It might sound obvious when we say that lighting can be one of the primary elements when it comes to the ambience and atmosphere in your home. But do you really know how to make the lighting in your home, work to its full potential? Using lighting effectively can make your home feel bigger and warmer. Read on for some insider hints and tips!
1. Make a Lighting Plan
If you’re starting from scratch or redecorating a room, it’s a great idea to draw up a lighting plan that considers the essentials for the space. Think about how you live in each room and what goes on there – such as working, eating or relaxing. You will also want to think about key features of the room you want to emphasise, and what architectural restrictions there are. When working on design projects we consider style, scale, output and even colour temperature of lights before any decisions are taken. Early planning makes for less mistakes and rushed last minute decisions!
Wall sockets can look unsightly so try and work out where your furniture will be placed on your floorplan. Once you have decided this you can plan for the electrical sockets to be hidden behind the furniture.
Another good tip, if you are starting a project from scratch, is to consider floor sockets. This allows you to have table lamps in the middle of the room, if you live in an open plan space, or if you have a large room and want the sofa or furniture pulled away from the wall. A floor socket means you can then put a console table behind the sofa with a lamp on it, for example. We have used this to great success in our showroom, as it means you can hide lighting cables and importantly they are not a trip hazard!
2. Layered Lighting
Taking a layered approach to lighting, with different light sources across different levels in the room, creates atmosphere and interest. This is especially important in a large space. If you have a central pendant or chandelier it should ideally be on a dimmer, and then you can also use lower level lighting in different parts of the room to create a more considered ambiance.
Have a think about areas of the room you might want to highlight. A wall light washing down over a painting, a stunning flower display, or a cosy reading corner. For example, having different pools of light means you can create an intimate reading corner between a chair and a floor lamp, or a brighter space for general conversation.
You can then play around with the lights – some on, some off, and this can change the whole mood of the room depending on which lights you choose to switch on.
Wall mounted lights either side of a statement mirror above the mantelpiece will add warmth, sophistication and elegance to a room.
3. Useful Lighting
Think about lighting to make the most of a room’s size and shape – uplighting makes a room feel larger, low hung pendants will create the illusion of height and clusters of lighting make large rooms seem cosier.
Bright lights can make you feel alert and awake so should be used in areas where you want to feel ready to take on the world. Whereas dimmer, softer lights are relaxing and more likely to induce a cosy sleepy feeling, so you’ll want to use those in bedrooms and relaxed entertaining spaces.
Consider where you need to use the light for certain day to day activities. Cooking requires more concentrated lighting, therefore a combination of bright downlights and recess lighting, in cabinets and above stove tops, is really beneficial. For reading, flexible and directional lighting aimed away from you is advised. Powder rooms work very well with a combination of sidelights and downlights. Lights that dim provide an energy-efficient and effective way to quickly change the atmosphere and warmth of a room.
4. Use spotlights to highlight interest areas
When working with spotlights in a ceiling, it’s a great idea to buy adjustable spots so you can later angle them towards a picture on the wall or an object on the side that you might like to highlight. Use lighting to create focus on a feature wall, architectural elements or a key piece of furniture – like a stunning wing-backed armchair, or antique writing table.
5.. Choose the bulb carefully
There are so many different types of bulbs on the supermarket shelves these days, it can be a bit of a minefield, but the bulbs you choose should be more than an afterthought. Here’s why, you need to consider; how bright do you need your space (that’s your watts), and what atmosphere are you trying to achieve (colour temperature, e.g. lower temp is more similar to candlelight, while higher temps are more akin to a blue sky outside). Energy efficiency should of course be considered, especially for the lights used most frequently, and don’t forget to think about what is needed if you are trying to create a focal point of interest with scale, shape or colours.
6. Night-time lighting
Having to get up in the middle of the night is made worse with harsh lighting that causes temporary blindness upon flicking a switch in a bathroom, so why not invest in directional floor level lighting in hallways, staircases and the bathroom to create subtle warmth and a night-time guide.
7. Keep to a scheme
Try to keep along the lines of a theme with your home lighting. Too many different styles can be confusing on the eye and will cause uneasiness. Of course, neutral, lighter tones can open up a space and make it feel larger, statement pops of colour on lampshades will add interest, while darker hues add a touch of luxury and intimacy. Keeping it simple and consistent is often way more powerful that trying to do too much.
8. Statement Lighting
Of course, if you really want to bring something exciting and different into your room, there are some incredible statement pieces that will be a real talking point. The “Urchin Chandelier” in our showroom from Porta Romana is a fantastic example of this – it’s modelled on a chestnut seed pod and brings beauty and drama through style and scale. Exquisite sculptural tendrils of folded steel curve around each other, opening to reveal a soft glow.
Or if you’re feeling a little more extravagant how about the stunning “Feather Lamp”, by A Modern Grand Tour.
An illuminating palm tree, resplendent with exquisite ostrich feather foliage, the feather floor lamp takes centre stage in any luxury setting and delivers the ultimate Midas touch. It certainly gets a lot of attention in our showroom! The Aynhoe Ostrich Feather Floor Lamp is available in fifteen opulent hand dyed shades and four hand finished base finishes.
9. Smart Lighting System
At our showroom we demonstrate how a smart lighting system can have a valuable impact on your lighting scheme. We have used a Rako Lighting System – all the lighting circuits in the building are zoned and can be controlled using a smartphone. The system has been tailored so that during certain times of day, lights come on or off, or are dimmed automatically. We rarely need to even touch the light switch panel. We would highly recommend Chris White from HTCUK who set up our entire lighting system.
So, there you have it, everything you need to know when it comes to lighting, but if you still have any questions, why not give us a call or drop us an email. You may also find it beneficial to read our blog from our day at the Porta Romana HQ to see how their beautiful lighting is created.
Stay safe xx
19th July, 2025
14th March, 2025
