The 3 Types of Lighting Every Room Needs | How to Make Your Home Feel Warmer, Cozier & More Beautiful

Hey Eoomies!!

Today we're talking about one of my absolute favorite elements of interior design.

Lighting.

And roomies, lighting is so much more than being able to see where you're walking.

You can spend months choosing the perfect furniture, obsess over the paint color, find gorgeous artwork, style every surface beautifully, and finally get those pillows exactly where you want them...

Then turn on one terrible overhead light and suddenly everybody looks like they're waiting at the DMV.

We are not doing that.

Lighting has the power to completely change how a room looks, how colors appear, how furniture feels, and even how you feel when you're in the space.

In today's video, we're visiting World Market here in Las Vegas and breaking lighting down into the three layers I think every thoughtfully designed room should consider:

Overhead lighting. Task lighting. Ambient lighting.

They each have a job.

And when those three layers start working together?

That's when a room really begins to glow.

Lighting Isn't the Final Detail

One mistake I see people make is treating lighting as something they think about after everything else is finished.

Furniture? Check.

Paint? Check.

Rug? Check.

Artwork? Check.

Okay, now let's find a lamp.

No, roomies.

Lighting needs to be part of the conversation from the beginning because light affects almost every other decision you make.

That beautiful paint color you chose in the store can look completely different under the lighting in your home.

Wood tones change.

Fabrics change.

Metals change.

Artwork changes.

Even the feeling of the room changes.

That's why good lighting isn't simply decorative.

It's part of the architecture of how a room feels.

Layer One: Overhead Lighting

Let's start at the top.

Overhead lighting gives us that larger wash of light throughout a room.

Think chandeliers, pendants, recessed lighting, flush mounts, semi-flush fixtures, and other ceiling-mounted lights.

This is usually the lighting you turn on when you need to illuminate the entire space.

And yes, overhead lighting is important.

But here's my little Roma warning:

Please don't make one ceiling light responsible for the emotional well-being of your entire room.

That's a lot of pressure for one fixture.

When overhead lighting is the only source of light, a room can sometimes feel flat or harsh.

That's why layering matters.

Your overhead fixture creates the foundation.

Then we start adding the personality.

A Chandelier Can Be Functional and Fabulous

I love when lighting becomes part of the design story.

A chandelier isn't simply something that produces light.

It can become artwork.

A beautiful fixture can draw your eye upward, emphasize ceiling height, establish the style of the room, or create that little moment of drama every room occasionally deserves.

And drama is perfectly acceptable when it's hanging from the ceiling and minding its business.

The key is scale.

A tiny fixture floating over a large dining table can look lost.

Something overwhelmingly large in a smaller room can dominate everything around it.

Lighting should feel connected to the proportions of the room and the furniture underneath it.

Layer Two: Task Lighting

Now let's talk about the lighting that actually helps us do things.

Task lighting is exactly what it sounds like.

It provides focused illumination for a specific activity.

Reading.

Cooking.

Working.

Putting on makeup.

Doing homework.

Playing the piano.

Working on crafts or hobbies.

This is where table lamps, desk lamps, floor lamps, under-cabinet lighting, vanity lighting, and other focused fixtures become incredibly important.

Think about the activities that happen in the room.

That's always where good design begins.

Not:

“What lamp is trending?”

Instead ask:

“What do I need to be able to do here?”

Design for the Way You Actually Live

You know I come back to this all the time.

Your home needs to support your real life.

If you love reading in a particular chair every evening, give that chair proper lighting.

Don't make yourself sit there holding the book at seventeen different angles trying to catch light from the chandelier across the room.

We're better than that.

If you cook frequently, make sure your kitchen work surfaces are properly illuminated.

If you put on makeup at a vanity, you need lighting that actually allows you to see what you're doing.

And if you play the piano, work on puzzles, sew, paint, or have another hobby, consider the lighting that activity requires.

Beautiful design becomes great design when it makes your life easier.

Layer Three: Ambient Lighting

Now we've arrived at the fun part.

Mood.

Ambient lighting is where we soften things.

It's that warm glow from a lamp in the corner.

The light washing gently across a wall.

A beautiful fixture illuminating a piece of artwork.

The little pool of light that makes a room feel cozy at night.

Ambient lighting isn't necessarily asking you to accomplish anything.

It's saying:

“Come sit down. You're done for the day.”

And I love that.

There is something almost emotional about softer lighting in the evening.

Your house begins to transition with you.

The energy changes.

The room feels quieter.

More intimate.

More comfortable.

That's why I believe lighting isn't only about visibility.

Lighting creates atmosphere.

Your Home Should Have Different Moods

Think about your living room at two o'clock in the afternoon versus nine o'clock at night.

Those are two completely different moments.

During the day, you may have natural light pouring through the windows.

Later, you might need overhead lighting.

Then evening comes.

Do you still need every light in the room blazing?

Probably not.

Turn off the overhead lights.

Switch on the table lamps.

Bring up the floor lamp.

Dim something.

Suddenly the exact same room feels completely different.

You didn't move the furniture.

You didn't repaint.

You didn't buy anything.

You changed the light.

That's how powerful lighting can be.

One Fixture Can Have More Than One Job

Here's another thing I want you to remember.

