As the clocks go back and darkness descends so much earlier, we thought we’d look at ways to make your home feel lighter and brighter. Find out how to create a cosy ambience and make room visually bigger by utilising different sources of lighting.
#LAYER the lighting in your room
Almost all rooms have a pendant light hanging from the ceiling, but this alone can sometimes look a little stark. With lighting, you can never have too much, especially in a living room; where lighting can be both the mood maker and the absent accessory. Layer the lighting in your room.
Takeo LED pendant lamp with optical glass in gold matt finish, TAKEO Collection
The best is to have a few light sources that serve different purposes. Set the general ambience with the ceiling lights, distinctive window pendant light or a large chandelier that catches the eye above the dining table or in the living room.
Create golden glows in pockets around the room by adding table lamps to shelves or sideboard units or using floor lamps and wall lights .
Lola White Table Lamp, Brass Base
Wall lights are particularly good for ambient light – illumination that creates a wash of light around a room – whereas floor lamps are great for task lighting – for example, for reading or working.
#DISPLAY your personality with statement lights
You can also use accent lighting to highlight features in your space. This could be a directional spotlight on a favourite artwork or a floor light behind a large, architectural plant to give a sense of drama.
Eiko LED Arc Floor Lamp with marble base
An accent light is a good way to infuse intrigue in a room or merge modern with traditional styles. Opt bold design lamps with unusual textures or shapes to make a statement.
#BRING in some shiny surfaces
It’s important to simulate natural lighting and this is one of the best ways to do this! Mirrors, shimmering finishes and polished metal surfaces can reflect light and give a room a boost.
Kapa decorative wall lamp, brass finish
A few well-placed mirrors can bounce light around a room and make it appear bigger, brighter and more airy. Place a full length mirror directly opposite a window to double your daylight in one hit.
Try a metallic wallpaper on walls, glossy lacquered side tables, glass-topped coffee tables or shiny brass or silver-toned light fittings.
Takeo Gold Optical Table Lamp with Marble Base
If your space is small there are a few clever tricks how to expand the space visually with lights.
#Utilise lights to make room visually bigger
One of the easiest tricks to make room visually bigger is to utilise vertical space. If you have a reasonably high ceiling, you can use eye catchy low hanging pendant lights, that makes visitors naturally focus on the room’s height rather than its small floor space.
Opt oversized pendant lamp or statement chandelier as the focal point of the room and pair with ambience table lamps to create the room mood. This is the fun way to bring your character into the room.
You can noticeably enhance a perception of the room size by working with lighting direction. As an example, you can add depth by placing wall lamps or side lamps in the four corners.
#SWAP your bulbs to bring an extra light
The quickest and easiest way to bring in extra light? Swap your bulbs for ones with a higher light output – measured in lumens.
Dolo decorative marble table lamp
The warm, yellowy light from some bulbs is cosy for this time of year, but if you really want to go bright, look for bulbs that give a whiter, bluer light.
Simple shapes, light colours, space full of light create the very atmosphere which has been treasured for centuries.