This $13 Accessory Will Totally Change Your Room
If there's one thing that every designer seems to agree on, it's the importance of a properly-lit room. "Having the right lighting is everything, but that can mean different things depending on the time of day or what you're doing," says decorator, stylist and House Beautiful contributor Eddie Ross. "Sometimes you need a lot of light, but never too much; there's nothing worse than a dinner party where the room is so bright that everyone sitting around the table needs sunglasses!"
If possible, he suggests having an electrician install in-wall dimmers throughout the house ("it's the best money you're going to spend," he advises), but for plug-in lamps and other non-hardwired fixtures, he suggests an easier-and much cheaper-option: the plug-in dimmer switch. Says Ross, "You’ll never see a lamp in our house that doesn't have one attached."
For around $13, this hardware store staple turns any basic on-or-off lamp into mood lighting. Simply plug it in between your light fixture and wall socket, then
place the controller on a table or nightstand. (It's especially great for kids' rooms when you don't want to use a nightlight, says Ross.) All that's left to do is use the slider to adjust the bulb's brightness to the perfect level-which, for Ross, means dim. "Low light makes you house look cleaner and everyone seem prettier-wrinkles practically disappear!" he laughs.
While white is the standard color for dimmers, some also come brown or black to better blend in with the surface they're sitting on. (While certainly small, they're not invisible.)
So what are you waiting for? Grab a few dimmers, lower the lights, and enjoy the flawless new you.
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