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Lighting special: How to get the light and shade right in every room of your house
From industrial-style pendants to classic chandeliers, clever use of lighting can bring focus, warmth and atmosphere to any room...
Living Room
For a relaxing atmosphere on a winter's evening, living areas need an attractive level of light. A collection of freestanding lamps dotted around the room works best, creating soft pools of warmth and making the space appear larger by drawing the eye out to the edges.
Collectively, a number of them will create an adequate amount of ambient illumination, then task lighting, such as a style for reading, can be added to the mix. Ceiling-mounted lighting has the opposite effect – by emitting a harsh glare, all the focus is concentrated into the middle of the room, which tends to make it seem much smaller. However, if you wish to have pendants, think about where to position them and only use them when you need to see well.
Hallway
Here, lights need to be bright and welcoming, and, as we tend just to pass through this area, it can be more strongly lit than other rooms in the house. A lantern or chandelier that makes a visual statement is a good choice. However, keep in mind that this isn't always the most flattering source of light (those with an exposed bulb rarely are, unless they have special low-watt filaments). Wall lights or sconces make a good alternative and don't take up floor space. Otherwise, a console table with a pair of table lamps can create an inviting, classic scheme, which gives a gentler light than an overhead source. Or you could combine these for flexibility through the year.
Kitchen
Light sources in this area should be carefully planned from the outset, as this is the hardest-working area of the home. Many kitchens now are open-plan and often part of a larger living room, so, although this makes for a sociable cooking space, the lighting you install should be flexible and work equally well for these different requirements. Dimmable designs can really help here, making for a more versatile set-up that can easily change the mood from a working area to a relaxing space. Recessed spots are a good choice, too, while under-cabinet strips are safe and unobtrusive. Remember to have crisp, focused lighting directed onto worktops where food is prepared and also above the cooker – these need to be precisely placed so you are not working in your own shadow. You can augment this with flexible clip-on lighting or more decorative pendant lights (utility styles are easy to keep clean).
Dining Room
A dining area benefits from lighting placed low down, often suspended from the ceiling for a concentrated but atmospheric glow over a table. Again, a dimmer is a great addition, as, while you might want lots of warmth from a concentrated source for a convivial family meal, the kitchen table almost always doubles as a base for other activities, such as reading, homework or creative projects. For these and other tasks, a low-level pendant can be turned up to much brighter levels. This can give enough surrounding light, too, for the rest of the room, but usually a few well-chosen table or floor lamps dotted around will help banish any gloom and result in a more attractive set-up. Fairy lights can also lend an upbeat and magical feel, while amplifying the brightness of the space.
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Balmoral pendant light in antiqued brass from Jim Lawrence.
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Bathroom
Lights need to meet specific safety standards here, so your choices are much more limited than elsewhere. Ideally, the bulb should be covered so it is protected from any moisture, splashes and spills, and the light must be wired to a pull cord. This obviously rules out a dimmer system, unless you arrange it outside the room or have a special pull cord that can be used with specific recessed ceiling lights. As a rule, place lights well away from water, such as a sink, shower or bath, and use an electrician who is registered in a government-approved scheme to advise you. For safety, bathroom lights have an IP rating that specifies how close they can be used to a water source. As these rooms are often small and short on floor space, wall-mounted lights or recessed spots are generally a good idea.
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Gardens
To illuminate your outside space, choose designs that are robust and watertight, and designed specifically for exterior use. Good lighting can transform the look of a garden or indoor/outdoor living area if well placed, and will make it feel much larger by creating engaging views of the outside world. Use uplighters to brighten paths and terraces, spotlight a specimen tree or shrub and lead the gaze across or down the garden. A qualified electrician must fit these and run wiring through an armoured cable system. For low-level lighting along a path, inexpensive solar designs can create enough radiance. Strings of festoon or fairy lights lend a soft ambience, and can be strung through trees or used to highlight planting. Equally, shining the way to your front door with path lights or LEDs embedded in pathways or steps can look striking and have a safety benefit.
In a country garden, understated outdoor lighting is usually best – an overlit plot can look too dazzling –so train the focus instead on areas of hard landscaping, paths and doors for safety, and highlight a few key features, such as a specimen tree; these obelisks in a traditional walled garden create additional drama and lead the eye down the outdoor space, accentuating the symmetry of the scheme
This feature is from Country Living Magazine. Subscribe here.
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Brass bulkhead light with cross guard by Davey Lighting.
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