Layering is one of the most impactful techniques in modern lighting, and if you live in an open-concept home, this is a strategy you absolutely want to employ. The greatest appeal of layering is that you can use multiple fixtures to establish a harmonious glow across wider areas, capitalizing on their individual appeal and role in unison to add character and depth to the space. The result is a comfortable and hospitable home environment, allowing for seamless interactions between adjoining rooms where activity and conversations abound.
If you’ve been searching for open-concept lighting ideas for your home, you’ve come to the right place. Capitol Lighting is here to provide you with all the latest styles and trends in interior design, and this blog will show you how different types of open-concept lighting can make these communal areas of the home feel vibrant and welcoming.
How to Choose the Right Ceiling Lighting for Open Floor Plans
Open floor plans are often unique to the layout of your home, but there’s always one common factor when considering illumination — anchoring these spaces with sufficient ceiling lights. These fixtures provide the general area of the room with a balanced brightness, while complementary lighting throughout the room helps fill in other zones of interest. This combination of ambient, task, and accent fixtures allows your home to achieve a definitive mood and ambiance, making it a cozy place, whether you’re lounging or entertaining.
The Role of Recessed Lighting in Open-Concept Spaces
An unsung hero in many open-concept layouts is recessed lighting, which can be used in either a specific part of the room or to distribute light evenly across the floor space. These sleek and subtle fixtures are perfect for layering, providing a softer, ambient glow around the room, and allowing more elaborate fixtures to stand out in their own manner. Proper spacing makes this type of lighting most effective, and adjustable capabilities give recessed lights a dynamic element.
Cairn Mini Pendant by Hubbardton Forge and LED Recessed Lighting Trim by Bulbrite
Open-concept ceiling lighting ideas often pair multiple fixture types together, just as the Cairn Mini Pendant by Hubbardton Forge compliments the three rows of 7-Inch LED 110-Degree Recessed Lighting Trim by Bulbrite. When bright lighting is no longer needed, the recessed fixtures set a relaxing evening mood.
Chandeliers as Focal Points in Open-Concept Living Rooms
It’s never a bad idea to adorn your living space with eye-catching décor, and chandeliers are the perfect lighting option to cast an alluring presence. Whether it’s the centerpiece or the primary lighting, these fixtures are captivating in their own right. With so many styles available, ranging from traditional metals and crystal to modern minimalist, the variety of designs available makes it easier than ever to add chandeliers to your interior design.
Solstice LED Large Pendant and Otto LED Linear Suspension Light by Hubbardton Forge, Recessed Lighting Trim by WAC Lighting
While the Otto 57 Inch 10 Light LED Linear Suspension Light by Hubbardton Forge illuminates the island and surrounding kitchen, the Hubbardton Forge Solstice 35 Inch LED Large Pendant is the unabashed star with its hand-poured art glass. The accompanying Recessed Lighting Trim by WAC Lighting can be used for general illumination when the other fixtures are not in use.
Matching Ceiling Lights with Wall Sconces for a Balanced Look
The coordinated relationship between your ceiling lighting and the supplementary fixtures layered around your open-concept floor plan combine to make the space feel expansive and accessible. Wall sconces are a great fixture to illuminate the room’s perimeter, and can even draw attention to architectural or artistic décor elements nearby. Because they provide a warm glow in a concentrated area, they save you space while improving the overall aesthetic.
Parasol Chandelier and Parasol Wall Sconce by Hubbardton Forge
The complimentary nature of the Parasol 38-Inch Chandelier and the Parasol 6-Inch Wall Sconce by Hubbardton Forge use the shared theme of forged metals to bring together this eccentric foyer. While the chandelier handles the ambient illumination, the two sconces provide accent lighting to draw attention to the artwork hanging on the wall. Together, they combine to add depth to this entryway.
The Best Lighting Fixtures for Connecting Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
One of the advantages of open-concept layouts is that they don’t have to be limited to the indoors, as sometimes conjoining outdoor spaces also flow effortlessly into living areas. Depending on the windows and natural lighting in the room, you can use larger pieces like pendants as an object of visual attraction when sitting outside, or even place flush mounts or wall sconces on the surfaces near the door for easy navigation and accessibility to entrances or exits.
Zen Large Pendant by Hubbardton Forge
The wide steel swirl of the Zen 34-Inch Large Pendant by Hubbardton Forge is quite mesmerizing due to the way its hand-forged and textured steel glows from the lights within. Because this fixture hovers above a dining table near a large glass facade that leads to an outdoor area, it acts as an artistic piece whether you’re sitting down for a meal or enjoying the fresh air at night. Even a passerby will be able to appreciate its flair from afar.
If you’re looking for the perfect lighting for your home’s unique open layout, Capitol Lighting’s 2025 digital catalog is a great place to see which styles and designs interior designers love right now. With a huge selection available online and in our conveniently located showrooms, we invite you to stop in and explore how these stellar lighting options can invigorate your home’s ambiance.