As the holidays approach, many of us will be entertaining guests in our homes. We want our homes to look just perfect for these celebrations. However, we also don’t want to spend a lot of time on getting our houses ready since we need that time to cook, prepare gifts, set up decorations and plan out our events. One quick and easy way to make sure that your home looks right for the holidays is to focus on selecting the right lighting for holiday entertainment.

Start with a dramatic entry

The first thing that your guests will see when they enter the home is your foyer, entryway or front hall. This is the area that you should concentrate on for your most dramatic lighting. That way your guests will be impressed as soon as they enter your space. Top lighting ideas for making your entryway more dramatic include:

• Add wall sconces. You can select very powerful dramatic wall sconces for your entryway to attract the eye of your guests as soon as they enter the room. Because sconces are relatively small, a very bold sconce will be beautiful rather than overwhelming in this space.
• Show off an amazing lamp. Is there a corner of your entryway that is empty? Place a stunning floor lamp there that your visitors won’t be able to miss when they walk in the door. They will immediately notice your exquisite sense of style.
• Use track lighting to show off entryway art. If you have a favorite art piece then highlight it. Alternatively, hang special holiday art to set the mood. The right track lighting will make the artwork look perfect.

Focus on kitchen and dining room lighting

The focus of almost all of our holiday celebrations is food. Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner are both major events during the winter season. Often if we’re entertaining we may have people assisting us with the cooking in our kitchens. We’ll certainly have guests enjoying the food in the dining room. Since these areas are the focus of the holiday events, it’s smart to pay attention to updating the lighting in these areas.

• Kitchen lighting should be bright and efficient. The purpose of kitchen lighting is to make it easy to see the tasks that you’re completing in the kitchen. Also make it simpler for guests to find items in cabinets and cupboards by using simple under cabinet lights to illuminate those spaces.
• Select a great chandelier for the dining room. The holidays are a terrific time to update your dining room chandelier. This is one of the most prominent lighting pieces in the entire home and a smart selection can make your holidays absolutely perfect. Consider a very sparkly chandelier like the new Schonbek Geometrix line since the holidays are about glitz and sparkle.
• Add candles to the table for additional lighting. This provides a nice soft light to compliment your other dining room lighting. It adds the warmth that you’re seeking around a holiday meal.

Remember that lights set a mood

Just like candles will suggest warmth and romance, the other lights that you choose for your home entertainment are going to set a mood. Ask yourself what type of gathering this is to determine what type of lighting you want. For example:

• A romantic affair. Are you hosting an intimate gathering for your closest friends or perhaps a romantic dinner? Then you’ll want soft lighting throughout the party space.
• A raucous event. Are you interested in a more festive party-like atmosphere? In that case selecting brighter lighting. Emphasize areas of conversation and board game play with task lighting.
• An all-ages party. Select a mixture of lighting for an event like this. Have bright well-lit areas with less expensive lighting in spots where kids will gather. Place your fancier, softer lighting in the more adult spaces of the rooms.

Consider using light fixtures that have dimmer switches on them. This will allow you to alter the mood of the party as the evening goes on.

Add some holiday lighting

Winter holiday entertaining is definitely enhanced with special lighting. Christmas lights are the most obvious choice. However, white wintry lighting is a perfect holiday addition for any seasonal celebration from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Some tips to follow for holiday lighting include:

• Choose LED lights. They’re safer for your guests and more energy-efficient as well.
• Keep it simple. Unless you are planning to have one of those over-the-top elaborate holiday lighting displays then you should follow the rule of thumb that simpler is better. Highlight specific seasonal items (like your Christmas tree) with great lighting and add some small sparkling lights here and there.
• Don’t forget outside lighting. It’s very important that your outside holiday lighting is set up to make it safe for guests to walk up to your front door. Choose holiday-appropriate path lighting to get this effect.

Remember that you can make small changes throughout the holiday season to update your winter lighting. The majority of your lighting for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s will remain the same. Add a bit of red lighting for Christmas and some additional sparkly for New Year’s to keep the theme fresh and beautiful.