Light – the ever important puzzle of interior design. If you are working on a new living space and wrestling with the complexities of illumination, consider unique and exciting reclaimed wood light fixtures to brighten up your home. Custom chandeliers and accent lights made from antique timbers can be the perfect element to highlight the beautiful features of your room.
From the more functional task lighting you might need to brighten up your kitchen, to the exciting decorative fixtures hand-picked for your foyer, or the subtle yet effective accent lights used to showcase your favorite credenza, there is no shortage of applications for a whimsical new reclaimed wood light fixture.
The Charming Marriage of Old and New
Using a wonderfully patinated beam of antique barn wood from Manomin Resawn Timbers as the base for a new light fixture is the perfect way to bring a touch of the rustic to your modern design. The aged lines and old tool marks of a reclaimed wood light fixture will match any room heavy in the use of natural materials.
A recent design by Cocobello Interiors made great use of our weathered gray barnwood to craft a handful of exquisite light fixtures for a home in Somerset, Wisconsin.
A simple yet effective design matches the hefty box beams along the ceiling for a cohesive feel, while classic Edison bulbs provide effective ambient lighting for the whole living room. With the leather couches, rough stone fireplace, and eye-catching mantlepiece made from our historic hand hewn timbers, the presence of natural materials provides a distinct atmosphere to the design.
Why Worry About the Lights?
Of course you can’t see anything in your home without light, but aside from the obvious, the lighting you choose for any room will dictate the feel and ambiance as well as the functionality. Different types of lights will cast their beams in unique ways that can have many effects.
Consider your cozy living room where you sit to relax at the end of the day. Blaring overhead lights will make it hard to wind down, but mellow wall sconces provide a low glow that keeps you from tripping over the sofa while you sink into your nightly routine.
But we don’t just use our rooms for a singular purpose. Layering different types of lights throughout your house will allow you to have direct control over what type of atmosphere you need throughout the day.
It’s important to understand the various purposes of these different styles of lighting before you decide whether to install that grand reclaimed wood chandelier. So, what are the different types of lighting?
Accent Lighting Draws Your Attention
If your room has a particular feature you want to bring attention to, such as a beautiful hardwood table, or an exquisitely designed grand staircase, accent lights will make sure it is hard to miss. An accent light’s job isn’t to brighten up an entire space, its purpose is to highlight the features of your home and create distinct visual areas to ensure your artful decor can be appreciated.
The types of fixture used as an accent light are as numerous as the items you want to show off. Low-profile wall lights might be best suited to illuminating choice works of art, while more dramatic sconces might be needed to amplify a large, custom built-in cabinet.
Another piece of weathered gray antique timber sits at the center of this sleek accent light also crafted by Marianne Buckman of Cocobello Interiors. Steel beams suspend the brick of hardwood framing the piece for a stunning modern design with a more industrial feel.
The reclaimed wood light fixture is poised over a wonderfully minimalist soaking tub from Native Trails, creating a focal point and shedding light directly on the stately feature. The accent light efficiently highlights while acting as a work of art itself.
Task Lighting Helps You Work
While task lighting might be less exciting from a design standpoint, you will certainly notice it if it’s missing. Task lights help you anywhere in your home where a high level of visual detail is necessary.
It would be very difficult to cook dinner in a dimly lit kitchen or read a book in a dark study. While these rooms will likely have more prominent overhead lighting, task lights, such as a desk lamp or under-cabinet lights, will help you better see what you’re doing by shining directly onto your work area.
Ambient Lighting Lights up the Room
Ambient lighting should be the primary source of illumination in any room and the foundation over which other lights are layered. The main goal of ambient lights is to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for a room, ensuring a base level of visibility.
General room lighting can come from elements such as chandeliers, recessed lights, track lighting, wall fixtures, or other ceiling mounted lights. Ambient lighting tends to sit somewhere central in a room to cast its beams evenly over the whole space.
Since ambient lighting is foundational to the visual impact of a room, it is a key factor in the overall ambience of the space. Recessed lighting can provide an ample amount of light while the fixtures themselves remain nearly invisible for a clean and bright look, whereas a stunning chandelier can make a huge statement while casting a warm glow throughout the room.
A third, unique fixture from Marianne Buckman shines through the sleek entryway to this home. Matched by the cool gray sliding doors, this reclaimed wood chandelier dominates the space and brings attention to its fine craftsmanship.
Decorative Lighting Makes a Statement
While the light cast by your fixtures may seem like their most important feature, the pieces themselves have a big impact on the aesthetic of your home. Decorative lights serve many different functions like those listed above, but they are chosen for their particular visual impact.
Decorative lamps can spread across your home and provide task lighting while assigning a certain look to each room. Pendant lights can accent a kitchen island while providing visual interest in and of themselves. A grand chandelier can become the major focal point of your entryway while illuminating the whole room.
These decorations allow you to set the character and feel at the base of your visual design.
Reclaimed Wood Light Fixtures with Manomin
The inherent intrigue and unique nature of reclaimed wood means that anywhere it’s applied, your eye will be happy to find it. Building a new accent light or ambient fixture from reclaimed wood is a brilliant way to leave your mark on a new design.
Reach out to us at Manomin Resawn Timbers to discover which type of antique wood will best suit your custom light fixture. We have a huge number of options that will fit into any home or style.
If you are interested in tapping into Marianne Buckman’s interior design expertise, reach out to Cocobello Interiors to get your project started!
