Matching your lighting to your furniture
A harmoniously decorated interior combines modern furniture with the right light fittings. Pendants, ceiling lights, bedside lamps and wall lights all need to be skilfully matched to your furniture to avoid any style faux pas. Bringing these two worlds together can be tricky, though, not least because light fittings are seen more as sources of light than as decorative pieces in their own right. Should you choose lights in the same colour and material, or furniture whose shapes and design might create an unharmonious jumble? When it comes to matching your lighting to your furniture, everything can be open to doubt. Yet by following a few simple, practical tips, you can easily find the right pairing between your light fittings and your furniture for a harmonious, welcoming interior.
Choose your lighting to suit the colour of your furniture and interior
Your furniture should work with the dominant colours in your home, whether in harmony or in contrast. If you have gone for an all-white look, you have probably chosen a white sofa, a white coffee table, a white console table and a few touches of anthracite grey and beige in the rug or your pictures. In this case, choose light fittings in a colour that breaks up all that white and adds depth to your decor. An all-over look is certainly on trend, but it can quickly become a risky bet, as it is easy to slip into something flat and monotonous. So opt for a multicoloured pendant, a yellow floor lamp or a gold table lamp to go with a decor based on white furniture. If you love the warm colours of Nordic style, you can easily choose light fittings in neutral colours to avoid overloading your living spaces with colour. So if your furniture comes in warm colours such as orange, bright yellow or fuchsia pink, opt for floor lamps, ceiling lights, wall lights or pendants in understated, neutral colours to create a striking colour contrast. A black pendant above a bright yellow living room, or a grey or midnight-blue floor lamp alongside furniture in orange tones: there are countless combinations for contrasting and cleverly matching your light fittings with your furniture. As you will have gathered, when it comes to colour pairings between lighting and furniture, the key is to go for contrast to avoid monotony. Match the colours of your light fittings with those of your furniture according to your taste, while making sure, for example, to break up any excess colour in your furniture with other shades found in single-coloured or multicoloured light fittings.
Match your lighting and furniture by material
The current decor trend is all about mixing materials to bring out the decorative style you want. So you can match your light fittings and furniture according to their materials. If you have chosen furniture made from natural materials such as wood, rattan, bamboo, straw or wicker, choose light fittings that either complement or contrast with these materials. Once again, it all depends on the decorative style you want to create in your home. For a bohemian interior, you can play with natural materials by choosing rattan pendants or bamboo wall lights, for example. If you want to bring out a contemporary look, pair wrought-iron light fittings with furniture made from natural materials. Contemporary decor is based on combining living, natural materials with inert, raw ones. This rule also applies when matching lighting and furniture. So in a kitchen dominated by modern materials and understated colours, you could hang a rope pendant above your kitchen island. The natural, raw look of this type of light fitting will enhance your decor while adding depth and modernity. In your garden, too, you can match lighting and furniture by contrasting materials. Hang a metal, wrought-iron or aluminium pendant above your wicker or rattan garden furniture. Depending on the style you want for your home, you are free to match your light fittings to your furniture as you see fit. The main thing is to avoid overcrowding and to favour elegant, modern contrasts of materials.
Match your lighting to your furniture according to your decor
As you probably know, every decorative style has its own characteristics, whether in the colours, materials or finishes chosen for furniture, accessories and light fittings. It is therefore essential to know how to match your light fittings with your furniture, taking into account the characteristics of a given style. For an industrial or vintage style, choose light fittings with bare bulbs, in copper or rust tones and with distinctive shapes (tubular, imitating pipework, etc.). Place your light fittings above or on your industrial or vintage furniture to show them off. For a classic decor, choose boldly designed light fittings to contrast with the classic surroundings. You can, however, stay within the classic style by choosing classic lamps, wall lights or pendants made of crystal, Tiffany glass or antique bronze. If, on the other hand, you are a fan of Nordic furniture, you can choose light fittings that are understated but eye-catching enough to break up the slightly too sensible character of Nordic decor. On a Scandinavian-style sideboard or corner table, you could place a minimalist table lamp in understated colours: black, white, gold, etc. To show off your yellow Scandinavian sofa, you could also choose a large black or white floor lamp placed right next to it. This will give you a decor that is clean, coordinated and modern all at once. Finally, if you have fallen for the charm of old furniture for a boho-chic effect in your home, you could choose light fittings made of natural materials or mixing natural and raw materials. Rope pendants, pendants combining wrought iron and wood, wooden wall lights, antique bronze or antique brass wall lights, or any other designer light fitting can do the job alongside your boho-chic furniture. So stay focused on the decorative style you want to create in your home to cleverly match your light fittings and furniture.
Match your lighting and furniture to the size of the room
Beyond your decorative style or the dominant colours in your interior, you can also match your light fittings and furniture according to the size of your rooms. For a kitchenette, for example, choose wall lights and a ceiling light to light the small area devoted to the worktop. Your cupboards, meanwhile, can be lit by discreet spotlights or light tracks fitted inside them. For a large living room, you will need to skilfully combine harmonious lighting with consistent decor. Place a large sideboard against one wall of your living room and stand a designer table lamp on top for a look that is both chic and modern. Opposite, place a tall floor lamp between your sofa and your corner table to liven up the decor. Above your coffee table, hang a pendant that will light the whole relaxation area. Don’t forget wall lights, which you can place above a console table, above a picture or simply above a Scandinavian sofa where you will spend your reading time. All these light fittings will help light your large living room perfectly, while matching your furniture in a modern way.
Dare to try unexpected pairings
Even though you can match your light fittings and furniture according to the colours and decorative style of your interior, don’t be rigid: dare to try unexpected combinations. Whether in the shapes, colours or materials used for your lighting and furniture, be bold, for example by hanging a rattan or wicker pendant above a living room dominated by contemporary shades and materials. Bring colour into your home too, with yellow furniture and teal light fittings. Let your imagination run free to help you choose the ideal pairings for your interior, while staying true to your own taste.