HOW TO PLAN A LIGHTING SCHEME

Create the perfect lighting look throughout your home with our eight-step guide to organising your project from start to finish

1 Start early Plan lighting at the ‘first fix’ stage – at the same time as plumbing – to minimise the disruption of wiring. Think about the layout of the room and position downlights where they will have most impact. ‘ When it comes to downlights, less is more,’ says Georgina Wood, design director at David Collins Studio (davidcollins.com). ‘They need to be discreet and have a purpose.’ Avoid grid-like arrangements, which result in flat light, and instead position spotlights where they will be most useful, above bedside tables, food preparation areas or desks.

2 Think about natural light levels Consider when you use each room – an office you use during the day will require a different approach to a snug that needs to be lit for nighttime relaxing. Optimise existing light with high-gloss ceiling paints, mirrors, and by using pale colours for walls. Use pendants or downlights to light the room after dark, and position extra light fittings in corners that are less bright during the day. ‘Make as many lights as possible dimmable to give maximum flexibility,’ advises Susie Rumbold, founder of interior design studio Tessuto (tessuto.co.uk) and president of the British Institute of Interior Design ( biid.org.uk).

3 Add task lighting Will the spare room double as an office? Will your children do their homework in the kitchen? Match task lighting – ranging from desk lamps to integrated LEDS – to these activities, and to the people doing them: a 60-year-old needs three times as much light as a 20-year-old to read by.

4 Use accent lighting ‘ What is the first thing your eye is drawn to when you enter the room?’ asks Susie Rumbold. ‘That’s often a good thing to highlight.’ Use picture lights or hidden architectural lighting (read more on p133) to draw attention to the best features of every space.

5 Don’t forget candles and open fires Flickering flames have comforted humans for millennia and shouldn’t be ignored in the rush for the latest lighting gadget.

6 Choose your fittings carefully Understand the difference between architectural and decorative lighting – they perform the same functions, but architectural light is integrated into the fabric of the building or furniture, whereas decorative lighting usually takes the form of lamps, which double up as home accessories. ‘Architectural lighting is discreet and allows decorative lights to act as jewellery in an interior,’ says Georgina Wood. Ask your electrician to make sure your chosen fittings and switches are compatible – for example low-voltage LEDS need a low-voltage dimmer switch. You should also add together the wattage of all the bulbs in each circuit and make sure the total falls within the maximum load capacity for your switches.

7 Decide on circuits and controls Make sure you think about the combinations of lights that you want to place on a shared circuit – this means that they can be switched on and off together, using anything from a simple switch to the latest smartphone-controlled systems. High-tech bulbs, such as Philips Hue (starter kit £149.95, John Lewis; johnlewis.com) not only enable you to switch lights on and off from your smartphone, but also control colour and brightness, and set your lights on timers.

8 Get everything installed professionally Anything involving electricity is always best left to the professionals. You’ll need an electrician approved by the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) – a self-certifying one can approve his or her own work to ensure that it complies with Building Regulations, too (niceic.com).