How to Choose the Perfect Lighting for Your Home

When it comes to designing your dream home, every detail matters — and lighting plays a bigger role than many people realize. In this post, I’m walking you through how we approached lighting at Montigny Manor, expert tips we learned along the way, and room-by-room inspiration to help you choose the perfect lighting for your own home.

For our new build Montigny Manor, we trusted West of Main Custom Homes and Interior Design lighting experts to help bring our vision to life. Their expertise in pairing style with functionality made all the difference, ensuring that each fixture didn’t just light a room — it completed it.

Why We Chose  to work with West of Main

It makes a huge difference working with pro’s! From the very first conversation, we knew we were in good hands with West of Main. Their team offered a seamless blend of design-forward thinking and practical advice, making what could have been an overwhelming process feel easy and exciting.

West of Main offers more than just lighting! They provide comprehensive design support through services like their Decor Consultations, helping homeowners create cohesive, beautiful spaces no matter where they live. Whether you’re building from scratch or refreshing a single room, their curated collections and designer tips make high-end design accessible and attainable.

Through their guidance, we were able to “get the look” we envisioned: timeless, elevated, and welcoming, with every light fixture playing its part. And thanks to their insider advice, each room now feels intentionally designed — never an afterthought.

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Home Lighting Design Tips

• Prioritize visual flow: fixtures don’t need to match, but they should relate–in tone, scale, or style. Lighting should feel like a conversation from one room to the next.
• Balance statement and subtle: Not every light fixture has to be a showstopper. Choose where you want the “wow” moments, and let the other pieces support the overall atmosphere.
• Layer your lighting: Use a mix of ambient, task, and accent lighting in every room.
• Think about function first: Before falling in love with a fixture, ask what the lighting needs to do in that space.
• Keep your finishes cohesive: Match or thoughtfully mix metals and materials throughout the home.
• Use dimmers where possible: Dimmers give you flexibility and can completely change the mood.
• Don’t forget the details: Even smaller spaces like pantries or mudrooms deserve beautiful lighting!

Tips & Tricks from West of Main

• Consider the user’s height and lifestyle to adjust accordingly. A tall person could hang the pendants higher to avoid obstructing their view.
• The size of the pendant should be determined by the size of your island. A large item requires large pendants!
• Ask yourself if the pendants are a design feature or if they are needed for task lighting. If you have recessed lighting, you can opt for something more decorative instead. 
• When selecting a fixture that comes with a rod instead of a chain, make sure the rods are the appropriate size for the height you desire.
• Find the center of the island and divide each side in half to find where the electrical boxes should be.
• Maintain a spacing of 24-36” between individual pendant lights above a kitchen island. This spacing is the recommended guideline when installing multiple pendants.
• Typically, kitchen pendant lights are 30-36” between the top of counter and bottom of fixture
• See West of Main’s Kitchen Island Pendant Guide

Room-by-Room Breakdown: How Lighting Shaped Montigny Manor

Here is the exact lighting we went with in this new build and why I think the future owners are going to be VERY happy!

When it came time to make lighting decisions for this new build, I knew I wanted some expert guidance to help everything come together just right. I booked a decor consultation with West of Main, and honestly—I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From our first conversation to the final selections, their design team was incredibly helpful, thoughtful, and incredibly easy to work with.

What I appreciated most was how they took what could’ve been an overwhelming process and made it feel simple and enjoyable. There are so many choices out there, including different finishes, sizes, styles. Trying to narrow them down on your own can be a lot. But they walked me through everything step by step, helping me focus on what would truly work for the space.

Since many of the main living areas in this home are open to one another, they really emphasized the importance of visual continuity. They helped me understand how lighting in an open-concept layout needs to relate, whether it’s through tone, scale or style. That insight made such a difference in making the whole home feel connected.

In the end, we landed on a mix of fixtures that feel beautifully balanced. I’m so happy with how it all came together. Even though we only worked together on lighting, having the designer’s support made such a difference. What started as a daunting task ended up being one of the most fun parts of the process.

Entryway

The entryway sets the tone for the entire home, and the lighting needed to make an immediate statement. We chose the Stonington Medium Semi-Flush Mount from West of Main. A piece that perfectly balances elegance and warmth. It draws your eye upward, highlighting the ceiling height and creating a welcoming glow from the moment you step inside.

Kitchen

In the heart of the home, lighting needs to be both beautiful and highly functional. Over the island, we installed 2 of the medium Darlana Lanterns in Burnished Brass, which totally tie together the overall kitchen design. These fixtures not only provide excellent task lighting but also add a layer of understated sophistication to the space. See West of Main’s Kitchen Island Pendant Guide.

Dining Room

To create a sense of timeless elegance in the dining room, we chose the Piaf Large Chandelier from West of Main. With its sculptural lines, warm antique-inspired finish, and crisp white shades, it adds the perfect balance of sophistication and softness to the space. The chandelier draws the eye upward, highlighting the room’s beautiful ceiling height while anchoring the dining area with a subtle statement. It’s the kind of piece that feels quietly luxurious. It brings just the right amount of character to the centre of the home, tying everything together beautifully.

I can already picture so many family dinners to be had under the soft glow of this gorgeous light!

Pantry

Even small spaces deserve thoughtful lighting! In the pantry, we selected Milton Road Flush Mount, a charming and functional choice that elevates the entire feel of the room. It proves that no corner is too small to deserve beautiful design!

If you’re dreaming of transforming your home with intentional design, I highly encourage you to explore the West of Main lighting collections. Whether you’re designing a new build, renovating a room, or simply upgrading a few fixtures, their pieces (and their expertise) can make all the difference.

Remember to use code FRAICHE20 for 20% off sitewide!