Ambient, Task & Accent: How to Layer Lighting like a Pro + New Lighting in our bedroom!

This post is sponsored by Troy Lighting

Our bedroom is the one room in our home that has been evolving for years and never really complete, but after this week, I think I'm cautiously calling it done. The cherry on top? Lighting, of course. For years, Chris has been rocking a floor lamp on his side of the bed and I've been working with an old table lamp on mine. But a few weeks ago, we welcomed a pair of Artifact Graystone lamps from Troy Lighting and it has made a huge difference.

The lamps are substantial and textural and interesting and beautiful! We're actually giving away a pair of them on Instagram today because we know you will love them just as much as we do! You can enter here.

While a matching pair of lamps would have set us up for happiness and contentment for at least another year, we pushed through and added one last thing that fixed a pain point in our bedroom since almost the beginning. Our leaner mirror is directly across from a large window, so while it bounces light around like crazy, looking in it during the day is kind of like looking at your silhouette. All back light!

We remedied the situation, and balanced the awkward wall with two of these Juniper Sconces on either side of the mirror (and a call to an electrician to add junction boxes since there was no lighting here previously--worth it!). It balanced the mirror, wall and lighting in the rest of the room perfectly. We hung them a little wider in case another mirror (or art!) one day ends up here. Sconces are always a good idea, imo.

When it comes to lighting, the more the merrier, really. But we always recommend that every room have at least 2-3 sources of light and since our bedroom officially has all three types, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a quick lesson on layering lighting.

The three types of lighting are:

1. Ambient Light: This is the most basic type of general lighting. It includes the natural light from your windows and the lighting that substitutes for that natural light like recessed lighting, ceiling fixtures, track lighting, etc.

In most cases (except for the kitchen), we put this lighting on dimmers because it allows us to control how bright or dim the overall vibe of the room is at any given time. A big mistake I see over and over again is ambient light being used as the sole light source in a home. [Insert Michael Scott Noooo! gif here]

2. Task Lighting: This second layer of lighting in a room is my favorite because it's so functional without being as blaring as Ambient light can be. (And I'm a sucker for a lamp.) Task lighting is the light that helps you perform tasks like reading, cooking, applying make-up, pay the bills, etc. Think table lamps, swing arm lamps, under counter lights, vanity lights, floor lamps, desk lamps--all the lamps that I love so much.

Before you start your lighting plan for your room, make a list of all the tasks you may complete in that room and light appropriately. So your room needs 3 lamps? Lucky you. :)

3. Accent Lighting : I like to think of accent lighting as the mood boosters of the room. If you want to add accent lighting to your space (and, I mean, yes! do it!) think about how you want each room to feel, and if there are certain things you want to highlight or disguise. Because on top of adding extra glow and ambience, it can also be used to accent architectural features and important objects (like art! that killer arch!), and to draw attention away from the things that aren't as pleasing--look at me, not at the light switch! not the soffit! Think of bookcase or niche lighting, picture lighting, wall sconces and uplighting. Accent lighting is perfect to add to walls or areas that are just missing something or too wide for their own good (which was definitely the case in our room where the mirror was less than half as wide as the small wall it was on. Now it looks so much more balanced.

In my opinion, lighting will have the single greatest impact on your home--above nearly everything else you can improve--it will even affect your paint color! So it's definitely worth spending some time planning out and layering in.

Don't forget to head over to Instagram to enter to win a pair of the Artifact lamps from Troy Lighting we used in our bedroom! We'll announce the winner Monday!