Decorative lighting is easy to overlook because it’s rarely the highlight or centrepiece in a room. On occasions when it is the main attraction, the lamps (or lightbulbs) are set in aesthetic holders that range from custom-designed steel to crystals and precious metals. These light fixtures or luminaires (complete lighting units that are each made up of one or more lamps, a body, light diffuser, and electrical components that turn the light on and off) often lean more towards aesthetics and less on practicality. In other words, they look pretty but may be insufficient for lighting up a room.
Of course, there are also fixtures that are meant to be accents or secondary lighting and not as the primary source of illumination. In the hands of seasoned interior designers, these lights can serve their full potential, which is to create a specific mood or look that is perfect for the room they’re in.
Luckily for everyone, decorative lighting has come such a long way that purpose and aesthetics are rarely mutually exclusive. There’s also such a vast range of styles, colours, shapes, sizes, technologies, and materials that choosing a lighting fixture needs just as much consideration as wall paint, flooring, and furniture. And now that LED lights have become a staple in the lighting market, the options for decorative luminaires has gotten even more varied.
In today’s blog, we’ll give you some design suggestions that maximise the aesthetic potential of LED filament lamps. We’ve also added some tips on how to achieve specific looks and themes using these bulbs.
Vintage Style
LED bulbs are a favourite for vintage aesthetics which are very popular among coffee shops and restaurants. LED filament lamps have large, clear bulbs with very visible copper filaments inside.
It’s the copper colour that gives the bulb a vintage feel. When switched on, these bulbs emit a warm light that makes everything around it look like they’re covered in sepia filter. The effect is very warm and cosy, plus they bring a nostalgic touch without you having to buy antiques or display old objects that have been passed down from your great-grandparents’ homes.
What’s great about going vintage with LED filament bulbs is they have a very high aesthetic appeal. These exude vintage vibes and are simply attractive to look at, even when turned off. Hence, you don’t need to wait for evening to enjoy a vintage atmosphere.
Here are a few design and application ideas for vintage LED filament bulbs:
- As pendant lights - You can hang these bulbs in groups of three or more, and with no frame or body, just the lamps. Pendant LED filament bulbs look best when suspended over a table, counter, or work area (a much better use of pendant lights than putting them in a corner where they will be purely for aesthetics).
- As lamps for metal fixtures - Filament bulbs with geometric metal fixtures give off a slightly more industrial vibe that can blend well with modern or Scandinavian interior design concepts.
- As lamps for glass fixtures - Want to go retro? Glass fixtures can do the trick. Clear and coloured glass-bowl lighting fixtures can look very retro even without going overboard.
Avant Garde
Want to use lighting as the focal point for interior design? Avant garde luminaires will do the trick. These are lighting fixtures with odd, unconventional appearances that are clearly made to grab attention. They aren’t necessarily “loud” in that they use bright and bold colours for the body of the fixture. They are just very often unique and customised for the space where they are intended to be.
Consider these design ideas if you want an avant garde piece for your home, office, or business:
- Combine materials to create the body of the lighting fixture. For example, you can mount the bulbs on an aluminium base and use plastic or PVC to form the body.
- Group together LED filament bulbs in different shapes for character and texture. You can, for example, use a classic globe, a candle, a squirrel cage, and varying sizes of each for a massive candelabra or chandelier.
- Treat the body of the lighting fixture as a sculpture when you have two options to customise. That means designing the body first and expressing your creativity.
Industrial Style
It would be remiss of us to skip the applications of filament lamps to homes with industrial interior design themes. LED is practically a mainstay for industrial interior design now, what with LED lamps being widely available and versatile.
What’s interesting is that the style suggestions we gave above for vintage themes can also be applied to industrial styles. You only have to make one change to transform vintage into industrial: switch the lamp for a cooler shade instead of a warm light. This switches the warm, sepia lighting into a much cooler and clinical white light.
Here are a few more tips on how to use LED filament lamps for industrial-style houses:
- Hang them as pendant lights.
- Mount them on walls as wall sconces.
- Use them for desk or floor lamps with simple, modern shades.
- Use them for torch lights suitable for the outdoors.
More Incentives to Use LED Filament Lamps
The unlimited design possibilities is just one advantage of using LED filament lights. If that’s not enough to catch your attention, the following advantages of using LED lights might:
- They have a long life expectancy.
- They are cost-effective in the long run.
- They are energy efficient and do not produce as much radiated heat as incandescent lamps.
- They do not contain mercury and are therefore more environment-friendly.
- They have a high Colour Rendering Index (CRI). This means that when viewed through a camera feed, the natural colour of the objects register accurately.
- They can operate on low wattage.
- It’s easier to control the direction of the light produced by LED filament lights because they emit light by 180 degrees, unlike traditional lamps that emit light by 360 degrees.
- Most LED lamps can be dimmed by several levels.
Whether you use them as centrepieces or accents for your room’s interior design, LED filament lights will not disappoint. Their flexibility and the variety they offer with regards to design mean you can have unlimited options for statement lighting.
No matter what design concept you choose, these lights can bring together all the design elements within its sphere and create a cohesive theme for your room.
You can find the best brands of LED filament lamps here at LED Direct. Feel free to browse your product ranges. If you have questions, call or contact our customer service.