a warm environment every day. Read on to learn how to choose the perfect lighting for an entryway and what makes it so effective at creating positive first impressions.
Lighting and First Impressions
Upon first stepping foot into your home, visitors immediately begin to take stock of what’s in front of them. Everything from the coat rack to the colors of the walls is on full display, and the area’s lighting allows them to see it all properly. As such, lighting plays a critical role in helping your guests generate a positive first impression. After all, if they can’t see what they’re doing, it can severely detract from the warm and welcoming vibe you’re trying to create for them. Because of this, taking the time to craft your entryway lighting carefully can go a long way in making guests feel comfortable in the rest of the home.
Important Factors To Consider
Now, to begin choosing the perfect lighting for an entryway, you must understand all that goes into it. Entrances can be more challenging to illuminate than one might think because they tend to have fewer uniform shapes and a lot more nooks and crannies for shadows to hide in. These features can severely hinder a fixture’s ability to saturate the area with light. For this reason, the lighting you pick will depend entirely on your home’s specific entry and its current weaknesses. These are some of the critical factors to keep in mind as you narrow your choices so that you can turn those setbacks into strengths.
The Size of the Area
Firstly, take some time to write down your entry space’s measurements. To ensure your chosen fixture has a large enough illumination radius, you’ll need to understand how much room you’re trying to fill. As such, it doesn’t make practical sense to use a single ceiling pendant for a large area—nor to use a bulky chandelier in a small room. You want your fixture to give off just the right amount of light to fill the space without making it too bright. So, as you’re shopping, ask how large the effective range is for individual fixtures, and compare it to your home’s needs.
Height From the Floor
Just like the size, you also want to account for how high your fixture will be from the floor to help you pinpoint the maximum dimensions your chosen products can be. There should always be at least seven to eight feet of space between the floor and the bottom of your hung fixture. Otherwise, you risk not being able to walk under it comfortably. As such, make sure to measure the height of your entryway and familiarize yourself with how you’ll need to position certain types of fixtures.
Your Home’s Existing Style
You should keep the rest of your home’s style in mind as well. After all, your entryway is just setting the stage for what’s to come further in. You want to purchase a fixture that complements the rest of your home’s existing style. Failing to take your home’s current aesthetics into account can result in the space feeling disconnected from the design, decreasing the effectiveness of the warm, welcoming atmosphere you worked so hard to create. Therefore, whether you use a similar color or the same metal accent, you’ll benefit from finding some way to connect the spaces.
Additional Tips for Selecting Entry Lighting
But this isn’t all you have to consider. In fact, many smaller details can still significantly affect how the finished product looks. These are a few additional tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your new entry lighting fixtures.
Remember Your Options
There are thousands of different lighting fixtures on the market, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks, depending on its use. The same is true for models that you can use in entryways. You’ll need to weigh all your potential options carefully and pick the one that meets the most needs. For entries, specifically, it’s common to see everything from wall sconces near the door to an extravagant chandelier overhead. Sifting through all the types available to you will help you narrow them down.
Include a Metallic Accent
As previously mentioned, consistency between the entry and the rest of the home will be essential for carrying the atmosphere throughout. One trick to do this is to pick a fixture with a similar metal accent of some kind. Even if you choose a product with an entirely different style, using the same type of metal will connect it aesthetically to your home’s other hardware. This trick seamlessly matches the two looks without you needing to do additional research.
Choose Models Compatible With Dimmers
It’s also incredibly beneficial to purchase fixture models that are compatible with dimmers. These will allow you to adjust the lighting as you see fit and maintain control over the space. Fortunately, most modern lighting products come with this feature, allowing you more flexibility in your choices.
If you need help finding the right lighting fixtures for your home’s entryway, look no further than Bicycle Glass Co. Our skilled team of glassblowing artists works tirelessly to bring you the most stylish and unique pieces on the market. From single pendants to chandeliers, our handblown glass lighting products are beautiful and capable of complementing any home design. We also have experienced design professionals ready to answer any questions you may have about the elements of high-performance lighting arrangements, so we can be just the resource you need to get this upgrade underway.
