15 Accent Lighting Ideas That Make Homes Feel More Luxurious

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There are a lot of steps that you can take to enhance and elevate the luxury of your home, but one of the easiest is to select the right accent lighting. Properly chosen accent lighting should draw your focus to certain features in a home, without overpowering you with their brightness. Essentially, they help to bring more illumination to the overlooked spots in your home that are begging for better lighting. If you've been on the hunt for some accent lighting that will make your home feel more luxurious, the good news is that there is a nearly endless supply of inspiration.

Though there are many types of accent lighting available, not all of them will make your home more luxurious; choosing the right fixtures requires some thought and careful selecting to avoid purchasing something that is too garish. When shopping for accent lighting, opt for fixtures that provide a good degree of illumination but bring that soft, diffuse glow to your space. Under-the-cabinet lighting, ambient closet lighting, a nicely placed pendant, patio lanterns, or an elegant floor lamp are all good examples of what to look for, but your options abound. 

Helping to make your space more functional and more luxe, under-the-cabinet lighting is an obvious move to make if better accent light is on your wish list this year. Not only does it give your kitchen a warm glow during the day, but it also helps to bring some soft lighting to your space in the evening or in the wee hours of the morning. This is helpful as it eliminates the need for harsh overhead lights.

Recessed kitchen lighting is highly functional for a space, providing that extra illumination that you need when cooking a meal or cleaning the space. In the same breath, recessed lighting stays out of the way, giving you a fuss-free glow that is hard to beat. It can even make your space look larger than it is, which is often a welcomed feature. 

A dim and dingy pantry is the opposite of luxury — instead, you want a space where you can easily locate your supplies and food items. Darker spaces are known to look cramped, while a little lighting in the corners or under shelves can create more visual depth and make your pantry feel larger — no matter how small is actually is. You can easily add pantry lighting without spending a fortune with motion-detecting puck lights, like these Novelty Place LED lights.

Nothing says luxury quite like a walk-in closet with lighting. For many of the same reasons as your pantry, adding accent lighting, either with easy-to-install puck lighting or bar lighting can truly amplify your closet experience. It also serves a practical purpose since it helps you to more quickly locate a particular clothing option. If you're wanting a truly seamless experience, consider opting for motion-sensing lights that will turn on when you need them most.

Hanging some dangling pendant lights above a kitchen island or bar is an ideal way to add some classiness to your culinary space. In addition to adding some focused lighting that can be helpful when prepping food, they also have the benefit of providing a focal point to your kitchen. Be sure to choose something that complements the overall vibe of your kitchen so that they don't stand out too much.

Bathroom lighting requires that you strike a tricky balance: While you need enough lighting to see what you're doing, you don't want anything that is overly harsh, which can run the risk of feeling sterile. Backlit mirrors can provide a subtle glow that is ideal for that luxurious look you're trying to achieve in your bathroom. They make for ideal mood lighting any time, day or night, and can be useful for detailed work like makeup application.

Sconces can be a luxurious choice for bathroom lighting since they provide a softer degree of illumination, rather than a bright overhead fixture. They are an ideal choice to place next to the vanity mirror, and can be positioned to flank either side of personal mirrors. If your mirror has a particular color or finish for the border, consider matching the sconce to it for ultimate visual appeal, though this isn't entirely necessary if other elements of the bathroom's decor or hardware already matches.

The wagon wheel chandelier is an accent light walks the line between approachable and luxurious, since it combines down-to-earth materials with a large and impressive fixture. If you think that a wagon wheel chandelier has to be positioned in a living room, think again: They can just as easily be implemented into your decor for an entryway or a dining room. Remember to choose the right size lighting fixture for the space, however, or you'll risk an awkward final product.

For an accent light that is sure to turn heads with its fun and refined appearance, the Sputnik chandelier pendant lighting fixture is a great choice. While it looks high end, the Lagaertha 6 Sputnik Sphere Chandelier ($72.99 on Wayfair) is affordably priced, making it accessible for anyone. Its size makes it suitable to place in a number of settings, from bedrooms or entryways to dining rooms and living spaces.

A dimly lit approach to your home is the opposite of luxurious; to remedy that, you'll want to select an accent lighting fixture that isn't too flashy, but also that has a timeless appeal. A lantern sconce fixture strikes that balance nicely. You can position one on either side of your front door for some symmetry. If you have a wide, sweeping front porch, you can even install more than two, spacing them out evenly across the entire length of the porch.

A trendy lighting fixture above your bathtub can go a long way when it comes to creating a luxurious spa-like feel. Choosing something with natural materials can work well if your style is a little more casual. If you enjoy opulence, there's no harm in selecting a more traditional chandelier fixture. In any case, a carefully selected fixture can keep your bathroom looking its best. 

String lights are one of the most accessible accenting lighting features you can add to a space. Not only are they available at nearly every hardware store, but they also bring that timeless charm and luxury that everyone desires for their property. String them across your patio to instantly elevate your outdoor living space and make it more inviting; you can also hang them from lower tree branches to make your backyard feel like an enchanted garden. Want to create some more definition? This layered string light idea will turn your patio into an enchanting escape.

A nicely placed, stylish floor lamp can do wonders for your bedroom, giving you some beautiful ambient lighting and a soft glow. For an affordable and stunning floor lamp, check out this affordable option on Amazon, which brings a graceful luxury to your bedroom without weighing down the design of the room. If you need help, here are some tips for how to choose the perfect floor lamp for your space.

It's an exceedingly simple change to make, but recessed bathroom lighting effortlessly gives a luxurious glow to any shower space. Even though it's out of the way from splashing water, it's important to select for moisture-rated lighting to avoid electrical issues from steam. If you pair your recessed shower lighting with a dimmer switch, you can fully customize how much light your shower space gets, which can help create a soothing accent lighting setup.

One of the common themes that all these luxurious lights have is that they are capable to diffusing a soft glow, rather than harsh brightness into a space. A bedside sconce or properly placed wall lamp is an excellent choice for your bedroom, providing you with just enough brightness to read or relax without taking up precious side table surface space. Since it will be installed for the long run, make sure to select a lamp with materials that you like, as well as ones that match the decor scheme of your bedroom