An Expert’s Guide to Selecting a Statement-Making Light Fixture

The perfect finishing touch to a room, the power of statement lighting should not be underestimated. “The right lighting fixture draws the eye, sets off the room, and can even help delineate space in an open concept arrangement,” says Aspen, Colorado-based interior designer Kristin Dittmar Doremus, who happens to be a master at incorporating eye-catching lighting (visit her portfolio to see her expertise in action). To help us learn how to choose the perfect show-stopping piece, we recently asked Doremus to shed some light on everything from important factors to consider to the latest trends in lighting. Here are her recommendations.

Choose the best space to make a statement. Public and entertaining areas, like a dining room or living room, are prime places for a statement piece, where your fixture can act as art. In addition, Doremus says that powder rooms, entryways, long hallways, kitchen islands, and even bedsides are excellent spaces in which to consider installing bold lighting.

Consider your practical lighting needs. Statement lighting doesn’t have to sacrifice function for form. These fixtures can and should also be useful, Doremus notes. Carefully consider your overall lighting scheme, and whether you need task, ambient, or accent lighting before drilling down on the fixture. Once you’ve made your selection, be sure to buy the appropriate bulbs—wattage and warmth matter!

Be thoughtful about scale. “Size and shape always play a role when you’re choosing the right statement lighting in a home,” Doremus says. As you consider your options, remember that the scale of your fixture has the potential to make or break the design. “It should fit into the space, but not overwhelm it,” she notes.

Try a trend. While you can never go wrong with a classic, lighting is a fun area in which to experiment, and it’s not the most difficult element to switch out should you decide you’re ready for a change. Right now, Doremus reports that industrial-inspired fixtures with metal finishes are a popular choice. On the opposite end of the spectrum, she is seeing a high demand for organic-inspired fixtures—think natural fibers like bamboo, rattan, and sisal—as well as an uptick of interest in colored glass.

Photograph by Brooke Casillas Photography. TSG Tip 354 from Kristin Dittmar Doremus of Kristin Dittmar Design in Aspen, Colorado. Kristin Dittmar Design is featured in The Scout Guide Aspen.