Shea McGee is the queen of lighting design, particularly where it comes to kitchen lighting ideas. The star of the hit Netflix show Dream Home Makeover has recently given some very useful lighting design tips on her blog, and we think that her top tip is absolute genius, because it's so versatile. Whatever the style of your home, this lighting trick can add instant oomph to any room (not just the kitchen) and it's so easy that anyone can try it.
Writing for the Studio McGee blog, Shea advises to 'play with scale to make a lighting statement', and that means, nine times out of 10, using a gorgeous, oversized pendant light, even if the room is small. 'Don’t be afraid to experiment with scale to make your lighting the focal point of the space', Sheila urges. 'Sometimes throwing out the “rules” when it comes to sizing lends the best results.'
It's no wonder the huge pendants Shea regularly chooses as part of her makeover projects work so well: yes, they are large, but they're finished in light-reflecting gold or glistening white – colors it is pretty much impossible to go wrong with, no matter the size of the light.
Plus, these exaggerated lighting styles aren't just for kitchens. Sheila says: 'In “Dream Home Makeover,” we choose a few oversized lighting pieces for everything from kitchen pendants to console table lamps to add interest and elevate the overall look and feel.'
This is the breath of fresh air many neutrally decorate room schemes need so badly: the reason why McGee's are so stylish is because while she tends to stick to calm neutrals in her color palette, there's nothing neutral or safe about these lights. They are big, they draw attention to themselves, and they add a lot of extra dimension to the rooms when lt.
We really like the combination of pendants and an oversized table lamp in this open-plan home. Definitely an open plan kitchen idea to copy. 'The right lighting can pull everything together to create a balanced and dimensional look', says Shea. If your kitchen or living space looks like it's lacking something, lighting rather than more/different furniture is the quick fix it needs.
