Selecting Light Fixtures That Coordinate

……but aren’t too matchy-matchy. That was pretty much my main objective when choosing all of the light fixtures for our new build, our seventh house. I really wanted our whole house to feel cohesive from room to room, and lighting plays such an important role in that regard.

With an open concept floor plan where you can basically see the kitchen pendants and sconces, dining room chandelier and living room light fixture all in the same viewing plane, it was important to me that those fixtures especially work well together. So those are the selections I made first. Once I had those choices nailed down, I built the entire lighting plan from there.

I’ve shared my thoughts before on how to coordinate lighting throughout a home. And I still stand by this tip: the key to selecting fixtures that work well together but aren’t too matchy is to make your lighting relate either in style, material or finish.  Emphasis on the word or. Pretty much as long as you hit one of those categories, your light fixtures will play nicely with each other. And if you tie your lighting in with other elements in your home, i.e. door/cabinet hardware you’ll be golden.

I’m also a firm believer in trusting your eye. If it looks good to you, go with it, and try not to overthink things.

Creating visual design boards definitely helps you to see how different fixtures will work together. And this was a huge help to me while selecting all of the light fixtures for our new build.

I’ve shared a few of our lighting selections already, but today I’m sharing the whole shebang. Here’s at look at every single fixture I selected as well as a little backstory on the why behind these decisions.

I always find it so helpful when design bloggers share the thought process that goes into making selections. So I hope this post is helpful! Coordinating lighting throughout a home can sometimes be tricky as you want to create flow while keeping things interesting.

With both the doors and windows being black I wanted to bring in lighting that would stand out, so I opted for copper gas lanterns to flank the front door. I think black exterior fixtures would have blended in too much with the doors. (We’re using Carolina Lanterns for any Charleston locals who may be interested.) These lanterns will patina over time, but even then they’ll still provide a subtle contrast to the black doors.

For over the garage I selected these (just $39.98!). The dark bronze finish with aged coppery-brass accents coordinates with the lanterns. But I mainly chose them because I didn’t want anything with glass which can be so high maintenance to keep clean in the buggy South.

Moving inside the house, I’m playing more off the black doors and windows and introducing some brass…..

The only two fixtures in the house that match are those that I selected for the entry foyer. And while they’re clearly from the same collection, they do have their own distinct look. Plus this space is vaulted so unless you’re standing at the top of the stairs or looking straight up you won’t see these fixtures in the same view.

I think the round shape of the sconces I chose for the entry will break up the square lines of the moulding really nicely. And the black relates well to the black entry door.

Playing off the brass accents on the entry foyer lights, I’m going with polished brass in the kitchen which will match the finish of kitchen cabinet hardware. And to visually separate and elevate the dining space in this open concept floor plan, I’ve selected a traditional crystal chandelier.

For the living room I waffled back and forth over a ceiling fan, but ultimately I decided I wanted something more decorative. (Though I did have them wire this space for a ceiling fan, so I can change my mind later if need be.) But I literally can not wait to see this fixture installed!

As you might remember I struggled to make a decision about the lighting on the screen porch. This space is a big long rectangle and was wired for two ceiling fixtures.

Originally I wanted to mix an outdoor ceiling fan with an outdoor pendant to create two distinct spaces on this porch. But when the summer humidity rolled in I realized we will probably be much happier having two fans out here. Plus I like the fact the view of the backyard will be unobstructed as you won’t see the fans until you step outside.

The picture of the outdoor fans we purchased (below) isn’t super accurate. The fan blades are black and look much darker than this in real life. I linked them below, but I actually found these at Costco for a great price! Insert Praise Hands!

Our first floor guest room (which is right off of the living room) will double function as my husband’s office, so it was important to me that the ceiling light in here flow with the living room fixture. You’ll notice that they’re very similar with just a few differences. I feel like they’re different enough to not look redundant. But are similar enough to not look too busy when the door is open to the office, and you can see both fixtures at once.

I introduced chrome via the faucets in all of the bathrooms, so for many of the bathroom light fixtures I opted for a black and chrome mix. The black relates to the fixtures throughout the rest of the house and also plays off of the windows and doors.

I think bedrooms for the most part offer a chance to play with fixtures that don’t necessarily need to relate as much to the rest of the house. So long as they’re not wildly different in style and they still have some element that ties to them to other fixtures, whatever you choose will coordinate.

The chandelier I selected for the master doesn’t read very well online. But it’s mercury glass, bringing in a cooler contrast to the warm brass and leading in nicely to the chrome fixtures in the master bathroom.

In my closet I’ll have a chandelier in the center with two can lights flanking. And in my husband’s closet we opted for no cans and instead are going with two flush mounts. These 3-light flush mounts were a steal at $67.99 a piece!

My son requested a ceiling fan, and I love the style of this one! It doesn’t really relate style-wise to the fixtures throughout the rest of the house as it’s decidedly more modern, but I think the black finish helps it to flow. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I think bedrooms are spaces where you can have more freedom with your selections.

My girl wanted something more decorative in her bedroom, and I had a lot of fun putting the lighting plan together for her space. It’s the first time I’ve had a chance to do something distinctively feminine since she won’t be sharing a bathroom, and I totally ran with it in here! I basically stalked this Miles Redd chandelier for months to finally snatch it up on sale!

While it’s also really different in style, the cone shape of the shades is repeated in quite a few of the other fixtures I’ve selected for the house. Plus I think I might even add in a black ceiling medallion which will further tie this fixture to the lighting selections throughout the house.

Last but definitely not least is the library/ media room (which got painted a couple weeks ago!). My husband insisted on a ceiling fan in here. And being that this space is upstairs (heat rises) and we do live in the hot, humid South, I agreed that this space could benefit from some air flow. I hit up a 20% off sale at Rejuvenation and got the ceiling fan of my design dreams!

So that’s our whole house lighting plan! The electricians will start installing this week, and I can’t wait to share real time updates over on Instagram Stories!