Downlighting, uplighting, decorative lighting or task lighting –what type of light does your room need? Your lighting should match the decorating style of your home. From contemporary to mission to Victorian, you can find the right lighting options to enhance your décor. When lighting a room, however, it's also important to think of function as well as form. Use our tips to cast your home in a new light.

LIGHT FROM ABOVE For eating meals or playing games, you'll appreciate the direct illumination supplied by overhead lighting. In the past, overhead lighting offered harsh and unattractive options. But these days, ceiling lighting is more stylish than ever.
Get On Track Versatile and maneuverable track lighting lets you attach multiple small lamps onto a ceiling-installed track system. Light an entire room or pinpoint light on artwork or architectural details. Track lighting comes in preassembled kits or in build-your-own packages, and it easily combines with other types of lighting.
Go Recessed Tucked neatly into the ceiling and out of sight until you need it, recessed lighting emits shafts of illumination that can be directed where you need it. Spotlight a reading corner with a single recessed light, or use multiple lights to dramatically lighten an area of a room such as a wall or entryway.
Hang It Up Pendant lighting–single simple or elaborate lighting fixtures using multiple bulbs–is very popular. Match the style of the fixture to your décor. Choose a chandelier dripping with cut-glass prisms for a refined, traditional look. Go minimalist and modern with a single glowing orb. Or infuse a techno feel with a chrome-and-glass pendant light.
Switch Up Or Down Control the mood in any room by installing dimmer switches to modify overhead light intensity. This is ideal for rooms that require varied lighting. An electrician easily can upgrade any light switch with a dimmer option.

LITTLE LAMPS FOR BIG EFFECT Accent lighting has the ability to change the ambience of a room. Choose from a variety of styles:
Mood-Setting Sconces Versatile sconce lighting enables you to position lighting in the center of the wall. A nice side effect? Upward-directed light makes a room feel more spacious.
Space-Saving Floor Lamps Floor lamps are as decorative as they are useful. They add structural interest to a room during the day; then, after the sun goes down, they brighten dark corners and create comfortable reading and conversation areas. With electrical outlets installed in the floor, you even can use floor lamps in the middle of a room. Most floor lamps also accommodate three-way lightbulbs so you can create three levels of light, depending on the situation.
Table Lamps When Thomas Edison created the first incandescent lamp in 1879, he probably couldn't foresee how many different incarnations his invention would be cast in. But artists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, creator of the Tiffany lamp, merged art with light to make table lamps the most versatile of all lighting fixtures, because they can be made in any decorating style. Thanks to the wide range of bases and shades (and the ability to mix and match them), you can assemble unique table lamps that match your personal style.

ILLUMINATING LIGHTING The style of your lighting enhances any décor, but the type of lights you use in your lamps, sconces and overhead fixtures also affects the color and mood in the room. Here are some guidelines to the different types of lights:
Incandescent Lamps are the most commonly used household bulbs–and with good reason. These lightbulbs are inexpensive and create a soft, spreading light. But an incandescent is short-lived–it burns only about 1,000 hours.
Halogen Lamps use halogen gas, which creates a brighter light than an incandescent bulb. But it's also more efficient, so you get more light for less energy. Halogen lamps provide a crisp white light with great beam control.
Fluorescent Lightbulbs are highly energy-efficient and offer diffused lighting. Ideal for lighting basements or other large open areas, fluorescent bulbs or tubes offer cool white light.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs are smaller in size than regular fluorescent lights–more like incandescent bulbs–but they offer a longer-lived bulb, plus they are much more energyefficient. Compared with a basic incandescent lamp, a compact fluorescent offers the same light at only 20 percent of the energy cost.

A SHADE BETTER Change the lampshades in any room to create instant decorating impact. Here are some shade-buying tips from Jill Waage, Group Editor of Decorating and Design in Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Media.
Shape Up Choose a shape that complements the lamp base–and meets your lighting needs. The classic drum shade is the perfect topper for lamps with a shapely base and provides bright lighting for living or dining rooms. Cone shades are more traditional, especially when pleated, and shed light downward, so they are perfect for work or reading areas. Long, narrow column shades are contemporary ways to add mood lighting.
Size To Fit Choose a drum or column shade that's about two-thirds the height of the base. A smaller shade could look skimpy, and a larger shade will look top heavy. And, generally for most lamps, the widest part of the shade should exceed the widest part of the base by about an inch.