Light up your life!

May 13, 2013 | Anoushka's Blog

Lighting in many peoples’ homes gets overlooked especially if you are living in a modern apartment or home that is already kitted out with down-lights in every room possible. When I’m planning a design lighting is at the forefront of my mind. From the natural light and how it impacts colour, through to fixed lighting such as pendants, down-lights and cabinetry lighting through to accent lighting such as floor lights, table lights and task lighting. Spending time on decorating your space is fantastic, however if you don’t light your room correctly all of your hard work could be lost.

So here are some points to consider when planning your lighting for each room: • Always use a mixture of fixed lighting, and accent lighting in any one room to create warmth and a welcoming atmosphere

• Space your lighting throughout the room, don’t just rely on one large light to light up the whole room, it’s better to use two or three smaller lights

• Where possible have your lighting on a dimmer, this will help adjust to different times of the day

• Make sure you have good task lighting in reading and study areas

• If you are choosing a large pendant fixture for above your dining room table ensure that it is no bigger than one-third the length of the table this includes chandelier sizing

• When hanging a chandelier or pendant ensure you have the ability to adjust the length to work with your space, the best way to work out suspension length is to literally have someone hold it up in the space

• Make sure you have enough floor and table lamps in a room, these cast softer lighting than your overhead lights and you will probably use them more frequently

• When it comes to bulbs I opt for soft/warm whites rather than the cooler based light bulbs. These help to add that sense of warmth to a room

Take a look at some of these lights for inspiration for your home.

Happy decorating!