Where do I start with the joy of lighting? Artificial and natural lighting are an essential component of a beautiful interior and, day or night, there is nothing like beautiful lighting to make an interior come to life. Lighting also has the power to transform a room in shape and size.
I have two key intentions when I am creating a lighting scheme. I ask myself: ‘What does this light need to do from a practical as well as aesthetic point of view?’ Is the table lamp for reading or just to add soft lighting to accentuate a beautiful panelled sideboard? Will I need to be able to read at night in here, or just socialise?
When planning lighting, think about
- General lighting (overhead or pendant)
- Specific Lighting (task or table)
- Ambient lighting (sconces, lamps, candles or decorative)
I love to make lighting the focal point in dining and lounge rooms, playing with where I hang pendant lights; working closely with my amazing electricians. I sit down with my electrical team once engineers’ drawings and cabinetry designs are done. We work together to plan all our lighting systems because we want all the wiring organised before work starts, especially in kitchens and bathrooms where it can be extremely costly to relocate a light or add a new lighting system.
I use a lot of custom lighting – chandeliers in particular, but I also find fantastic, affordable pendant lighting that will take the styling of every room in the house to the next level. And when you are doing your lighting plan, unless it is a home cinema or cellar, ensure you always maximise natural light through your windows.
My top tips for lighting:
- Be bold and brave. A feature pendant light or chandelier in dining or entrance areas really adds a wow factor. (I even place custom chandeliers in home offices to add personality.)
- Don’t overdo down lights in living rooms. Too many will create a harsh, overly bright space in the evenings which is hardly relaxing!
- A lighting plan for the whole house is an easy way to ensure that you maximise every opportunity to have perfect lighting 24 hours a day.
- Include at least three sources of light in every room.
- Make sure your plan identifies where you want sensor lights outside but also consider them in bathrooms (muted for evenings) and for wayfinding (on stairs, towards bathrooms overnight).
