Let me tell you about one of the funniest things my 13 year old daughter said about our home!
She walked into our kitchen one evening to grab a snack and said, "Wow, this feels like an airport."
I was so caught off guard and amused! But then I looked around and was like... oh no, she's totally right.
A bunch of super-harsh overhead pot lights. Bright white cabinets. Chrome hardware. It was like the most sterile, soul-less room ever!
I could practically see myself trying to find my gate number in there. (Ha!)
So I swapped out the bulbs in our island pendants for warmer bulbs. I added a battery-operated lamp on the counter.
That first night, I turned off those blinding overhead lights and flipped on just the accent lights and lamp...
It was SO nice!
Same exact room. Same appliances. Same everything else. But suddenly it felt like the coziest, most relaxing space instead of the Edmonton International Airport.
And my daughter agreed!
That's when started to develop what I now call the 3-2-1 Lighting Formula:
- 3 different light sources per room (at minimum!)
- 2 different light levels (bright for getting stuff done, dim for relaxing)
- 1 statement lighting piece that makes you smile
Here's the thing : most of us rely on overhead lighting for everything, which creates that harsh, "please line up at the gate" feel no matter how pretty everything else is.
Instead, let's layer that lighting like a cozy cake!
Layer 1: Ambient lighting (that's your overhead light for general brightness) Layer 2: Task lighting (table lamps, reading lights, under-cabinet kitchen lights) Layer 3: Accent lighting (candles, string lights, those cute decorative lamps that just make you happy)
Real example from our current living room:
- Thrifted lamp on the sideboard for cozy task lighting
- Tall floor lamp perfect for reading
- Candles on the mantel & ottoman tray for that dreamy mood lighting
- Dimmable overhead statement chandelier that we honestly only use at full brightness when we're cleaning! 😅
The result? A room that feels warm and welcoming instead of cold and bright.
Your super easy experiment for tonight:
Turn off those overhead lights and just use lamps and candles for the whole evening. I bet you'll be amazed at how different the exact same room feels!
Pro tip from someone who learned the hard way: Get warm-toned light bulbs (look for 2700K-3000K on the package) instead of those cool white ones. It makes everything feel so much more welcoming and cozy!
This lighting trick is one of 22 life-changing systems I'm putting together to share with you really soon!
More tips coming your way!
Christina
@cozydiyhome