It Up
Learn about the types of lighting you should use in your farmhouse.
Lighting is essential to any home, and farmhouse lighting will add just the right country pizzazz to your style. But what kinds of lights should you use? Here are the best types of farmhouse lighting for your home.
CHANDELIERS
These will be your statement lighting pieces, and you can use them in just about any room. A chandelier can be large or small to accommodate the space. But think about how much illumination you need in the room before you decide on a chandelier. “If you want something that brightens up your room, then you need a six-, eight- or twelve-light chandelier,” says Diane Garber, owner of Garber’s Crafted Lighting. The greater the wattage, the more a light will illuminate the space.
PENDANTS
Pendant lights are similar to chandeliers in that they hang down from the ceiling. But while chandeliers have many bulbs that branch out from the single light, pendant lights have fewer bulbs—often just one. Depending on your space, they can work well individually or in a group (try three together), often in the kitchen above the island or sink area.
FLUSH MOUNTS
Flush mounts are lights that are fixed to the ceiling, but don’t hang down far into the room. Instead, they’re closer to the ceiling (“flush” with the wall). “The type of light you get will depend on the head room,” Diane says. “For a ceiling height of less than eight feet, we recommend a flush-mount type.”
Flush mounts are a type of ambient light, which means they’re a functional light to brighten the whole space. They work well in small spaces where you only want one light switch to turn on, such as mudrooms, hallways and sometimes bedrooms.
WALL SCONCES
Wall sconces attach to the side wall instead of the ceiling. Sconces work well for small spaces like bathrooms, hallways and window seats. “In bathrooms, you can put the sconces on the side of the mirrors or the top of the mirrors,” Diane says. “We have customers at Garber’s Crafted Lighting who do both.”
Vanity lighting is often listed on home décor shopping sites as separate from other wall sconces. The main difference? Usually traditional wall sconces have one light, whereas bathroom vanity lighting often has several bulbs coming from one fixture.
FAN LIGHTS
Should you use a ceiling fan as your main lighting in a room? Maybe. Fan lights are often not as bright as other types of ambient lighting. “Fan companies only let a certain [wattage] go through the fan,” Diane says. Ceiling fans will work best paired with other types of lighting, even in smaller spaces like bedrooms. You can certainly use your ceiling fan as part of your farmhouse lighting lineup, but use it along with other lights too, such as lamps.
TABLE LAMPS
Table lamps are one of the most versatile types of lighting because you can put them on almost any flat surface, from a side table to a nightstand or even on top of the piano. Use table lamps to fill in where your other lighting doesn’t reach, and especially near seating areas. To make your table lamps fit your farmhouse style, use pieces with metal bases for an industrial feel.
FLOOR LAMPS
Like table lamps, floor lamps can go wherever you don’t have other lights. They’re useful for spaces where there’s no electrical wiring for ceiling lights and you don’t want to rip out part of the ceiling to add some. Try lamps with wood or metal bases, plus a simple and neutral lampshade.