One of the best parts of home renovation is research and planning. It’s fun to explore all the different possibilities, but it’s easy to fall down the design rabbit hole with online retailers, design blogs, and social media. While online research is essential in the earliest planning stages, nothing beats seeing materials and fixtures in person.
Your home is a sensory-filled experience after all, so the ability to see and touch is an important part of your product selection. Lighting in particular is best seen firsthand. Fixture size, scale, and finishes look slightly different than they appear online. Determining fixture quality from a website is also challenging — you’ll want to check its various components and construction for workmanship and durability.

The best way to get in front of different lighting ideas for your home is by visiting a local showroom. The lighting experts you’ll meet there can help you with your next home renovation, big or small. They can also offer guidance about common design challenges so you can start on your home renovation with confidence.

 

Here are five situations where a lighting expert can benefit your next home project.

 

 

Remodeling Projects

Are you planning an all-new kitchen or primary bathroom? Or are you giving your bedroom or living room a refresh by updating the fixtures and furnishings? Visiting a lighting showroom takes the guesswork out of your next renovation project, whether it’s a one-room refresh or a whole-house makeover.

A visit to a lighting showroom can show you what’s possible with lighting. They are staffed by lighting specialists who can act as design consultants for your home project. Share your home’s floor plan, layout, photos, or mood boards, and they can recommend configurations and products to meet your specific needs and style.

If it’s outdoor lighting ideas you’re looking for, a lighting showroom has you covered there, too. A lighting specialist can help you select the right fixtures to complement your home’s architectural style, from integrating safety features to improving curb appeal. A consultant can also create continuity between exterior and interior lighting, lighting the way from your front door into your home’s entryway to make a lovely first impression.

Personalizing New Homes

There are few things more exciting than building your dream home from foundation to finish. But you wouldn’t be the first person who has been disappointed with a builder’s lighting package. Builder-grade lighting is often limited and includes a large markup. Why spend more for lighting you don’t absolutely love? Lighting specialists are experienced in working with new construction and can offer a collection of products that complement your other home personalization selections made with your builder or design center.

Finding Your Personal Style

There are lighting fixtures to match every interior design and architectural style. The best type of lighting is the one that’s right for you and

your home, but it can be hard to pin down exactly what that looks like.

 

“We call lighting the jewelry of the home because if you think about it, there’s certain jewelry that you don’t wear with certain outfits, because it doesn’t work,” says Debbie Loyd, owner of The Light House Gallery in Springfield, Missouri. “This kind of pairing is what we are doing when talking to the customer about what their room looks like and how they use that room.”

A lighting expert can take the guesswork out of lighting. They know which fixtures, styles, and finishes work best for various interior design styles, rooms, and color palettes. What’s more, by learning your home and preferences, a lighting expert can create a lighting plan tailored to your room’s layout and unique characteristics.

Best for Budgets

One of the biggest misconceptions about lighting showrooms is they’re too expensive for those with more modest budgets. This is not true! Showrooms offer a large assortment of high-quality products across many different styles and price points.

This is a real benefit in kitchen, bathroom, and other spaces that require several different types of lighting for comfort and functionality. Lighting showroom staff can help you make the most of your budget, and even identify where to splurge on a show stopping fixture and where to save.

 

A Cure for Design Overwhelm

When you’re renovating or remodeling it’s normal to feel overwhelmed with choices. But you’re not alone — decision fatigue plagues even the most experienced DIYers and veteran home remodelers. It can lead to difficulty in making a good decision. And in home renovations, the wrong choice is frustrating at best. At its worst, it can be costly.
Step into a lighting showroom and the feeling could feel magnified at first. People are often surprised by how many lighting choices there are, especially when coming from the more limited selections of big box retailers.

 

“Lowes, Home Depot or Menards has half a dozen of every style. We are a showroom with product price points from entry level spec. builder, up to the highest level of a multi-million dollar home. People will come into a showroom and say, ‘I had no idea there were all these styles in lighting,’” says Loyd.

 

Lighting showroom staff takes great care to evaluate the thousands of different lighting types, fixtures, styles, sizes and finishes so you don’t have to. Their experience and expertise help you narrow your selection based on your room size, style, and function. “And that’s where that funneling process comes in. We’ll talk about the customers’ needs and color finish likes and dislikes. Once you put a handle around it, it edits down the possibilities to a manageable selection.”

Final Takeaways

Home design professionals frequently visit lighting showrooms, so why can’t you? Lighting One member showrooms are open to the public and specialize in lighting for new homes, remodels, and makeovers. Their staff are full of lighting experts who are familiar with all aspects of lighting types and products to suit your style and budget. Use our showroom list to find a location near you.