You wouldn’t wear a hat, a scarf, and only one glove. No, you would complete the ensemble. So why would you invest in designer furnishings without upgrading your light fixtures as well? Not only does luxury lighting round out your décor, but it can also make one of the greatest impacts on your home’s look and feel. Done right, luxury lighting will highlight the best features – including your favorite pieces of furniture – while adding a strong sense of personality.

The ABCs of Luxury Lighting

Unlike high-end fashion, luxury lighting isn’t defined by a price range. The more important elements of luxury fixtures relate to the type of light they provide and the visual impact they make in a room. There’s an easy way to distinguish these pieces from the rest. Simply follow the ABCs of luxury lighting.

Ambient

When you think of luxury fixtures, chandeliers quickly come to mind. Indeed, these are true luxury lights, and they’re defined as such partly because they provide ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is the general lighting you need to see and move about a room. This overall illumination sets the tone and creates a uniform level of light throughout the space. In addition to various kinds of chandeliers, ambient lighting can come in the form of luxury pendants or wall sconces.

Bold

If luxury lighting is anything, it’s bold. This is where lighting designers pull on their artistic influences and incorporate intricate details that instantly draw attention. You might see pendants that look like a burst of fireworks or a chandelier that mimics a three-tiered wedding cake. Not to mention the use of high-end materials – like crystal, glass, gold and silver leaf – simply add to the intrigue. Luxe fixtures are meant to make a statement that is both stylish and visually powerful. In many cases, your luxury light fixture will be the focal point of the room.

Complementary

Even though upscale light fixtures are bold, that doesn’t mean they compete with the overarching style of the home – quite the contrary. Luxurious lights help define your home’s personality. In fact, it’s their originality that makes these fixtures such an impactful element. With their wide range of shapes, colors and sizes, they are uniquely designed to complement any space in the most tasteful of ways.

5 Luxury Fixtures to Elevate Your Décor

Here’s a look at the ABCs of luxury lighting in action.

1. Pulse by Corbett Lighting

With 16 bulbs, this fixture will provide most of the light in any room you choose to use it. Best of all, it offers multi-directional lighting. Hanging in the dining room, for instance, the Pulse pendant illuminates every seat around the table. It also casts a warm yellow glow, thanks to the gold leaf ribbons that wrap around each bulb. Between the gold finish and fluid ruffles, this is truly a transitional piece. It marries traditional colors with a contemporary form in a way that makes it a timeless favorite.

2. Courbe Duet by Synchronicity Lighting

The Courbé Duet gets its name from the French word ‘courbé,’ which roughly translates to mean ‘curves.’ While the two arches are practically mirrored images of one another, there’s much more to see than the elegant curvature. Reaching out from their center is a free-flowing branches that have been finished in soft gold. Like budding flowers on a stem, shimmering Swarovski Strass Wave Cut crystals sit at the end of each branch. This simple-but-stunning double pendant would complement a contemporary or modern home that stresses simplicity. Forget wall art. The Courbé Duet is all you need.

3. Darlana by Visual Comfort

If you’re looking for a more classic centerpiece, the Darlana in antique-burnished brass is a winner. Its four-piece candelabra is a traditional element, but the open metal cage lends a more transitional feel. While the design doesn’t scream bold and unusual, its sheer size does a good job of commanding an audience. You could fit this luxurious fixture in your vaulted entryway, stairwell, kitchen or living room. Not only would it light the space, but it would stand out – especially against white walls or crisp, white kitchen cabinets.

4. Chrysalita by Schonbek

The Chrysalita chandelier is the epitome of luxury lighting. It features strands-upon-strands of beaded glass that are dripping with clear Spectra crystal. If you look closely, you see that this chandelier is really two layers. The inner piece is a condensed stream of sparkle with a heavy basket at the bottom. But then there’s a cloak of spaced-out strands that add another layer and actually give the chandelier more size. Don’t let its innate qualities go to waste. Hang the Chrysalita in a prominent place, preferably a room you use every day.

5. Gemma by Frederick Ramond

You’ll never be short on illumination with the Gemma pendant. The dozens of crystal-and-amber prisms in a drum-like shape allow it to reflect light all throughout a room. These prisms are also the reason you see variations in tone and color, which create layers of texture. If you’re looking for bold, the Gemma will light up your space. Indeed, this piece of modern jewelry looks best in a contemporary setting. But the simple shape and silver leaf finish would also add sparkle to a traditional foyer. In either case, it will dress up your space.

The Right Way to Do Luxury Lighting

Now that you have a better understanding of what characterizes make up a luxury light fixture, you can find opportunities to use them throughout your home. While hiring a professional designer is always a helpful option, the process is not as complicated as you think. To create cohesive luxury lighting, follow these basic guidelines:

• Choose your space – Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to outfit your entire home with luxury light fixtures. Choose the rooms where it will have the most impact, such as a foyer, kitchen, main living space and bedroom.

• Make a statement – All it takes is one outstanding fixture to transform a room. Find the one that catches your eye, and there’s a good chance it’ll produce that awe-inspiring effect you want.

• Add layers – Support your statement piece with smaller fixtures that will build on the piece de resistance and bring out your room’s best assets. These may be wall sconces, recessed lights or other types of accent lighting. Play with your options to create layers of light throughout the room.

Elevate Your Décor

Don’t shortchange yourself or your home interior. If you’re going to upgrade your furnishings and accessories, you better add lighting to the to-do list, as well. Upscale fixtures not only add light to your space, but they complete your home’s overall style. Plus, you can easily accomplish luxury lighting with a few careful selections and thoughtful design steps. Make the change, and you’ll instantly elevate your décor.