These three lighting categories don't always have to be completely separate.

A fixture can sometimes perform more than one job.

Your reading lamp is task lighting while you're reading.

But once you're finished, maybe you leave it on at a lower level and suddenly it's contributing to the ambient light in the room.

A chandelier may provide general overhead illumination during dinner.

Put it on a dimmer later and now it's creating atmosphere.

That's why I love dimmers.

They give one fixture multiple personalities.

Bright when you need function.

Soft when you want mood.

Same fixture. Different job.

That's smart design.

Please Consider the Light Bulb

We also need to have a tiny conversation about bulbs.

Because you can buy the most beautiful lamp in the world and put the wrong bulb in it.

And now we're back at the DMV.

Pay attention to brightness and color temperature.

Some spaces benefit from warmer light.

Other tasks may require something brighter and clearer.

You don't necessarily want every fixture throughout the entire house producing exactly the same type of light.

Think about what happens in each room and how you want that space to feel.

The fixture is the outfit.

The bulb is the personality.

Choose both carefully.

Lighting Changes Color

This is one of the reasons designers pay so much attention to lighting.

The same paint color can look different throughout the day.

Morning sunlight may make it appear one way.

Afternoon light changes it again.

Artificial lighting at night can completely shift the undertones.

The same thing happens with fabrics, wood, stone, metals, artwork, and flooring.

That's why I always encourage people to look at samples inside their actual home.

Don't fall in love with a paint swatch under the fluorescent lighting at the store and assume that's exactly what it's going to look like in your bedroom.

Take it home.

Look at it in the morning.

Look again in the afternoon.

Then look at it under your evening lighting.

Your room will tell you the truth.

Don't Forget the Dark Corners

Here's your homework.

Tonight, walk through your house.

Not during the brightest part of the afternoon.

Wait until the sun starts going down.

Then look around.

Where are the dark spots?

Is there a corner that disappears?

Is your favorite chair missing a lamp?

Does your living room have plenty of overhead light but no warmth?

Is your kitchen bright enough where you're actually preparing food?

Can you see properly at your bathroom mirror?

Does your bedroom feel peaceful at night—or does turning on the light make you feel like you're being interrogated?

Pay attention.

Your house will start showing you exactly what's missing.

Lighting Can Make a Room Feel More Finished

Sometimes people tell me a room feels like something is missing.

The furniture is there.

The artwork is there.

The rug is there.

Everything technically looks complete.

But it still doesn't feel finished.

Very often, I start looking at the lighting.

Adding a beautiful floor lamp to a forgotten corner can create balance.

A pair of lamps can establish symmetry.

A sculptural fixture can create a focal point.

A small accent light can highlight artwork or an architectural feature.

Lighting adds another visual layer.

And layers are what give rooms depth.

You Don't Need to Spend a Fortune

This is another reason I love lighting.

You can make a meaningful change without redesigning your entire home.

Maybe you simply need a floor lamp.

Maybe the lamps you already own need different shades.

Maybe you move one lamp from a bedroom into the living room.

Maybe you replace a bulb.

Maybe you add a dimmer.

Maybe you find something fabulous at World Market, HomeGoods, a vintage shop, an antique store, or somewhere completely unexpected.

Remember:

Shop your house first.

You may already own exactly what another room needs.

Light the Life, Not Just the Room

This is really what I want you to take away from today's conversation.

Don't think about lighting simply as fixtures.

Think about moments.

The lamp beside the chair where you read.

The pendant lights over the island where everyone gathers while you're cooking.

The bathroom lighting where you get ready in the morning.

The chandelier above the table where birthdays are celebrated.

The bedside lamp you turn off at the end of a long day.

Those aren't just sources of light.

They're part of the way you experience your home.

And that's why lighting matters so much to me as a designer.

A Home Should Change From Morning to Night

I think the most beautiful homes have rhythm.

They wake up in the morning.

They glow during the day.

And at night, they soften.

Our homes shouldn't feel exactly the same at every hour.

Neither do we.

Sometimes we need energy.

Sometimes we need focus.

Sometimes we need to accomplish something.

And sometimes we just need to sit down, turn on a beautiful lamp, and let the day be over.

Your lighting can support all of those moments.

Final Thoughts From Roma

Roomies, take a walk through your home and really look at the light.

Look up.

Look beside you.

Look into the corners.

Think about what you do in each space.

Do you have enough overhead lighting to illuminate the room?

Do you have task lighting where life actually happens?

And do you have enough ambient lighting to create warmth, softness, and mood?

You don't need to change everything at once.

Start with the room that feels the darkest.

Or the chair where you've been trying to read with terrible lighting for the last three years.

Add one lamp.

Change one bulb.

Install one dimmer.

Move one fixture.

Small changes can completely transform the way a room feels.

Because at the end of the day, great interior design isn't simply about making your home beautiful enough for someone else to admire.

It's about creating a home that supports you.

Your routines.

Your hobbies.

Your family.

Your quiet moments.

Your celebrations.

Your mornings.

And your nights.

So layer the lighting.

Turn down the brightness.

Create a little mood.

And yes, if you find a chandelier that makes your heart skip a beat...

Roomies, sometimes we need the chandelier.

As always, thank you for being here.

I look forward to creating with you.