Why Lighting Might Be the Most Underrated Design Decision in Your Home

When you walk into a home, you notice more than furniture, paint, or décor. There's a subtle but powerful layer shaping the entire experience: lighting. It sets mood, enhances design, and impacts how spaces are lived in. Yet lighting remains one of the most underestimated aspects of interior design. At Alexandra Lauren Interior Design, we believe that light is a core design tool—not just an accessory.

Have you ever walked into an empty room and felt that something still seemed chaotic, even when the room was completely devoid of clutter and furniture? Your senses are often picking up on the lighting temperature. Cohesion is pleasing to our senses. Look around the rooms in your home—do your lamps, chandeliers, and pendants all have the same temperature of bulbs? If you swap these out so everything matches, you’ll quickly want to recreate that sense of harmony throughout your entire home.

Nine times out of ten, when I walk into a new home, I see multiple color temperatures competing with one another— lamps glowing warm, overheads looking cool, pendants somewhere in between. The result is chaotic to the senses and distracts from even the most beautiful design elements.

A consistent lighting temperature is key to creating a cohesive, elegant home environment. The best part? Updating lighting isn’t always about replacing expensive fixtures. If your budget doesn’t allow for chandeliers or pendants right now, start with bulbs. Simply updating all bulbs to match a preferred color temperature can dramatically improve the flow and feel of your home. This quick fix has a huge impact on mood, function, and design consistency.

My personal favorite range is between 2,700K and 3,000K. This warm-to-soft white tone feels inviting without being too yellow, crisp without being harsh. Of course, it depends on the space: kitchens and workspaces may benefit from slightly cooler tones, while bedrooms and living rooms thrive with warmer light.

What matters most is selecting your favorite tone and ensuring consistency. I’m also in love with the Danish concept of hygge—the art of creating coziness and warmth in everyday life. One of the central elements of hygge is light. Layering light from multiple sources—lamps, sconces, candles, and overheads—creates a gentle glow that feels inviting, balanced, and human. While color temperature consistency matters, allowing light to flow from several sources gives depth, character, and warmth to any space. This balance is what makes a home truly feel alive.

At Alexandra Lauren Interior Design, we help clients create cohesive, elevated homes where lighting supports lifestyle and beauty. Whether you’re redesigning or moving into a new home, remember that lighting is not just about fixtures—it’s about feeling.