Do you have central lighting in your rooms or lamps in corners?

[MichelleHW101]

My house was built back in the 80’s but the only two rooms that have central lighting are the kitchen and dining room.  My brother’s apartment has central lighting everywhere including the bedroom.  I threw up some shop lights in the basement for brighter lighting but in my bedroom I still have a lamp in the corner.  I don’t want to have to hang a florescent in the center of the ceiling and have an ugly nasty wire hanging from it to the outlet but what choice to I have?  The lamp in the corner doesn’t fill the entire room.  And it’s just so dark in there with just the corner lit.

[ninajay]

I have lamps in my apartment

[ShadeTree]

I have both. Mostly it's nice to just use a lamp. But when I need to see everything more clearly I'll use the main lighting. I knew someone that had to use lamps everywhere except the bathroom & kitchen/dinning area (they were so close together). Drove me crazy the first time I tried to turn the light on and couldn't find a switch! 

[CharmedPhoenix]

I have both room lights and task lamps in my home.  Sometimes both in the same room.

Since I'm a decorator let me offer some suggestions.

There are floor lamps with three-way bulbs that can be pretty bright, especially if you use a white shade.

There are floor lamps with multiple bulbs that can be aimed to different parts of the room.

If you want a ceiling light you do not need the ugly green cast of fluorescent or the unattractive look of a loose cord.  There are many pretty light fixtures at the home improvement stores.  They'll even teach you how to install them.  You could get track lighting and aim the lights to different parts of the room.  The cord can be camouflaged with plastic strips made just for covering cords.  They're half circle tubes you insert the cord into then snap them shut.  They can be painted to match your ceiling and walls and come with adhesive for easy installation.  They even have matching corner pieces so you can turn corners, etc.

Depending on your decor you could install a swag lamp.  The lamp hangs from a hook in the ceiling and the cord is woven through a length of lamp chain.  You would need a second hook in the ceiling, near the wall, above the outlet you'll plug it into.  Just make sure you screw the lamp's hook into a stud or use the proper anchor so it doesn't fall out, if it's at all heavy.

You might like wall sconces with reflectors behind them, or wall lamps.  Again you could conceal the cords down to the outlets.

It would also help if your ceiling and maybe your walls were painted a light color to reflect more light.

Hope this gives you some ideas. 

[animikokala]

My apartment is like your house; only central lighting in the kitchen and the dining room (and halls/bathrooms).  We use lamps at night, and open the blinds during the day in the living room and bedrooms.

[jski107]

I have lamps everywhere too, don't you find central lighting a bit boring?  Lamps give a house/room personality and show your own personal flair111