Do some of your light fixtures look like fugitives from another era, and are certain rooms in your house better looking with the lights off? If so, it’s time to throw the switch on home improvement.

Small and inexpensive changes in lighting can make a dramatic difference in the look and feel of your house. Here are some ideas from the experts at Lighting Show PLace, a company that over the past 13 years has helped more than a million customers dress up their homes in an instant.

The Front Door

When you drive up to your house at night, what do you see? If the answer is “not much,” replace your front entry light with a lamp that gives off more light. A well-lit front entrance says Welcome and enables you to greet guests and identify visitors. Not only will updating and intensifying your lighting improve the look of your house from the street; it will enhance your sense of security.

If you have a single lantern next to the door, replace it with matching wall lanterns to give your house a warm look while assuring the safety of those who enter. Homes with a porch or overhang have even more options: a recessed, chain-hung or ceiling fixture.

The Dining Room

Want to dress up your dining room without spending a small fortune on new furniture? Simply painting those plain white walls and switching out the chandelier hanging over the table will make a dramatic difference.

Not sure what color to go with? Here’s a guideline from the National Kitchen and Bath Association on what some of the most popular colors can do:

Soft yellows exude cheer. Bright yellows can be used as an accent that attracts attention and helps brighten a room.

Greens are the ultimate pacifier. Often associated with nature, green is relaxing and reassuring. Pale yellow-greens conjure images of growth, while deep greens are associated with status and wealth.

Blues arouse feelings of freshness, coolness and relaxation. In lighter hues, blue is airy and open, while dark blues represent wealth, strength and respect.

Reds attract attention, cause excitement and even raise blood pressure. Intense red is stimulating but in large proportions can be distracting. It is associated with wealth and sophistication, while high-value reds (pinks) can make people feel good about the way they look.

Once you choose a paint color, move on to the task of replacing your plain, boring fixture with one that gives the room a “wow” factor. For a look of opulence, go with a crystal chandelier. A fixture that features softened and rounded lines projects a contemporary aesthetic. Want an ultra-modern look? Choose a chandelier with polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry. A rustic ambience, on the other hand, is best achieved through images found in nature.

Adding a floor lamp in the corner of the room that fits the same theme will help you really dress up the room. It will make those extra chairs resting near the wall a more inviting place to hang out.

The Bathroom

Does your bathroom look like a throwback to the ’70s, with dark paint and globe lights suurounding the mirror? Choose a lighter paint color and swap out the fixtures for a bold new look.

In an ideally lit bathroom, the fixture is positioned above the mirror and features two, three, four or more bulbs. A good complement to this main fixture is a sconce. One sconce on either side of the mirror will eliminate shadows and properly illuminate the rest of your face and neck. Most bathrooms require additional flush-mounted ceiling lighting in the toilet area or center of the room to fill the entire room properly.

When it’s time to start shopping for fixtures, you needn’t spend a lot of time running between lighting stores. To get an idea of the latest looks available, log on to www.lightingshowplace.com and its online catalog of hundreds of fixtures. You can shop by brand or style. Once you find a look you like, the site makes it easy for you to pair up matching pieces.

According to Daniel Auer of LightingShowplace.com, customers come to his online store for three key reasons: “They come to us because they know they can find quality merchandise at a good price, that they can expect the products to be delivered quickly, and that they’ll have all their questions answered either in the informational articles on our Web site or on the phone when they talk to one of our customer service representatives.”

Auer adds that unlike box stores that typically hire people who aren’t familiar with all the brands and products they sell, his customer service personnel can answer any question and will offer a quick response via e-mail or phone.

– Courtesy of ARA