Lighting is often the last thing people consider when throwing a party, but getting it right can make all the difference. It will add ambience to your evening: soft lights throwing shadows across a polished floor or candlelight flickering on a mantelpiece can make a room seem far more romantic. Good lighting can make an evening a real success, so to light up your party and make it sparkle consider some of the lighting options listed below.
If you don’t have your own party lights and you’re looking for inspiration for your indoor or outdoor party venue, just look through the pages of ebay.co.uk. Outside the Christmas season there are bargains to be had and something is bound to pique your interest among the thousands of twinkling, blinking, white, coloured, flashing or classily understated sets of lights available.
Bright lights, big party
Effective lighting for your party can be achieved in a myriad of different ways. Caged lights lend a real urban and industrial feel to a party. If your accommodation has a warehouse feel, or you’re looking to capture a look that will get your guests talking, invest in plain, contemporary lights that will give your party the cutting edge. Pendant cages are relatively inexpensive and have a strong look that gives a modern backdrop to any party.
Vintage
Vintage light bulbs look good in any environment. The light they throw can really cast the best shadows to create a perfect olde-worlde ambience. You can also choose lighting that reflects a particular era, such as the dapper roaring 20s or the swirling colours of the 1970s. Still with a vintage feel, standard lamps can add drama and make even the dullest of corners seem a little more interesting.
A string of lights
Maybe you’re looking for a more ethereal look that will cast light and shadows and a little magic over your party? Stringed lights might just fit the bill. House to Home has some excellent examples of where this type of lighting can enhance your party theme and have the greatest effect. In their simplest form, hanging them on book shelves or over room dividers lifts an otherwise dull room at night. They give a rich and magical feel to any room for relatively little investment. Simple strings of white lights will blend in with any colour scheme and can be thrown around pretty much anything. Add as many as you like to increase the dramatic effect.
In the night garden
Lighting doesn’t have to stop at the back door. Continue your celebrations outside and light up your garden or back yard by choosing lighting suitable for outdoor use. Solar lights provide a energy-saving option and are available in pretty much every form imaginable. Casually throwing a string or two over a patio plant or weaving a set around a tree trunk can be all it takes to transform a space into a magical grotto. There are plenty more ideas on All Parenting.com, from Edison bulbs hanging from trees, to nets of white lights hanging down a wall.
Christmas, New Year, any time
Lights aren’t just for Christmas. A well-chosen lighting scheme inside can transform your space into a cosy, atmospheric home. And a dreary dark night can be hugely cheered up just by adding a couple of strings of pretty little lights to a handy plant, wall or roof outside your window.
I don’t know about a party, I would love those lights on my stairs every day of the week! x