Lighting is soulful and essential for the home interior

Plato once said apparently "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." Well that's perhaps too philosophical for this page but the point is as budding interior designers we should definitely embrace lighting as a key signature for our interiors. It's all too common that lighting has become an afterthought, unless we're working from scratch with a builder who demands to know where he'll be ‘chasing in' the cables, but sadly this is often overlooked.

Lighting a room

Lighting a room is really important for creating a mood, setting the scene and creating the right ambience during both day or night. There are a wealth of choices (and yes we know candles exist!) but how about some of these which can all be combined depending on the space:

  • spot lights
  • down lighters
  • wall lights
  • chandeliers
  • ceiling roses
  • floor level lighting
  • staircase lighting
  • track lighting

to name but a few. With modern interiors you will want to consider LED lighting as we can source these from about £2 a unit and they can last up to 50,000 hours, so cost effective, modern, energy saving all come together to create stunning show piece type directional lighting. Amazon is a great site for some bargains and they have LED light bulbs with reviews as well so you can pick out what's hot and what's not. Incidentally LED's are not hot which is part of the reason they are so useful for lighting.

Let there be light and then dim it slightly

Any ceiling light and more commonly these days, wall lighting generally has the option of being dimmable, unless you're using bright halogens or other types of lamp (that's the real term for bulb by the way). There are of course exceptions and you should check with the lighting equipment supplier, but installing a dimmer is not a problem if your wiring to the switch is already in place. There's nothing quite like dimming a lamp to the right ambience as well as switching between lights to gain control.

Compliment your lighting scheme with versatile window shutters and blinds *NEW UPDATE!

Imagine a warm and bright summer’s day, with the light shining boldly through your windows and a cooling breeze drifting in the air. It would be wrong to assume that the majority of homeowners prefer the rooms in their house to look dark, dingy and drab. By simply installing window shutters in your home you can revolutionise the interior of your house. Not only a practical solution to brightening up rooms in your home, shutters also have the flexibility to control the amount of light entering through your windows. They work like a charm for setting the mood to create the perfect atmosphere in any room.

Even if you don’t have a large source of natural light, shutters can be an effective way of increasing light into your room. Shutter louvers can be angled accordingly to control and welcome sections of light into interior spaces – including bathrooms and hallways where windows are sometimes smaller and narrower. Read more in our eco homes page to see how this can coordinate with your interior.

Blinds can also be a practical choice when adding character and improving practical living in your home. Whilst not perhaps totally as versatile and robust as shutters (we have both blinds and shutters installed in our house) blinds are however available in a vast array of colours, types and finishes. Window blinds can be installed to co-ordinate different rooms and can keep a home looking elegant and warm and are generally a little cheaper than shutters – depending on various elements like slat sizes, finishes and options you choose.

An extensive array of blind materials can be chosen to accommodate your rooms. Aluminium blinds are particularly sturdy in form and are an excellent choice when considering different levels of light control in a room. Vertical blinds can be an affordable alternative and are extremely easy to care for. A simple and easy wipe can clean your blinds effectively. Wooden blinds can be completely customised, with various wood types, grains and colours.

Shutters and blinds can also be for your health if you are prone to headaches and eye strains. By keeping rays of the sun at a controlled level, you will be prone to fewer complications, keeping your rooms perfect for study or reading.