Using the right type of illumination and the right fixtures in the most appropriate places can hold great power over a design from the aesthetics of the space to the mood it presents. After all, we’ve all witnessed the calamity or even the liveliness a space represents when walking into a space with a specific type of lighting. For example, you may feel wide awake when walking into a bright grocery store or tired when sitting in a local coffee shop with mild, warm-toned lighting.

If you’re hoping to give your interior or exterior space a pinch of romance with the proper illumination, our lighting experts will teach you exactly how to achieve such. Romantic lighting is great to add peace and sophistication to a design whether it be the dining room, bathroom, or the porch.

If you’re hoping to give your interior or exterior space a pinch of romance with the proper illumination, our lighting experts will teach you exactly how to achieve such. Romantic lighting is great to add peace and sophistication to a design whether it be the dining room, bathroom, or the porch.

1 - Focus on warmer-toned lighting.

Relaxation and romance play hand in hand. In fact, warmer-toned lighting is psychologically proven to provide us with greater relaxation than cooler-toned lighting. For example, when sitting around an orange-colored fire, notice how you feel more at peace. On the flip side, cooler lighting is often more awakening than its warmer counterpart, as noted by long use of our computers and phones, which offer bright, blue-based lighting.

For that reason, it will be important for you to add warmer-toned lighting in your interior or exterior design if a romantic space is a goal of yours. Keep in mind that there are three main types of color temperatures provided by light bulbs: daylight/natural light, bright white/cool white, and soft white/warm white. The latter type of bulb, soft white/warm white, is the type that you’ll want your romantic space to have as this bulb offers calmer, yellow-tinted lighting.

2 - Add dimmable fixtures to your space.

Apart from warm-toned lighting, having dimmable light fixtures in your design is possibly one of the best and most successful ways you can achieve romantic illumination. With dimmable fixtures – whether it be chandeliers, pendant lights, or other types of fixtures – you can personalize the brightness of the lighting in your interior design to your liking. Typically, the more dimmed your lighting is, the greater the relaxation and romance.

The amount that you dim your fixtures, however, may be primarily dependent on what you need dimmable lighting for to begin with. As an example, having vaguely-dimmed fixtures might be appropriate for an earlier dinner party with family whereas heavily-dimmed fixtures may be more relevant for a one-on-one Valentine’s Day dinner with a loved one. If you have multiple dimmable light fixtures in your space, you might wish to have some light fixtures more dimmed than others, depending on their location in the space, to provide variety in the room.

3 - Create smooth contrasts between light and dark.

Major contrast between light and dark is not something typically found in a romantic setting. Instead, you may notice how there are mostly darker, warmer types of lighting present that only slightly contrast with one another. This milder type of contrast is something that you’ll want to present in your space.

To achieve this, make sure to avoid bright, cooler-toned lighting mixed in with dimmed, warmer-toned illumination. This is a no-go in a romantic design. Not only are the two polar opposites aesthetically, but it will create a confusing mood within your space. Instead, keep your lighting’s tones and brightness levels within a similar range. They can vary slightly, but never make them vary so much that they end up clashing or taking away from the romance in the room.

4 - Include lit candles in your design.

Of course, you can’t forget the candles. Not only do candles offer the right tone of lighting (warm-based), but the soft flickers and beautiful shadows provided by lit candles alone are deemed romantic and relaxing by many. On top of that, many candles offer an alluring scent from lavender to apple cinnamon that can be considered appropriate for a romantic setting.

You may wish to add either real or fake, scented or non-scented, thick or thin, or tall or short candles to your design. You may want to add a few simple, clean, white candles or several red candles of different heights and widths. Candles can be placed directly on the table, on a fancy dish, or place in or on a candle holder or jar.

5 - Place illumination in romantic places.

You may have the right lighting, but do you know where to properly place them for the best effect? Scope your space; decide what you consider to be romantic objects or areas in the room. For example, if you have a beautiful piece of art hanging from the wall or a vase of roses centered on a table, you may wish to illuminate these, and in turn, bring emphasize to these romantic objects.

For emphasizing something on the wall whether it be a decoration or architectural feature (e.g., brick accent wall), opt for accent lighting that fans onto to piece just perfectly. For something on a table or flat surface, you may wish to illuminate it with candles or recessed lighting.

6 - Make an illuminated centerpiece.

This last suggestion is completely up to you, but if you’re up for a small DIY project, you might like the idea of creating an illuminated centerpiece whether it be for a dining, side, or coffee table. You can approach this in numerous ways. You can add lit candles in an attractive formation in the center of the table or adding fake greenery and a trio of lit lanterns. Some may even like the idea of simply adding fairy lights in a few mason jars and placing it them on the table. You can add rose petals, little gems, a fancy crate or tray, or even feature water somewhere within your centerpiece (e.g., floating candles in a water-filled vase).

But before getting excited about an illuminated table centerpiece, always make sure that safety is the most integral part of your design. For example, make sure that napkins used as place setting will not be within close proximity of your lit centerpiece if there are real candles involved. Also make sure that children are not able to grab or knock over real candles or touch hot bulbs apart of your centerpiece. If necessary, you can always use cool-to-the-touch LED bulbs or fake candles for your centerpiece.

Conclusion

When creating romantic lighting in your interior or exterior design, place emphasize on adding warmer-toned, dimmable illumination with smooth contrast. For an extra romantic touch, add lit candles somewhere in your space, make sure to place each of your fixtures in the perfect places, and create an illuminated table centerpiece to put the cherry on top of your romantic design.

All in all, achieving romance in an interior or exterior design can be both fun and simple. It’s all about knowing what type and color of lighting to place in your design and where. You’ll know right away if your design has the relaxation and romance you’re looking for once you close the curtains, turn on your fixtures, and light your candles to test the space for yourself.

If you need more interior or exterior design-related tips and tricks, check out the rest of our blog posts.