Seasonal Shine: Lighting Your Home for the Holidays

The right lighting can enhance any holiday party.

by Jennifer Sellers

Not all holiday lighting is kitschy and over-the-top; some can be understated and even complementary to your home's design. To create elegant lighting displays for your holiday gatherings, follow these steps for a bright and beautiful home.

Outdoors

To ensure your home has elegant curb appeal, install uplights to highlight trees, bushes, paths, walkways or architectural structures. This also makes your home more appealing to guests and adds to the security of your property. 

Standard outdoor lighting can look elegant any time of the year. However, if you're looking to make it a little more festive during the holidays, try switching out the usual bulbs for green and red. 

A professional landscape architect, who specializes in lighting design, can help you arrange and space your outdoor lighting fixtures so that they maximize safety and sophistication. If you're budget conscious, you can find do-it-yourself outdoor lighting kits at many home improvement stores.

Indoors

Lighting becomes particularly important once your family and guests are inside your home. Make sure you focus on the rooms where you tend to host parties and family gatherings, such as the living room, family room and dining room. But don't forget other spaces, like the entryway and powder room. 

Throughout the home, dimmed lamps and overhead lighting, string lights, and candlelight can help create a festive mood. Consider using a portable spotlight to highlight special decorative touches you've added for the holidays. If you're using a spotlight for your Christmas tree, place the light directly below the tree so that it shines up through the branches. 

Using lighting both creatively and strategically will ensure your rooms are filled with the perfect balance of drama and cheer for the holidays.