How to buy the perfect lighting for your home

Globe editor Aruna Dutt is ready to upgrade her hand-me-down furniture for purchases that last. In this new shopping series, she asks experts to help her make buying decisions that are worth the investment.

Your large ceiling light may not be the best way to combat the lack of natural rays this fall and winter. A variety of table, floor or wall-mounted lights may be a better choice, as a TikTok trend recently made clear. Videos with millions of views show people turning on mood-setting lights, with voiceover that says: “I don’t have many rules for my house, but I do have one, and that is that we never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever use the big light.”

As someone with harsh spotlights and frosted-glass overheads installed in my rental apartment, I’m all for exposing these migraine-stimulating pieces for what they really are. And some experts feel the same: “I was like, finally someone is catching on!” says Phoenix Grey, a Toronto-based interior designer who believes lighting is one of the most crucial aspects in any space. “Over all, the one middle light doesn’t create any sense of intimacy or coziness. It falls pretty flat,” says Grey, who manages his design company Orion Studios, and shares insider advice on design trends, elements and architecture to more than one million combined social-media followers.

These are Grey’s tips for creating a well-lit space, whether to support your work-from-home needs or create a relaxed mood to help wind down in the evening.

Three is the magic number: “Having a mix of three different kinds of lighting automatically makes a space feel cozy,” says Grey. “Ambient lighting allows you to create an overall glow, accent lighting enhances more decorative features in the room and task lighting is for reading or focused areas.”

“Lamps are like a room’s jewellery. A layered approach with different light sources in a room allows your eye to travel through a space,” he says, adding that three to four lights per room (not including your ceiling light) is a good standard.

Be intentional with colour temperature: In basic terms, colour temperature, measured in degrees of the Kelvin scale, describes how “warm” or “cool” a light source is. “I personally suggest 2700K, which is any lighting that emulates candlelight with a warm glow in an intimate space, or for ambience in bedrooms and living rooms. I do a cooler 3500-4500K for task areas, an accent light in a reading nook, or your office. I prefer to stick with the same Kelvin rating throughout a room.”

For table lamps, Grey avoids exposed lightbulbs owing to the glare they give off and extreme brightness. “Frosted-glass globes are a great way to have more ambient light.”

Smart lighting is worth it: “I love it. The number of times people install lighting fixtures and then never use it because it’s too annoying to turn everything on and off!” With smart lighting, you can program with your phone or set a schedule to dim the light at a certain time, he explains, adding that having an automated system really allows you to benefit from the technology. With smart bulbs, which range between $15 to $35, you can customize the colour temperature. Or, you can go with smart plugs. “I use the brand Globe, which you plug into the outlet and the fixture plugs into the third-party system, then it connects to your Wi-Fi and you use an app to create the layout and timed system. You can get a pack of four for $25, so it’s more affordable.”

Here are Grey’s picks for three price points

These are retail prices, not sale prices, and do not include delivery costs.

The Budget:

Denzel LED floor lamp, $139 at Structube (structube.com)

“I tend to go towards metal finishes. They can give a good juxtaposition in style and draw your attention,” says Grey. This modern and minimalist gold metal lamp is a space-saver and comes with an adjustable head that focuses light where you want it, dims to the touch and has a solid marble base. Similar designs can be priced up from $650, such as this Brazo LED floor lamp featured in Architectural Digest, to $1,758 at Light House Co.

The Best Bang for Your Buck:

Oslo floor lamp, $249 at Article (article.com)

“I am not a fan of lampshades. I think they’re very traditional and can contrast with a lot of contemporary styles.” This mid-century modern design is a great option to provide a shaded light that still brightens up the room through a hole in its top, and comes in charcoal, grey or gold.

The Splurge:

Cast floor lamp, $349.99 at EQ3 (eq3.com)

Modelled after the “Arco” lamp, originally designed by Italian brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962, this retro aesthetic lamp’s design is rooted in a practical reason: to bring light from overhead to a spot far away from its base, without the need to drill into a wall. Similar telescopic arm designs can range from $800 to $1,499 at higher-end stores such as France&Son or CB2.