Never underestimate the importance of good lighting in your home or workplace. It’s not just practical. It adds style.

Let’s start with practical considerations and think about the lighting needs you have in a room – or even a particular spot in the room:

• General light illuminates the whole room. A lampshade can make all the difference. Some are semi-opaque and let the light shine all around while others have a lining that causes light to aim up and down but not all around
• A floor lamp or pendant elevate the light source and can add brightness to a larger area. If you don’t have a hard-wired electrical box in the perfect location, consider “swagging” (or stringing) a pendant on a longer cord – with a hook or two in the ceiling – to get the light where you want it
• Task lighting is more direct and gives you concentrated illumination at a desk or in your favorite reading spot. Consider an adjustable lamp – telescoping height, swiveling lamp heads – so you can aim light to the spot in which you most need it
• Set the mood with low-wattage, decorative lighting that creates an intimate ambiance. Almost any lamp with low to high settings can do the trick, but sometimes a small ornamental lamp does the job with some extra style
• Control light levels by choosing lamps with three-way switches, adding a socket adapter with built-in dimmer, or using a plug-in device for dimming

Next pick your lamp style, from sleek and modern to traditional or ornate – or even over-the-top retro. Just make sure that the lamp or light fixture is in harmony with the style of the overall room.

MidModMen+friends offers a changing selection of vintage mid-century and modern lighting in a variety of styles and materials. Our partner ModiLumi Lighting is another lighting destination, with an exciting selection of handcrafted lampshades, newly made and remade lamps, and light fixtures. They sell locally in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and also ship nationally.