planning the perfect baby's nursery

Decorating and furnishing your home can be challenging due to the different styles and designs that are available in stores. From minimalistic and modern to country and luxurious, it is easy to see how finding your preferred style can be overwhelming. Thankfully, opting for the farmhouse design is smart, since it is growing in popularity due to its casual appeal and affordability. If you are currently styling your home with elements that would appear in an antique farmhouse, consider using these must-have light fixtures for added appeal and function.

Chicken Wire

You would most likely expect to find chicken wire as fencing on a farm. However, this unique material is now being used to create decorative accessories. In addition, chicken wire is also becoming a popular material used to create light fixtures.

When selecting these farmhouse-inspired fixtures, consider incorporating them into different rooms of your house. If you have an island in your kitchen, install two chicken-wire pendants over the island's counter for creative lighting that aligns with your farmhouse style.

To make a dining room feel less formal, choose chicken wire pendants and chandeliers. Hang one large pendant or two smaller pendants over your dining room table. The chicken wire will add a casual feel to a space that is usually deemed for formal dining.

Mason Jars

Many designers are making decorative accessories and light fixtures using mason jars. The rustic, country feel of mason jars is perfectly suited to your farmhouse style.

Mason jar chandeliers hang from a piece of wood or metal that will be mounted to a ceiling. The bright light offered by the mason jar's glass work well in living rooms and kitchens, but they are also unique and whimsical accents for any room of your home.

Wood and Metal

Light fixtures that utilize a combination of chunky wood and metal are also must-haves for your farmhouse-inspired home.

Elegant bulbs arranged in the middle of an open wood box is an attractive option for over your breakfast nook. For your formal dining area, choose a light fixture made from a reclaimed wood beam and frosted glass globes.

Pendant lights made from large wood orbs with smaller light bulbs are unique and functional. These rustic fixtures add tons of style while creating a large amount of bright light.

In the master bedroom, continue your farmhouse theme by installing a metal ceiling fan with wood paddle blades. This rustic design will look similar to an industrial fan used in factories or warehouses.

Barn Lights

Visit your local flea market or thrift store to find antique barn lights. Habitat for Humanity's restore is also a great place to find antiques and salvaged materials that you can incorporate into your farmhouse decorating.

Barn lights are designed with a wide metal shade that points downward. The actual light bulb is under this shade, allowing the shade to direct all of the light down while a dark shadow remains on top of the actual fixture.

Barn lights are available in a few different styles, so they can be used in multiple rooms of your home. Here are a few that will enhance your antique farmhouse style:

• Pendant – With a pendant barn light, the shade and bulb hang down from a long rod or wire. Barn pendant lights are great options for your kitchen, foyer, dining room, sunroom, living room, or porch.
• Wall – On a wall-mounted barn light, the shade is connected to a wall plate using a decorative metal stem. Wall-mounted barn lights are perfect for the exterior of your home, next to the front, back, or garage doors. Wall-mounted barn lights are also suitable options for the wall over your nightstands in a bedroom. These lights illuminate the nightstand without the need for a traditional table lamp.

Farmhouse design may be a hot trend, but this look will most likely stand the test of time. With these lighting must-haves, you can illuminate your home while enhancing your farmhouse style. Contact a company that specializes in artistic chandeliers for more ideas.