There’s a light fixture that has been trending this past year found in about any home design: the library light. It’s a favorite on popular HGTV shows as well as YouTube and Netflix interior designer Shea McGee’s spaces.
A favorite for its bold attempt to become a trend a decade ago, luxury furniture store RH began placing library lights above just about anything mounted to the wall from paintings and photographs to mirrors and built-in bookshelves or cabinets. RH has now expanded its traditional fixture design to include a dozen designs from modern to contemporary as the trend has gone mainstream while other manufacturers are also now featuring the library light. It functions like a sconce providing mood and accent lighting but it also serves a purpose drawing attention to the object it illuminates.
My tip is to avoid LED models as they cast bright light and often cannot be dimmed. If you’re looking to add a fixture to the wall, look for a nearby outlet as the electrician can easily splice off the outlet to add a fixture above. Alternatively you can use plug-in models but you’ll need to be creative in hiding the cord.
PHOTO: This summer I added a mirror and local artwork illuminated by two library lights in my living room. I used “smart dimmers” which are hidden behind the artwork to control the library light fixtures remotely and throw add-on switches. Curious how that works? PM me.
