Dabbieri Blog

How to Decorate with Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting can be a great option for creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in your living room. Whether you’re looking to create a cozy space for movie night or to curl up with a good book, the right lighting can help set the mood. With a few simple tips, you can design the perfect ambient lighting for your living room.

Determine the Purpose of the Lighting

Before you start decorating with ambient lighting, determine the purpose of the lighting. Do you want to create a relaxing and calming atmosphere that’s perfect for unwinding after a long day in the office or are you looking to create a lively and energetic living room that’s prime for hosting cocktail hour? Defining the purpose will help you identify the lighting needs in your living room and build the foundation for the rest of your design scheme.

Layer the Lighting

Layering lighting is an effective way to create depth, ambiance, and visual interest in a room. You can use a combination of overhead lighting, table lamps, floor lamps, and wall sconces to create different levels of illumination. Utilizing multiple light sources like these creates a seamless transition from a bright and lively living room in the daytime to a sophisticated, relaxed space for entertaining and unwinding in the evening.

Consider the Placement of Lighting

Consider the placement of lighting to create the desired effect. Proper placement of lighting can not only enhance the visual appeal of your living room but also affect the functionality and ambiance of the space. For example, if you want to create a cozy reading nook, place a floor lamp next to a comfortable chair. Or, if you’re an art connoisseur, place a floor lamp next to the latest addition to your collection to highlight and draw attention to the piece.

Choose the Right Bulbs

The type of bulb you choose can make a big difference in the overall mood of your space. Warm white or soft white bulbs are ideal for creating a cozy atmosphere, while cool white bulbs are better for composing an energetic ambiance. Warm and soft light creates a relaxing and intimate environment, so choose light bulbs with a color temperature of 2700K to 3000K to create a soothing sanctuary to relax in.

Use Dimmer Switches

Dimmer switches allow you to control the brightness of your lights, giving you the flexibility to adjust the lighting according to your needs. With this new technology, you can change the mood of a room with the simple touch of a switch to create a cozy ambiance with soft lighting for date night, or a bright and energetic atmosphere with high-intensity lighting for game night. These switches can also enhance the visual appeal of your interior design by adding depth and dimension to the lighting. You can use dimmer switches to highlight specific areas of a room or to create a focal point in your design.

Decorating with ambient lighting requires careful planning and consideration of the purpose, layering, bulbs, switches, focal points, and color. With the right techniques, you can create a beautiful and inviting atmosphere in any space.

Celebrity-Inspired Nursery Design

With spring just around the corner, it’s time to spruce up those kids’ rooms and prep the nursery for any little one’s on the way. To begin conceptualizing nursery design, we looked to A-list celebrity moms for design ideas and inspiration. While the world of celebs may seem all glitzy and glam, their nursery designs range the gamut from lavish floral wallpaper to traditional luxe décor but all remain grounded in warm color schemes and comfortable, functional designs. 

Check out these six celebrity-inspired nursery design ideas:

Girly and Glam

Cellular Shades by Graber

If you’re looking for a sweet, but soft nursery design, try your hand at girly and glam. Think pastel colorways in gold, creams, and pinks tied together through soft materials, warm lighting, and floral wallpaper. Celebs from Khloe Kardashian to Hilary Duff have long since opted for a pink and girly scheme for their baby girls. Infusing your nursery with a little glitz and glam gives a chance for glamorous textures and bold patterns to come into play, creating a unique look just as special as your little one.

Vintage Luxe

Cellular Shades by Graber

For those looking to create a more traditional aesthetic in the nursery, choose elements from classically luxe interiors. From heirloom spindle-style cribs to vintage wall prints, this design style features elegant curves and timeless wood furniture. Layer in neutral rugs and soft shag textures and dress it up with gilded gold hardware through framed artwork, lighting, and drawer pulls.

Calming Neutrals

Calm neutrals can infuse warmth and tranquility into your nursery —and what parent couldn’t use more of those especially when it’s naptime? Just look to celebs like Steph Curry, who mastered the neutral design scheme in his second child’s nursery. Best practices for creating a neutral nursery color palette include making sure there’s enough warmth between neutral colors and balancing depth in design through cozy textiles, wood finishes, texture, artwork, and lighting.

Big Imagination

Bring the pages of your children’s favorite storybook alive with a whimsical theme in your nursery. Maybe this is a secret garden or under the stars —whatever your theme may be, incorporate warm textures and materials through plush animal toys, bronze/gold accents, and wall decals. 

Animal Crossing

Animal lovers abound! Perfect for any little one that loves their furry friends, an animal-themed nursery is easy to create. Plus, you can even incorporate animal-related activities into your space like a climbing wall for those little monkeys or a pop-up tent for the little cubs to hibernate in.

Boho Chic

Stars like Gigi Hadid have alternatively picked a boho chic vibe for their baby’s nursery with earth-toned colors to set a warm and grounded space. These earthy, warm hues include reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and browns that work to create an inviting, homey feel and add a sense of nature-inspired coziness to your nursery.