It is sometimes easy to overlook how important lighting is to the design and impact of a room. Bearing this in mind there are a number of things you need to carefully consider.
As always, we will look at lighting for individual rooms, but in general we will consider:
> How natural light enters the environment
> The lighting required in a practical area, such as a kitchen or study
> Whether the lighting is discreet or is a feature
> Brightness and dimmers
> Angles and corners
> General ambience and mood or coloured lighting
> Types of light bulbs including eco-friendly
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The various forms of lighting include:
Central / Directional / Wall / Cabinet & Hidden / Uplighters / Downlights / Spotlights / Desk & Table top lamps / Floor & Standard lamps / Warm & Cool lights / Coloured bulbs / Light from a fire / Dimmers / LED strips
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There are three types of lighting:
General Lighting
The main type of lighting is general lighting used to illuminate the room sufficiently. We tend to use central fittings for this or wall lights. This is especially important, as it needs to be bright enough for the whole room for good vision and safety.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is used for specific areas where additional light is necessary. For example, this could be for an office or computer area or where you write, in the form of a desk lamp that will help when studying a screen and paperwork or when reading. Bathrooms should have adequate lighting to compensate for all we need to do in the bathroom, with the obvious considerations of health and safety. We can buy bathroom cabinets with additional lighting that have safety measures incorporated into them. In the kitchen, under cabinet lighting is always a benefit as general lighting can be blocked during the preparation of food. Some people prefer to have directional spotlights, which can be aimed at food preparation areas.
Accent Lighting
As you can imagine, the use of accent lighting allows for you to be creative in how you wish to set a mood. It is also the type of lighting we would use to highlight specific features, such as a painting, plant or ornament.
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Lighting can make or break an environment, as well as be an expensive consideration (especially with installed electrics), so the creation of a lighting design needs to be thought about at the start of a project, not postponed until the later stages. Likewise, the type of fixture will be crucial in creating the look you’re after.
Natural light
First of all, take into account the natural light available and carefully watch how it plays out within the room in question throughout the day – but remember that natural light will change according to the time of year as well. Be aware that it’s how shadows fall too and you will see how shadows themselves can create the drama and effects that you wish to develop.
Central ceiling lights/Wall lights
We have traditionally used a central ceiling light fitting, as it is so good at illuminating the whole space, but downlights can also be used on a 
wall. A wall light can have light streaming from the top and the bottom at the same time, with the choice of lighting available for various areas of a room.
Uplights
Uplights, whether central, on a wall or as a lamp can illuminate a room well without too much glare. They produce stunning shadows on ceilings and walls that can look particularly atmospheric and offer a good alternative to central lighting where mood lighting is preferred.
Downlights
Downlights are also the type fitted into ceilings, except the bulbs are fitted directly into the ceiling. They can offer a softer light with a contemporary look. These bulbs are usually set in some sort of formation, but can be in whatever layout you prefer. The bulbs can sometimes be directional too, although you would need to set this up at the outset.
Lamps
Table, desk and floor lamps are always useful, as they can be easily moved around a room or from room to room. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different wattage, depending on the mood you wish to generate, perhaps with a softer glow.
Fire
The light from a fire gives a warm comforting glow too; whether real or flame effect, and remember to consider this in your project. Of course you will need to be aware of the reduced impact when the fire is not being used, as well.
Hidden
Lighting under wall cabinets or skirting is very attractive and gives an intriguing ambience. Coloured bulbs are also an idea for this alternative and should be considered along with the general colours of the room, but can offer pops of colour in an unexpected way and create a different atmosphere.
Spotlights
Spotlights offer a dramatic look and may be in the form of a floor lamp or downlights. These can be very useful in a kitchen, bathroom and study area too, for example.
Dimmers
These features are specific and are only available for certain light fittings and switches, so need some consideration. However, they can be very effective in creating a very dramatic feel to a room. Dimmers can be purchased for central and wall light fittings. You will need to install a push-on/push-off switch, where one is for the dimmer.
Eco-Friendly Bulbs
Although the light fitting you choose dictates the type of bulb you can use, it’s always important to try to find an eco-friendly alternative bulb, which last longer and are, therefore, better for your carbon foot-print and more economical for your wallet. LEDs (light emitting diode) are the most energy-efficient bulbs on the market today. They use less energy than CFLs (compact fluorescent light) and last up to 50,000 hours longer.
Don’t forget that this is your home and apart from the practical aspects of lighting, be creative and consider what works for you – it’s your real home.
More on lighting later.
Next… Living rooms