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Choosing the Right Lighting Fixtures for Your Home

When building your dream home or commercial space, it’s easy to get caught up in the details (there are so many details), but the right lighting fixtures are the finishing touch that elevates a space from beautiful to unforgettable. At MC Homes, lighting design is one of the areas where our designers love to take hold and be bold to find unique ways to illuminate your life. Here’s how we select lighting that both dazzles and enhances how you live, work, and play.

Understanding the Space

Lobby of Nouveau Salon with a curved wall in the foreground and a large ornate lighting fixture hanging in front of the second level railing

Before browsing catalogs, we take a walk through each room, whether it’s a dining room, living room, bathroom, or the different spaces that will be featured for commercial builds. We take inventory of ceiling heights, room sizes, and how each room is meant to function. Higher ceilings, for example, invite dramatic chandeliers; eight‑foot ceilings call for flush or semi‑flush mounts. Over an island or dining table, pendants or a chandelier might be ideal, while bathrooms and tubs benefit from specific moisture‑rated fixtures.

Proportion is Key: Scale & Placement

View into the dining room of the Eagle Landing Lake House showing a table setting with a large light fixture hanging above the table and patterned floral wallpaper on the wall behind

Your fixture should fit the space. It shouldn’t overwhelm it, nor should it disappear into the ceiling. In a dining room, we might choose a chandelier roughly half to two-thirds the table’s width for perfect balance. Pendants above islands should be hung about 30–36″ above the surface; semi‑flush or flush‑mounts go flush with 8‑foot ceilings.

In bathrooms, vanity lights should be centered above or beside the mirror at about eye level. In living rooms, we like to layer with recessed cans, floor lamps, and sconces to create warmth without harsh edges.

Keep a Cohesive Style and Finish

Image of a bedroom with an intricate light fixture hanging over the bed. The finish is bronze which matches the curtain rods

For a polished look, select fixtures that feel related, not identical. Stick to one metal (like brushed nickel or antique brass) and one sheen. Mixing polished and matte versions can clash. Choose fixtures with similar lines or motifs. If your dining chandelier has graceful curves, carry that arc into bathroom sconces or entry pendants. Stick to one period—mid-century modern, industrial, or traditional—or choose shared materials like glass globes or woven shades.

At MC Homes, we might select a signature fixture first like a chandelier in the dining room or statement pendant in a foyer and use its finish, shape, or texture to inform choices throughout the home or business space. It serves as the “anchor point” that creates flow.

Layer the Light

Huyck House dining room in a color drenched style with the walls, ceiling and trim painted the same color.

Lighting is more than just overhead light, it’s about layers that create ambiance or serve a purpose. For example, task lighting can be used for specific jobs. This would be pendants over an island, vanity lights in the bathroom and table or desk lamps.

Ambient lighting serves as your day-to-day, primary light source for a given space. Think chandeliers, recessed can lights or flush mounted lighting. This sets the mood and tone for a room or space.

Then accent lighting can be used to highlight specific features in your home, like a piece of art or furniture. Examples of this could be directional spotlights or wall sconces.

This approach ensures each space is functional and visually rich. In commercial settings (like salons or office lobbies), a mix of recessed lighting with feature pendants sets mood and guides flow. It really just depends on how you are using the space to find the right mixture.

Durability & Compliance

2023 St. Jude Dream Home master bathroom with a large bathtub and dual vanities with the show room visible through the window behind the tub. Sconces sit on the wall framing the vanities and a hanging figure sits above the bathtub.

Bathrooms and other damp locations require UL-rated moisture-resistant fixtures. Durable finishes matter too—especially in areas of heavy use, like hospitality or retail. Choosing timeless finishes like unlacquered brass or polished nickel prevents premature wear and ensures longevity.

Practical Placement Tips

Dining rooms: Chandelier should hang ~30″ above the table in an 8′-ceiling room; for taller ceilings, raise approximately one inch for every extra foot.
Island pendants: Grouped in odd numbers (3 or 5) and hung ~32″ above counter surface.
Bathrooms: Vanity lights 60″ from floor or flanking the mirror; overhead centered in wet zones.
Living rooms: Place floor lamps near seating and accent sconces at ~66″ from floor for balanced lighting.

Commercial Considerations

Display wall at the Lone Oak Family Eye Center with backlighting illuminating the shelves of stock that sit on shelves framed by a faux wood wall with an abstract shape cutout for the display

In offices, showrooms, or retail spaces, lighting isn’t just functional—it’s a visual ambassador. Combine recessed cans for even light with feature pendants in entryways or over service areas. Tech agents, display cases, signage—each needs bespoke fixtures. While our commercial clients include salons and dental offices, the principles are the same: understand the function, support the brand image, and illuminate with care.

Let There Be Light

Your home’s lighting is more than illumination. Fixtures chosen with care become artistic expressions that showcase design, enhance comfort, and reflect who you are. Whether it’s a custom home or boutique commercial space, our approach ensures your lighting shines just as bright as your vision.

Ready to light up your life? Let’s talk through your new build together. Just drop us a line today.

July 17, 2025

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