Finding the perfect lighting fixtures for your home is a real challenge, thanks to the overabundance of options available out there. From vintage lamps and classic designs to modern lamps and contemporary designer lighting, there is are a variety of aesthetics.

The key to choosing the perfect contemporary lighting for your rooms and other areas of the house lies in understanding lights, existing décor and the purpose. Once you have established your needs and what you wish to achieve through lighting in the home, it comes down to shopping around for the right lighting products.

The products and ideas listed below have been picked by seasoned lighting professionals according to the different spaces in your house that need to be illuminated. Here are a few tips and products that can make your selection process more streamlined.

Make sure you understand the meaning of general (ambient), task and accent lighting. As a rule of thumb, align the lamp selection process based on what kind of lighting effect you intend to achieve for that particular space.

Living Room

The living room is probably the most used room by everyone in the household and requires ample lighting so that it feels warm, inviting and comfortable. The first thing to do is gauge what kind of ceiling lights you require. You can choose from an array of flush mount or semi flush mount ceiling lamps: even consider installing a majestic chandelier right in the middle of the room.

Skygarden Recessed Ceiling Light by Marcel Wanders

Depending on the size of your living room and the different sections in it, you can layer your primary ceiling lighting with modern table lamps, pendant lights, contemporary sconces and majestic floor lamps. Define the goal you wish to achieve through each type of lighting and then take your pick.

Bedroom

The bedroom is meant to be your personal, comfort space. To ensure that it feels cozy, make sure you don’t overdo the lighting. Ideally, you would want a balanced combination of ceiling, wall and tableside lights that not only illuminate the room, but also make it look beautiful, adding warmth to the atmosphere. Look for a dimmable table lamp that you can use for reading as well illuminating your bedside.

Romeo Moon T by Philippe Starck

More contemporary and innovative lights such as Arrangements – which allows you to mix and match geometrical shapes – are a great option if you are looking to add style and creativity to the space.

Arrangements by Michael Anastassiades

Kitchen and Dining Room

The most “active” area of the house, used at specific times of the day, is the kitchen and dining area. If you have a well spread-out kitchen with ample space for lighting experimentation, you can split up important regions, adding different lights to illuminate them. For instance, the dining table could have gorgeous overhead pendant fixtures, while the kitchen island or platform could use a set of functional pendant lights.

Fucsia 12 by Achille Castiglioni

It is important to consider that while complementing the décor is important, these lights are meant to serve a specific purpose in the kitchen and dining room.

Study

Serious spaces require serious lamps! This is where you work, read, write and study–the lights you choose should suffice your needs, while also adding class and convenience to the space. You could go for strong, pendant lamps like the Smithfield S or pick a flexible table lamp that is dynamic and sleek.

Smithfield by Jasper Morrison

Bathroom

The bathroom region is an often-ignored area of the house in terms of lighting. There is a variety of contemporary wall sconces, over-the-mirror lights and flush-mounted ceiling lamps that are made for bathrooms. You can choose a combination of these lighting fixtures according to the design and layout of your bathrooms. Most modern homes have minimalistic bathroom designs with clean lines and neutral colors. Antonio Citterio’s On the Rocks and Tobia Scarpa’s Foglio wall sconces are two of our favorite lamps that are perfect in modern bathrooms.

Outdoor

Your patio, deck, garden, porch, driveway and entryways require lighting, too. Finding the right lamps for open, outdoor spaces can be trick. We suggesting taking a more subtle approach. A series of small outdoor spotlights along with outdoor wall sconces can set the perfect tone for the exteriors of your house.

45 ADJ LED 1 by Tim Derhaag

Contemporary homes call for contemporary lighting products. From symmetrical shapes and extravagant patterns to unique designs and contrasting colors, there are a variety of contemporary designer lighting options for your home.

Take into consideration the type and amount of natural light that each part of your house gets at different times of the day. Ensure that lighting you choose does not interfere with natural light. Make use of the beauty that natural light can deliver and complement it with a smart selection of lighting fixtures.

FLOS a premier contemporary Italian lighting store that offers a palette of recessed, track, pendant, wall, ceiling, floor, table and outdoor lights. Explore our bestseller designer lighting collections here.