An easy and affordable way to redecorate your home, a designer light bulb can set the mood at the flick of a switch. From exposed to diffused, incandescent to decorative LED bulbs , there’s plenty to choose from with each type suited to a particular purpose or style.
The right light bulb will enhance a room, complementing not only the design it is paired with – be it modern pendant lighting , modern table lamp or contemporary wall light – but also the space surrounding it. To prevent your home from feeling dark and dreary or, even worse, clinical in its brightness, we asked our expert lighting team to share their tips and tricks for decorating with light bulbs.
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Choose your light bulb according to the temperature of light your room requires. Filament style bulbs, be they a traditional incandescent or a modern LED design, emit a warmer glow that’s perfect for making a space cosy. Apart from the obvious applications (functional spaces, spotlights and task lighting) brighter bulbs are more commonly used in diffused designs where the brightness of the bulb is softened to create a design feature.
When decorating the home, people often forget that the colour tone of a light bulb can change the whole ambience of a room. As bulbs range from warm to cold, always test your new paint colour with and without a light on to see how the tone changes. If you’re looking to soften the glow of an energy efficient LED, choose a globe shaped bulb with a golden tint to create a more ambient light.
The important point when judging the brightness of a light bulb is not be fooled by the watts. Instead look at the lumens. The higher the lumens the brighter the bulb will be.
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More than a passing fad, shadeless designs have remained a permanent feature of contemporary lighting collections for a number of seasons. Taking their cue from industrial inspired spaces, they are the ideal way of showing off a decorative light bulb and adding a quirky focal point to a room. A slender framed floor lamp will look striking with an oversized filament bulb, while an exposed bulb chandelier is the perfect counterpoint of traditional and cutting edge style.
One of the joys of exposed light bulbs is how striking they look when clustered together. Play around with a simple linear design over a kitchen counter or stagger them at varying heights in a stairwell for a statement lighting installation.
Filament bulbs don’t always have to be the sole feature but can instead enhance a lamp design. Utilise them inside a pendant to achieve a completely different look without having to purchase a new piece. Added to a glass pendant, the filament design will showcase the glass colour in finer detail, whilst a tinted light bulb will completely change the colour of a pendant, creating the perfect update to any room.
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While we’ve all changed a light bulb or two, it’s easy to get your wires crossed when it comes to selecting the right type for your space. Different bulbs are suited to particular functions, with three main light bulb types to choose from:
Incandescent: the oldest and most common type, these traditional bulbs can switch to full brightness instantly and are also dimmable.
Fluorescent: energy efficient and affordable, this light bulb emits a bright but slightly cooler light that’s suited to diffused designs.
LED: the best of both worlds, LED bulbs bring together energy efficient technology and the decorative warmth of traditional designs.
Another important thing to check before light bulb shopping is whether your light fitting supports a screw (E27, E14) or bayonet (B22) bulb.
So how many light bulbs does it take to change up your space? With a wider variety of shapes, sizes and finishes than ever before the answer is really up to you. Try our collection of traditional, decorative and energy efficient light bulbs to start creating your own unique lighting concept.