Where Light and Luxury Meet: Lighting Tips for Luxury Homes in Chicago
How the right lighting can elevate luxury home staging and help Chicago properties make a stronger first impression.
Preparing a luxury Chicago property for the market goes far beyond beautiful furniture. Fresh paint, thoughtful staging, professional photography and the right real estate team all play into a strong listing. The one element of properties that we consistently see overlooked is in the lighting of the home.
At O Designs by Orli Shoshan, we see lighting as an essential part of luxury home staging. The right lighting can make rooms feel larger, warmer and more inviting while highlighting the architectural details buyers are meant to notice.
Make the Most of Natural Light
Natural light is the easiest to embrace within a home. Most buyers look forward to seeing how much light is welcomed in by the windows throughout the house. Select buyers may even look for the direction the windows are facing to determine how much light they may expect throughout the day. When preparing a home for showings or photography, window treatments should frame the window rather than block natural light. Open shades and drapery fully whenever possible, and consider removing dated window coverings.
Create Consistency and Warmth With Artificial Lighting
Artificial lighting becomes especially important in the evening, on overcast Chicago days, and in rooms with limited natural light.
One of the best ways to elevate lighting throughout a home is by updating all light bulbs to the same temperature throughout the property. O Designs preferred color temperature is 3000k. This provides a warm, yet still bright tone throughout the home. However, every property has different lighting needs and consistency throughout the home is the goal.
Many Chicago condos are known for their stunning views and lack of overhead lighting. Daytime showings are great, but when night comes around the darkness takes over. For the rooms that lack overhead lighting, standing and table lamps can be useful as part of the staging. Flanking two matching lamps is a great way to add warmth throughout a space. Another quick way to brighten a room is to add a mirror that will help bounce light in darker areas of the home.
In older homes that are joining the market, it is worth considering updating fixtures throughout the home. While a new buyer may change the fixture later, having the new fixture that provides more light draws in potential buyers compared to poorly lit spaces throughout the home.
O Designs by Orli Shoshan is a luxury home staging company serving Chicago, the North Shore and surrounding suburbs. With over a decade of experience preparing Chicago homes and condos for market, our team understands how lighting, scale, styling and presentation work together to create an emotional connection with buyers and help a property stand out from the competition. Our team is prepared to elevate your listing from standard to market excellence with our luxury staging services and consultations.
