guest house interior design with futon, throw pillows, macrame decor, and 3-arm “twig” wall sconce by Color Cord Company

Guest House Interior Lighting Inspo

guest house interior design with futon, throw pillows, macrame decor, and 3-arm “twig” wall sconce by Color Cord Company

If you’re designing an ADU for your backyard or revamping a guest space that’s separate from your home, lighting might be the last thing on your mind. Wait a minute! Don’t go any further without considering the light fixtures in your guest house interior.

Lighting in small spaces is for so much more than simple illumination. With appropriate lighting, you can create an intimate space that feels larger, ensure convenient lighting for various tasks, and properly plan out the footprint of a compact area to guarantee that all guest and tenant needs are met.

Take a look at our suggestions for guest house lighting interior design to get inspired for creating a space that’s a true pleasure to live and work in.

Design to Expand Your Space

When your guest house interior has a compact floor plan, color choices are one way you can make your space look bigger. Strategically placed lighter colors and tints are well-known for fooling the mind into feeling like you have more room than you actually do. The best way to create this illusion with color is to utilize pale and neutral tones on every wall. You can also opt to paint the two longer walls a darker statement color, like charcoal or navy, to emphasize a room’s length.

When it comes to using lighting to make your space larger, you have tons of options, including:

  • Spreading the light around instead of using one central light source
  • Wall sconces to bounce light off corners and ceilings
  • Long pendant lights for emphasizing the height of your room
  • Choosing occasional statement pieces to fill the space instead of small knick-knacks
  • Finding floor and desk lamps with tall, thin silhouettes to minimize the space they inhabit
  • Picking lighter lamp shades to disperse colors more efficiently
  • Bouncing light off mirrors in the living room of your guest house interior

Essential Task Lighting Needs

guest house kitchen lighting

In addition to strategically placing your lighting throughout the guest house interior design for aesthetic purposes, you also need to consider where people will need which types of lighting. Whether it’s ambient, task, or accent lighting, each has its place in your ADU. Some essential lighting needs are more obvious than others, like chandeliers over your kitchen or sconces around the vanity. In contrast, others are a little more subtle, like plug-in pendants over a reading nook or table lamps by the bed.

Each type of lighting can overlap the others to ensure a highly flexible environment that can host an intimate party, as well as a relaxing evening alone.

Considering How the Space is Used

There are many ways to consider the use of space in your guest house interior. You might use an island countertop to close off the kitchen or a doorway to isolate a bedroom, but lighting and outlets can have the same effects. Flush mount or statement lighting in certain areas of your space imply that it should be used as a living room, while a single bright pendant light in the corner creates the impression of a reading nook.

Considering Convenience

While you can wire all your light fixtures into the structure, you can also provide deliberately placed outlets to give tenants or guests the opportunity to add personality to the space with their own plug-ins for guest house interior design. Consider the placement of outlets for maximizing versatility: by the bedside for table lamps and chargers, near couches on the floor for standing lamps, at counter height in kitchens and bathrooms, and the entryway for easy lighting access upon arrival.

Color Cord Company for Lighting Design

Color Cord Company’s Duo Fixture sconce in a brass finish over a bathroom vanity mirror with wall plant and hand towel

At Color Cord Company, we can help you with every aspect of guest house interior lighting design. Whether you need guidance and inspiration or versatile, modular fixtures for every space, we have it all! Browse our blog to find more lighting ideas and tutorials, check out our gallery for aesthetic inspiration, or reach out to our team for personalized ideas for your guest house interior.

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