One of the main problems I've decided to tackle in this room for the One Room Challenge is the lack of adequate lighting.  The room gets great sunlight from its many windows but gloomy days and evenings are quite dark. There is no hard wired lighting and we will not be running electrical to do that but there are ways of lighting a room with no built in lighting and today I'll show you how I did that.

This post is sponsored by Maxim Lighting.

One Room Challenge Week 1 Vlog

Lighting A Room With No Built In Lighting

Even in a room with hardwired lighting, whether it be wall lights or ceiling lights, it's best to use a vairety of different lamps. It's both for function and style. Pretty much every room serves multiple functions and having table lamps, wall lamps, ceiling lights and floor lamps give flexibility in lighting different tasks. Lighting should also blend into the design of a room.

In an eclectic design, different finishes and styles can be mixed but there should be something that ties them together. Finish, shade shape, matching details are all things that can do this.

In a room without built in lighting it's even more important to use a variety of lighting sources. Wall lamps, table lamps, and floor lamps are the most practical because they can be installed near electrical outlets.


See Week 1: Moody Boho Living Room | Hygge Meets Design | ORC Plans

Wall Lighting

I knew I needed sconces in my living room. I have a perfect wall for them and just needed to find ones that fit the design and could be plugged in. The Maxim Lighting Library Wall Sconce is beautiful and adds a vintage feel. The brass finish is warm and lends itself well to a cozy room like a family room.

Floor Lighting

Floor lamps are perfect for illuminating a section of a room that doesn't have available table or wall space. I chose to use the Maxim Lighting Scan Floor Lamp to add light to my reading corner. Floor lamps can add either ambient or task lighting and sometimes both. The design of this floor lamp is moreso task lighting because of the downward directed light. It's warm LED bulb provides amble glow throughout the room too though. It's modern design is interesting and sculptural, quite different from the sconces. The brass details tie the two lighting together.

Table Top Lighting

I have one other light in the room. It provides a soft glow at the bistro table. Much like a candle. It's a handmade Turkish mosaic lamp. I've had this one for a while and hadn't found the perfect spot for it until I'd scored the rattan bistro set on OfferUp. This table lamp provides a soft romantic glow but strategically placed table lamps around a room can provide a main source of illumination.

Shop Lighting

Check out Maxim Lighting for all your lighting needs. They have hard wired and plug in lighting in every style you could want and need. Ceiling lights, Chandeliers, Pendants, Wall Lights, Table Lamps, Floor Lamps, Ceiling Fans, they've got it all!

Other Progress

This past week I also went in a painted the baseboards on the mural wall. All of the baseboards are quite sad in this house. Giving them a thick layer of bright white paints livens them up.

I also cleaned and polished my vintage credenza. We use it as a media cabinet and the storage within is perfect for that. I really love the way the warm wood looks with the mural and brass wall sconces.



Did I mention I found that gorgeous rattan arm chair for $40 on Facebook? I have the floor lamp illuminating it so I can enjoy reading and writing from here in the evenings. It was actually a pretty spectacular week for the design to start coming together.

I can't wait to get this next week of work done and to share the progress next week. Until then, be sure to check out the other One Room Challenge guest participant's progress here.