I am in the process of remodeling my cottage/bungalow and I would like to get opinions on whether or not my light fixtures should match from room to room; specifically, from the dining room to the living room. The space is open separated by book shelves with columns.

Any thoughts?

Rich

As the living room and dining room form one large space separated by a colonade, I would think that you would want to pick fixtures that are similar. They don't have to be identical, as the lighting needs of the two rooms are different, but they should have the same basic style. Many manufacturers make collections of fixtures in different sizes and forms (chandeliers, sconces, etc.) using the same design elements (shades, finish, colors). Picking fixtures from the same collection can really help to tie rooms together.

When we picked fixtures for our house we did this with a chandelier over the dining room table, pendant lights over the kitchen island with the same shade, sconces in the dining room, entry hall, and stair well with the same color and pattern in the shade as chandelier in the dining room, and hanging fixtures in the entry, breakfast nook and library with stained glass shades taken from the same collection. It really works well in uniting the house and has gotten lots of compliments from visitors.

It's attention to the details that really set a house apart.

I agree that you will want to keep a consistent theme, but you don't have to use identical features. I would start with the lighting fixture that you can't live without and base all the others off that. Hopefully, you will find some that will go beautifully with the one you have to have. The other post was right that a lot of fixture companies offer a wide variety of fixtures but keep the overall theme and shade of color the same. This will definitely make the difference in what your rooms look like! Good luck!