How to light your home: learning the secret of great lighting

Not sure where to start with interior lighting? We’re sharing our tips and tricks to solving all your lighting dilemmas.

How much light?
The size of the room will dictate how much light is required. You can control the amount of light by the number of watts you use to light it.

A good rule of thumb is to multiple the size of the room by 25. First work out the square measurement of the room e.g. 3 metres wide by 4 metres long = 12 metres square. According to this calculation a room that size needs 300 watts of light. This will produce a brightly lit room.

While this is a good guide it won’t suit every room. Judging the amount of light required will depend on how the room is used. Kitchens and study areas need brighter lighting bedrooms and lounge areas.

• Hallway: should have warm lighting that invites guests in. Use soft or shaded lighting fixtures that are highly decorative.
• Living room: Light around the room rather than from a central location in the room. In particular light the seating areas where you’ll sit as this is where the light will predominantly be required. Floor lamps that direct light to the ceiling work well here and table lamps will light objects on side tables without casting harsh light into your eyes.
• Kitchen: As mentioned the kitchen requires bright light as tasks such as preparing meals and cleaning require you to see well. Down lights underneath cupboards will ensure that work surfaces are always well lit.
• Dining room: Like the living room you should light the areas where people sit. A light over the dining table is important for lighting plates and the faces of diners around the table. The level of lighting should be sufficient to see well i.e. enough to read by. However when not eating e.g. at the end of a meal lower lighting is adequate. We discuss dimmer switches below.
• Bedrooms: Different levels of lighting for different times of day and activities in the bedroom are necessary. While in bed you only need enough light to see the room, table lamps are ideal as they allow you to get into bed and then switch the light off. Reading in bed calls for brighter spot lighting though, either with a flexible bedside lamp or from lighting above the bed. A central light is also necessary to see well when out of bed.

Spot lighting is your secret ingredient
A central light hanging from the ceiling will create especially bright light in places and cast unattractive shadows everywhere else.

We’ve mentioned spot lighting in the above points in the form of lamps, down lights, up lights and localised pendant lights. Don’t underestimate the power of localised lighting, it creates a much more attractive effect in the room and is extremely practical.

Add a dimmer
Every room could benefit from having a dimmer switch fitted to the lighting control. Mood, weather, occasion and different tasks all call for slight adjustments. Changes in room function or more subtle changes in the activity in the room call for changes in the lighting which are made simpler with dimmer switches.

Don’t forget that dimmer switches require compatible bulbs.