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One of the most important aspects of any design scheme involves careful consideration regarding lighting. Lighting is important not just for visibility and enabling you to see

what you are doing clearly, it is also crucial for atmosphere and the amount of light a room receives, be it from natural daylight or artificial sources, will affect the colour choices within the room.

“Ambient lighting” is the name given to general background lighting and is usually provided by a central pendant which, if it is the only light source, will result in a room devoid in atmosphere.

Living Rooms

This is an important room to get right, as it tends to be where people spend considerable time relaxing, watching television, socialising, reading, etc. If you are at the decorating or building stage, it is worth talking to a professional to ensure your electricity plans are appropriate, so the lighting will suit your furniture and avoid a trail of lengthy cables. Sockets in the floor are becoming increasingly popular and are ideal for table lamps either side of a large sofa. It is also worth ensuring that lamps are wired to a dimmer switch that can also be controlled from a panel on the wall.

Do not rely on the central pendant to fulfil all your lighting needs. Lamps create pools of light, thereby setting the tone for a relaxing atmosphere. They can also provide task lighting, which means they provide a good light for reading or doing craftwork. Wall lights also provide atmosphere and draw attention to pictures on the walls. Tall floor lights, a piece of furniture in their own right, will light up a dark corner. Any light that highlights and defines something, be it an architectural feature, a painting on a wall, an object or a piece of furniture, is providing “accent lighting” which adds interest to any design scheme.

Kitchens

The kitchen is another room used for a variety of tasks, amongst them cooking, socialising and eating. While central lights are necessary to provide ambience, you will also need good task lighting, especially if you have wall units above the worktop. Down lighters or strip lights fitted under the wall units will provide you with enough light to whip up some culinary masterpieces and avoid those dreaded shadows when your body blocks all the light.

Don’t forget the inside of the cupboards, either light them with directional lights or can fit strip lights inside the cupboard itself.

Kitchen diners have become more common in recent years and if you want to enjoy an evening meal, but avoid the sight of pots and pans, a rise and fall light or a chandelier above the dining table will provide enough light to eat by, yet create an intimate atmosphere.

Rise and fall lighting over a dining table creates an intimate atmosphere, something that is needed in kitchen cum diners or in open plan living. This beautiful light is from Willie Duggan Lighting.

Let there be light!by Lorna Sixsmith

Don’t forget table lamps for relaxing atmospheric lighting in living rooms. The diversity of lamp shades available now means that your lamp also contributes greatly to your overall design. Yukari Sweeney lampshades at Garrendenny Lane Interiors.

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If this is on a dimmer switch, all the better. This is where careful planning is important as this light needs to be hung centrally above the table, otherwise, it will look all wrong!

Hallways

First impressions count, so the lighting in your hall needs to create a welcoming atmosphere. The style of lighting in the hall is dependant on its size and height. Dramatic chandeliers are wonderful in double-height halls or over the stairway. If the ceiling is low, use halogen spots in the ceiling and create warm pools of light with lamps on a console table. Floor-level lighting along the hallway and up the stairway will lead the eye up the stairs, creating a sense of length and height as well as providing additional light for safety reasons, especially at night.

Bedrooms

A central pendant light will provide good ambient lighting and you can create interest here by choosing lampshades that co-ordinate with a wallpaper or fabric. Bedside lamps on lockers either side

of the bed are essential - for atmosphere, reading and providing a source of light that isn’t too bright. These can be table lamps, wall lamps or small hanging pendants. Remember that task lighting is essential at a dressing table and the light should be positioned to shine on the person, not the mirror, in order to prevent glare. Dimmer switches are a good idea especially for children’s rooms, particularly when young children need a dim light left on at night.

Colour Changing Systems

And if you want to change the mood with a flick of a switch, try mood lighting using colour changes. Colour changing systems are particularly effective when used behind a headboard, for example, or a wall washer light placed on the ground can change the colour of a single wall in a room very dramatically. You could select your own colour depending on the mood you want to create or the lights could repeatedly scroll through an array of colours.

Lorna is an interior designer at Garrendenny Lane Interiors and if you wish to avail of a home consultation, contact her on 086 1051007, www.garrendennylane.ie.

Dramatic Lighting is all that is needed in a minimalist space. These lights by Willie Duggan Lighting appear tactile, soft and textured, yet are extremely striking.

A colour changing system placed behind the bed changes the mood of the space. The users can manually select their own colour or set the system to automatically scroll through the colour array in a range of times. Skinflint Design www.skinflintdesign.co.uk

Add majesty to a bedroom with matching lamps either side of the bed. Create impact with striking lampshades that co-ordinate with dramatic wallpaper. Image: Willie Duggan Lighting