What You Should Know About Matching Lamps
You’re working on your living room, and you’re trying to decide which lamps to put where. You’ve got a green lamp here, a blue one there, and then an orange one – wait, what?
So, can you mix and match lamps in your living room? Mixing colors is fun! But it can be difficult to know if the colors go together. That’s why we asked top interior designers around the country for their ideas on how to make certain colors work together. After some further research, people often mix and match their living room lamps for the following reasons: interest, balance, boldness, save money or provide a cohesive space.
I want to share with you some reasons why mixing and matching are perfectly fine in your living room. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Use One Standout Color To Bring The Whole Room Together
“I love mixing. It’s a great way to add interest to the room. Try pairing colors that are close to the color wheel. I tend to stick with analogous colors because they are easy on the eyes, but it also depends on the mood you want to set in your space.” – Brandon Boudet
2. Use Different Shades of the Same Color To Balance Each Other Out
“I think it’s safe to mix as long as you have a stronger color as the base color and then some light and dark shades. In my experience, there can be too many colors mixed if they are exact shades of each other.” – Lauren Liess
3. Try a Triadic From The Wheel For a Bold Look
“If you want to work with colors from the color wheel, I suggest…a triad arrangement. Use three colors that are evenly spaced around the color…wheel. This is a bold way to incorporate more than one color into your home decor.”
The ability to mix and match furniture in an interior space can be a tricky feat at best. More times than not, people end up clashing colors, styles, or types of pieces together that don’t work well with each other at all.
On the contrary, when it is done right, if you do your research and find the right pieces that will go together in your decor, you can end up with something amazing. The trick when mixing furniture in decor is to find items that all share similar characteristics palettes, shapes, and textures.
4. Mixing Can Save Money
In the article, “Turning Old Into New,” Howie Jacobsen writes that lamps can be a cheap and fun way to add new life into a room.
In today’s world, many people go out and buy brand-new furniture for their homes because they want something fresh and new. However, this means they have to spend a lot of money. That is why some people choose to mix and match lamps with different tables to get the look they want without having to spend big bucks on new furniture.
Another reason is that lighting can be expensive, so people try to save money thereby looking for old lighting fixtures at garage sales or thrift stores like Salvation Army or Goodwill. Jacobsen writes that buying second-hand lamps can be a good way to save money. However, it can also come with some risks as well if someone is not careful.
For example, one should be sure the electrical wiring is in good condition before plugging a lamp into an outlet. Also, people have to make sure they know how to properly install new wiring before they do so.
5. Style Mixing
An example of successfully mixing different types of lamps in one space could be done if they are sourced from similar or the same origin.
For example, if you were to mix wooden lamps with metal lamps, they would work well together even though they are different types of materials because the pieces have similar elements in their designs. This is also sometimes seen in art deco or mid-century homes where pieces are sourced from the same periods but might be made out of different materials.
6. Shape Mismatch
Also, look at the shapes of furniture pieces when mixing them. If you have an oblong lamp with an oblong table, it is likely they would work well together. On the contrary, if you had a round table with a rectangular lamp, the pieces probably will not mix in rhythmically in your decor.
Another way to mix furniture in interior spaces is by pairing items from different periods from the same style family, such as a Scandinavian piece with a mid-century piece or an art deco lamp with another art deco lamp even if they are made from slightly different materials. This comes pretty easily for people who love antiques, but you can often find modern pieces that mimic the design of vintage styles.
When shopping for lamps to mix in decor, it is important to know your materials and textures well so you will be able to successfully pair them together. Then if they are from different periods or made from a different type of material, you will be able to hunt for pieces that have similar textures or look so they’ll fit in your decor.
For example, if you were to get a traditional lamp with intricate metalwork and a modern lamp with an aluminum finish, these would work well together if paired correctly on a similar surface such as a rustic wooden table.
7. Be Aware of Colors and Patterns
Also, when mixing lamps in decor, especially if they are from different periods or made from a different type of material, it is important to keep the color palette similar so the pieces will look good together.
If you have an antique lamp with a thick wooden base and a modern lamp with a shiny aluminum finish on a metal stand, these pieces would look better together if they all had a similar color palette such as black and cream.
When it comes to lighting, are you the type of person who likes to mix and match? You might be thinking “Of course I do! Why on earth would I want all my lamps alike?” Well, there is no reason why you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Having a set of matching tables lamps will give your home a very clean and tidy look, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change it up every once in a while.
How to Mix & Match Living Room Lighting
For those of you who want to mix n’ match, I am going to show you how easy it is.
- The first step is to choose which lamp base(s) and shade(s) you want.
- The second step is choosing the lamp base(s) and shade(s) to compliment it. This can be done very easily by matching the lamp color with your decor’s color palette or opting for a neutral color that will blend into your home decorating scheme. You don’t want to choose colors that are too similar because you could end up having a hard time telling the lamps apart, so keep them different.
- The third step is to choose a lampshade that will compliment your chosen lamp base and shade. The final step is to assemble all parts in their proper places and enjoy your new coordinating set.
One important thing to remember when it comes to mixing n’ matching is to keep the lamp bases and shades at a similar height unless you are going for an eclectic look.
In conclusion, don’t be afraid to mix n’ match your lamps! You can still have a very put-together home decor as long as you make sure they go together. Ultimately, mixing lamps in decor is much like fashion where you can mix pieces from different times and different materials but still come up with something that looks cohesive when paired the right way.
What a wonderful idea! We all have lamps that we hope will fit into the living room, but most of the time this is easier said than done. However, there are some things you can consider to make it work!
Ways to Mix and Match Home Lighting
Here are several ways to mix and match your home lighting:
Suspend One From the Ceiling
Adding a pendant lamp as an eye-catcher will automatically pull your interior design together and it will all stay in balance.
Make the Lamp a Feature
It is more than likely that some of your lamps just don’t fit into the room anymore, so why not turn them into a feature object. It will give the room more depth and possibly some added texture!
Bring in Extra Lighting
You can never have too much light, especially when you are trying to pull it all together. Using lamps that stand out is the best way to add some balance. Just make sure they aren’t so different from your other lamp styles so it doesn’t get too crazy!
Finally, if this hasn’t worked, just do what I often do. Go buy some new lamps! Luckily there are so many different styles to choose from that it shouldn’t be hard. Just remember your color schemes and your general theme, then let yourself go wild!
I hope this helps you to finish decorating your living room!
