These icons of style are not just for reading anymore. According to Gary Babcock, vice president of fashion and merchandising at Arhaus, "Decorative lamps and chandeliers are a key accessory for your room. They can soften any setting making it more intimate and charming. Selecting the right lamp is just as important as selecting throw pillows or artwork for a room."

When making lighting choices, consider the following:

● Your lighting choice should complement the entire room setting. Match the lamp to your furniture style to help complete the look. For example, select a sophisticated lamp to use with furniture that is more refined.

● Buy lamps in pairs or in similar styles to create the mood in your room.

● Don't guess! Take a snapshot of your room to the store with you. A good salesperson should be able to offer you several appropriate choices of lighting.

Getting Shady

Changing lampshades is an effective way to freshen or update a room's decor. Lampshade fashions this season are all about using beautiful materials and combining them with unique treatments. The fabric choices for shades are much more decorative and refined, such as shantung silks and crinkled, oiled papers.

Anything goes this season, as decorative trim on lampshades becomes more popular. Have fun selecting a lampshade dressed up with a row of glass beads, pearls, rhinestones, tassels or even feathers to complement a setting in your home. Selecting the right shade is an easy way to dress up an area of your home with functional accessories.

Chandeliers make a come-back

Chandeliers are back, and better than ever! Chandeliers are not just for hanging over the dining room table anymore. A beautiful, effective way to create a focal point, chandeliers can add ambience to any room. Made of solid, handcrafted metals, new chandeliers are heavily adorned with hand-cut crystals and blown glass fruits, birds, beads and baubles. These extra touches will add sparkle and interest to the style of your room or setting.

Chandeliers can be used in every room of the house -- be creative! For example, hang one over an occasional table in the living room, or over each nightstand flanking your bed. Another ideal spot is over a foyer table, or hang a cluster of two or three in a corner of any room. Chandeliers can even be incorporated into the canopy of a bed.

If you choose to hang a chandelier over the dining table, try using more than one for a more dramatic look. Hang a group of small chandeliers together over a table clustered at the same or different heights. Hint: Hanging chandeliers 24 inches to 30 inches above the table will provide the best lighting and visual appeal. You can also bunch up a decorative fabric chain cover for a more finished look.

Lighting: Function or Fashion?

Much of home furnishing today reflects the need for homeowners to surround themselves with things that are functional. Lighting is a significant consideration when determining a room's functionality and should complement a homeowner's lifestyle. There are three basic types of lighting that work together to illuminate your home: general, task and accent.

General lighting provides overall illumination. Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks such as reading, cooking or doing paperwork, and accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating decorative interest. All three types of lighting can be found in table lamps, floor lamps and pendant fixtures.

Here are some hints:

● A good lighting plan combines all three types of lighting in an area or room. It often helps to draw a simple diagram when considering your needs.

● Consider using a combination of table lamps, floor lamps and pendant fixtures.

● For visual appeal, consider mixing sizes, shapes and styles of lamps in a room. If you have three lamps, you may want to invest in two similar lamps and a third lamp in a different, more ornate style. Try grouping two or three small chandeliers in a corner or hanging one over an end table for added drama.

● "Consider lighting as part of the next 'layer' in a room after the furniture is in place," says Gary Babcock of Arhaus.

● Try some of the newest lighting looks to add drama. Lamps are now more elaborate and beautiful than ever before. Unusual shade treatments and decorative trims are very important this season.

Decorative lighting can dramatically change the look of any room. As a result, more homeowners are enjoying the mood that only lighting can create. With today's options, there doesn't have to be a question of fashion or function -- now, you can have both.

Courtesy of ARA Content