I love dabbling with interior design and decorating!  It's definitely a passion of mine and if I had more training and money that I didn't care about losing, it would be my dream to have my own interior decorating company!  Every since I was a child, I've poured through home decor magazines, analyzing why some things worked and others did not.  So, I was THRILLED when my husband and I finally moved into our first house!  I couldn't believe that I finally had a blank slate with which to try out all of my interior design "know-how".  We've renovated almost every room in our house, except the kitchen, living room, guest room and backyard area.  The kitchen is actually partially completed and what I'd like to talk about today is something that most people overlook, yet can make a HUGE difference in the look and feel of a room...LIGHTING!

When we first moved into our house, I absolutely loved the kitchen!  It has a huge island and an adjoining breakfast nook, so the space is massive!  There are also a ton of cabinets which I have already filled with plenty of gadgets and appliances.  The one thing that I thought was a total eyesore though, was the large fluorescent lighting above the island.  Fluorescent lights are so cold and uninviting and I hated the patterned screens that were used up there as well.  Take a look and tell me what you think:

Instead of the "office-like" fluorescent lighting, I longed to install recessed lighting.  Then, I could have the fluorescent lighting ripped out and a large pot rack installed instead, which would provide even more storage in this kitchen and allow my cabinets to be used for other things.  Recessed lighting was definitely the way to go, in my opinion!  The cold, harsh light of the fluorescent bulbs was now replaced with warm, inviting light.  Since I had already painted the kitchen walls a copper/brown marble faux-finish to inspire a warm Tuscan look, the recessed lighting coupled nicely and complemented our Italian-themed kitchen.  Take a look and see if you agree:

So, there you have it...lighting is a definite way to set the stage for your beautiful home decor and should always be considered a top priority in interior decorating.  Too often, the lighting of a room is not taken into consideration, but trust me, it can make all the difference in the world on how well your new design works!