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How to light a room with no overhead lighting

Do you have a room in your home without overhead lightning? Maybe you’re in a situation where your landlord or rental agency prohibits wiring lighting fixtures, or you lack the ability or desire to rewire an entire room of your house just to put in a light fixture.

Lighting rooms without overhead lighting may involve some creative solutions. Whether you’re looking for a simple lighting solution or a fixture that is both beautiful and functional, here are some suggestions on how to brighten your home without the cost of wiring.

Improving overhead lighting

Plug-in ceiling pendants

Plug-in ceiling pendants can provide overhead light even without a permanent ceiling fixture. They come in multiple styles and designs, and many could easily pass as a chandelier that really beautifies your room while providing lighting solutions.

Wall sconces

Wall sconces are another option to add more lighting with no overhead lighting. These are much simpler than installing wiring in your ceiling. If you get a beautiful design or even vintage sconces, they will make great home decor accents too.

String lights

Apartment List suggests that string lights are another way to improve overhead lighting. This is a lighting solution that really adds light and ambience to a room without the need for overhead light fixtures or ceiling wiring. All you need are some hooks or nails to drape the lights over.

A chair and a floor lamp sitting beside a window are illuminated by the sun.
Joshua Newton/Unsplash

Adding light to a room without wiring

Floor lamps

Large floor lamps are an easy and simple way to beautify and light a room. They require no drilling and provide the feel of overhead lighting without the actual ceiling lights.

Table lamps

Table lamps are another, smaller option for lighting dim corners or specific areas of a room. 

Bare bulb lamps

A bare bulb or light-colored shade helps direct light across the room or it may bounce off the ceiling.

Plug-in sconces

Decorate Life suggests plug-in sconces can be easily installed around your home to light a room with no overhead lighting and or wall wiring. They are flexible enough to be mounted at a different height, and they look absolutely fabulous in pairs on either side of a bed or couch.

Mirror against floor lamp

A creative solution is to use a mirror against a floor lamp for lightning. It is one of the most effective lighting solutions for a room without overhead light. By placing a tall floor lamp against a mirror, the light will be reflected around the room.

Whether you’re looking to make up for a lack of lighting, or just thinking about illuminating a dark corner, think about testing some of these solutions in your space. Not only will your living experience be enhanced, but you also may find yourself more drawn to your space.

How to avoid mold when painting your basement walls
Spruce up your dark and dreary basement with a fresh paint job, but beware of mold and mildew
Standard basement with gray cement walls

Is your basement dark and dreary? Basement walls aren’t always the most welcoming, and can easily contribute to an uninviting aesthetic (especially if the rest of your basement design is similarly lackluster). Depending on the existing conditions of your space, you could face a drab and boring background that interrupts the flow of your personal style. And when it comes to sprucing up this area of the home, many homeowners struggle to know how to paint a basement wall while also keeping the sub-level mold-free.

Perhaps you’ve considered basement paint ideas to spruce up your space. However, painting your basement walls is not the same as traditionally painting your interiors. With the potential for mold and mildew, there are more risks involved in painting walls in the basement when it comes to the health and well-being of your home. Additionally, the process can be much more arduous.

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How to fix squeaky floors quickly and easily
Don't let noisy floors interrupt your life
Person in sneakers standing on parquet floors

If you're wondering how to fix squeaky floors, you're not alone. That annoying creak every time you step on a particular board can be frustrating, especially in quiet moments or during late-night trips to the kitchen. Squeaky floors are a common issue in many homes, but the good news is that fixing them doesn’t always require a major renovation. With a few simple home maintenance tools and techniques, you can silence those creaks and restore peace to your home.

In this guide, we’ll break down why floors squeak, how to fix them based on different flooring types, and even how to prevent them from coming back.
Why does my floor creak when I walk on it?

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Is primer necessary for every paint job? Here’s the truth
Here's when you should use primer and when you can skip it
Woman painting

The question of whether to prime before painting seems as old as, well, painting itself. The answer seems to be different depending on who you talk to. Paint manufacturers say "yes" — it is an essential wall painting technique — because they want the best possible surface for the paint to shine. Do-it-yourself (DIY) fans seem less thrilled about the process, mostly because it takes more time and money.

So, do you need primer when you paint? The reality is that not every painting project is the same, and the answer is not a clear-cut one.

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