Shine bright
Any Interior Designer will tell you the most important thing to consider when designing your home is the lighting. Ace the lighting, you are 80% on your way to a beautiful home.
The Rules
There are two rules to follow with lighting.
- You should have task lighting for whatever the space is used for, i.e. reading, cooking, dressing.
- You should have a mix of different light sources at different levels. This will help to create ambience.
Actually one extra rule – dimmer, dimmer, dimmer! If you can use one, do!
Living Area
Ceiling lights in Living Rooms should always be put on a dimmer if possible. Use a combination of table lamps and standard lamps, focusing one of the lights on an object, such as art, or a chair. Having a mixture of down lighters and up lighters will create ambience in the space. Try to allow for reading lights in as many seats as possible with down lighters.
Bedroom
Bedrooms should be warm, cosy and inviting. Wall lights and table lamps with a low-wattage bulb help to create a warm glow and almost mimics candlelight. If you are adding reading lamps or recessed track fittings angle them away from the bed and focus them towards the areas of use, such as dressing and make up.
Dining Room
To make the table your focal point of the room, invest in a pendant or chandelier to sit above it, limiting the wattage to 100. The rest of the room should carry a relaxed and flattering feel, indirect lighting works best for this. A subtle glow of tables lamps on a sideboard or wall lights. Don’t forget the power of candles, they can help to create an intimate feel.
Kitchen
The overhead lighting should be the focus here, on a dimmer to put on full when cooking. Breakfast tables and islands lend themselves to interesting pendants, usually in threes. Under-cabinet lights always work well in Kitchens, and a sturdy table lamp can be used if its not too close to the cooker and sink.
Bathroom
Spotlights work well in a bathroom on dimmers to help create the right lighting. If makeup is applied in the bathroom, wall lights flanking the mirror always work well. Overhead spots help fill any shadows on your face, especially if the spot is directly above the sink, it will reflect light up on to the face.
Image Sources Sanna Fischers, BHG & Inspiracionline
Porta Romana
Porta Romana is one of the most exclusive lighting companies in the UK. They value two concepts above all others, craftmanship and design. Their exquisite attention to detail makes them stand out from the rest, showcasing beautiful and unique lighting in some of the finest finishes found today.
John Cullen
John Cullen, another British Company, have a fantastic eye for detail, evolving the lighting industry in to a modern day dream. They have a fantastic range of down and uplighting to perfect the home. Their modern style also translates in to period properties making them an invaluable supplier for Interior Designers.
Heathfield
Quality, Exclusivity, Service is the wonderfully apt motto that Heathfield live by. They design and create the very finest decorative lighting working purely with Interior Designers they pride themselves on British Design, bringing some of the most beautiful and creative pieces to peoples home.
All Lighting available to order from Forum Interior Design.