Lighting can really make or break a room, and Jonathan Scott, one-half of HGTV’s Property Brothers, knows this better than anyone else. When Scott and wife Zooey Deschanel were reimagining their New York City apartment, they knew that one popular staple was most definitely not going to be included in their home. 

“If you look up, you’ll notice that there are no recessed lights in this place,” Deschanel said during the couple’s Architectural Digest house tour. “That’s a swear word in our house,” Scott added. As someone who isn’t a fan of the “big light,” I was all ears. 

For anyone following Zooey Deschanel’s career, you know she has always had a distinct style. Her aesthetic is expertly curated, so boring and basic lighting was never going to work. “We were able to just put beautiful lights everywhere,” Deschanel told AD. “Or we have a chandelier, a pendant, a sconce, or a lamp — the lighting feels magical, moody, and fun.”

But Scott thinks Deschanel’s love of lighting may actually be somewhat genetic. “This is the side effect of being engaged to someone whose father is a world-class cinematographer,” he joked. “Lighting is very important.”

As the couple takes viewers around their home, it’s clear just how vital great lighting is to them. In the living room (just off the kitchen), two sconces flank the sofa, and viewers are able to spot matching red ceramic lamps sitting on both side tables. 

Just because there isn’t any recessed lighting doesn’t mean the space feels dark — Deschanel and Scott opted for flush-mounted decorative lighting above the kitchen island and the couch to flood the room with light, making it as much of a workable space as it can be a cozy space with those overheads turned off.

Take a page from Deschanel and Scott’s book if you’re looking to make your space a bit more stylish and warm — make recessed lighting a “dirty word” in your home, too! Banishing canned lighting could be the secret sauce your interior home’s vibes have been missing.