Lighting is one of the most overlooked and yet important aspects of your home interior. You can easily update a room with good lighting, so getting it right is paramount.
Firstly you need to consider two things, are you trying to light the whole room or are you just wanting to highlight specific elements? The availability of natural light is obviously a consideration too. Where artificial lighting is concerned there are various types. Accent lighting works when you are trying to highlight specific details or features, so perfect for over paintings and works of art. Task lighting does what it says on the tin, so is the answer for close up work, such as reading lights in sitting rooms. Mood lighting uses different tones and shades and different levels of brightness to create atmosphere, think of dinner party where you may want to change the light as the evening evolves through the meal.
Certainly if you’re starting a room renovation from scratch, go overboard with things like plug sockets to maximise your options….you can never have enough. If it’s a living room, try to think of each seating area needing it’s own individual lighting. A sofa may benefit from practical swing lighting with armchairs lit with lamps. You may want to place lamps on a console behind a sofa mid room so it’s essential you have sockets in the floor in this area. Also consider if you want to highlight certain focal points in the room. The style of lamps are endless and there’s a definite trend towards oversized. They are now beautiful accessories in their own right rather than just functional.
Lighting in dining rooms should be subtle yet sparkling! Chandeliers are perfect, we use Porta Romana in many of our projects. Atmosphere is key so consider dimmers, allowing the table to be the brightest spot in the room. Kitchens possibly take a little more thought as you will probably want a mix of sources and lighting at different levels. Task lighting is obviously vital over workstations, simple decorative pendants look stylish over fashionable islands, particularly oversized and finished in industrial metals and you can even illuminate glass splash backs.
Upstairs and the bedrooms need to be far more subtle to create a tranquil haven. smart bedsides are a must and can help create an indulgent hotel style. While wall lights either side of bathroom mirrors in bathrooms is glamorous as well as functional. It doesn’t end there, companies are now adding to the overall look with beautiful bulbs to compliment the look and in some instances you can even personalise the flex. There’s lots to choose from this seasons must haves to timeless classics so drop in and see us if you need some guidance.