The way you illuminate a room can play a big role in the atmosphere for that space. Overhead lighting, sconces, recessed lights, and chandeliers provide great starting point for a room’s décor. Here are some ideas and trends for stylish home light fixtures.

• The recently popular brass, bronze and gold colors work very well in light fixtures. The slightly yellow hints in these metallic finishes bring a softness to the room and work especially well in brushed gold overhead fixtures. Alternately, try placing a gold reading lamp near your desk or favorite chair to warm up the study, office, or living room.

• Less is more in chandeliers these days, so opt for something with clean lines, few to no embellishments, and a generally “sleek” look.

• Illuminate your kitchen countertops with LED lighting placed underneath the cabinets. Not only will this help light the area while you’re cooking, but it can be a great night light for midnight snackers. LED technology is more energy efficient and saves you money in the long run, as well.

• Large pendant light fixtures are popular in the kitchen for over the table or island. Get one large enough to illuminate the entire room on its own. Pendant lighting can be paired with recessed lights if you need to brighten up even more.

• Electric sconces used to just come in pairs, but the rage now is to fill the entire wall with smaller fixtures and dimmer bulbs just to set the mood. An accent wall in the living room or your bedroom with offset, scattered fixtures can give your space an almost spa-like feel.

• It’s all about the sphere these days, with trendy pendant and chandelier fixtures incorporating circles into their designs. Don’t think of a traditional globe light, think more along the lines of intersecting circles coming together in unique ways to make a see-through ball.

• A trend in bathroom lighting is not just having a fixture above the mirror, but adding two sconces on either side, about eye-level.

• The retro style Edison bulb is back in and works great in clear light fixtures or those where the bulb is exposed. And bonus for the environment, they also come in LED!