The Tricky Thing about Novelty Lighting

Novelty lighting is one of the best ways to add personality into any individual room or home without compromising on the actual purpose of the lamp, which is to illuminate your home. But what’s funny is that not too many people consider purchasing a novelty light for fear that it may clash with their current décor or may even come off as tacky. This doesn’t always have to be the case; as long as you’re just as choosy in picking your novelty lighting as you are about your furniture, house, car, you know, your life basically, then you should be okay.

The first and most common mistake that people make with novelty lighting is that they use it as the sole source of lighting for a room. Even though there are exceptions such as billiards lighting or unique island lighting, relying on your novelty light as the main source should be avoided when possible, which is usually always. Novelty lighting can be considered as accent pieces to your décor, adding a bit of fun personality that won’t take away from the overall theme of your room or home.

With that said, you should also always consider what your current décor looks like. If for example you have a traditional, Victorian theme going on in your home, you should probably stray away from marine animal-themed flush mounts and stick with a subtle floral themed table lamp or wall sconce. If you happen to have a retro styled home, large patterns that evoke a Pop Art theme on lamp shades, diffusers and even on the base of lamps and pendant lights work best.

Keep in mind that novelty lighting really should just be used as a decorative, accent piece for your home. Unless you have the matching décor to go with certain lights, novelty pieces such as the infamous Leg Table Lamp from the classic family film A Christmas Story should probably either stay in the attic or in the film itself! Think carefully before making your first novelty lighting purchase; who knows, it may actually give your home some extra personality!