Lamps that replace the big light, from homes we've toured

Almost every host we film says the same thing: they never use the big light. Rentals and condos often come with one harsh overhead fixture, and the people we tour work around it with lamps, lanterns and lights that plug in or charge. Here's what they use, room by room, with a list of pieces to shop at the end.

How we chose these: every light here comes from a home we've toured, and most showed up in more than one.

Living room: paper lanterns

Paper lanterns throw soft light across a room for very little money. Maycel calls lighting the cheapest way to change how a room feels, and hangs IKEA paper lanterns at different heights in their Toronto condo. Lessandra and Sam swapped a plastic shade for a rice paper lantern in their Montreal loft. Isabelle hung a Noguchi paper lamp in her Brooklyn studio and put up the wiring herself.

What to look for: a large size for a living room. A big lantern reads as a design piece, while a small one can look like an afterthought.

Living room: an arc lamp

An arc lamp reaches over a sofa without a ceiling fixture. Lynda wanted one that hangs over her living space, and hers adjusts from short to all the way out in her Toronto loft. Andy found his on Facebook Marketplace for about $150, a fraction of its usual price.

Bedroom: plug-in pendants

When you can't wire a ceiling light, plug one in. Andy's concrete ceiling ruled out wiring, so he hung plug-in pendants on each side of his bed and hid the cords with white tape in his Toronto one-bedroom. Sandrine replaced a harsh fixture with a plug-in pendant on an extension cord in her Montreal bedroom.

What to look for: a fabric cord that looks good on show, and ceiling hooks rated for the weight. Tanya hangs IKEA pendant shades from adhesive ceiling hooks in her Toronto studio.

Bedroom and bathroom: rechargeable sconces

Rechargeable wall lights stick or screw on and need no outlet. Jhenene uses one in her Queens studio bathroom so she can skip the bright overhead lights, and she didn't have to drill. Abinaya added a battery-powered sconce in her guest room so she didn't have to run a wire.

Bedroom: plug-in sconces

A plug-in sconce gives you a reading light without a nightstand lamp. Madeline turned a pair of hard-wired sconces into plug-in ones in her Toronto apartment, and she recommends buying plug-in sconces if you rent. Carla found plug-in sconces on Etsy for her Brooklyn bedroom.

Kitchen: under-cabinet lights

Lights under your upper cabinets let you cook without the overhead light. Gail added them in her Manhattan kitchen to escape a harsh fluorescent fixture. Isabelle did the same in her Brooklyn studio for evenings in the kitchen.

Every room: smart bulbs

Smart bulbs let you change the brightness and colour from your phone. Andy set his lights up with modes for work, evenings and parties. Brian swapped the bulb in his big pendant for a smart one so he and Lauren can set the mood in their Toronto loft. Tanya keeps every light in her studio on a warm setting.

Start with one lamp

You don't need to replace everything. Add one lamp at a different height from your others, then turn off the big light for a night and see how the room feels. For more renter-friendly ideas, read our guide to upgrades you can undo.