Why Lighting in your home is one of the most important areas to look at and plan for .

Light is an important aspect of interior design. It can make a home brighter and cheerier, it can bring a focus to certain areas and it can have many practical benefits.

There are two types of light that you can rely on: natural light and artificial light. Both can have their advantages and drawbacks. Below are a few tips on how to effectively use both around your home. 

When to use natural light

Natural light doesn’t just brighten up a space, but also has health benefits. It helps our bodies to produce vitamin D and helps to aid our circadian rhythm so that we feel more awake during the day and more sleepy at night. It can also impact our mood by giving us a serotonin boost. On top of this, introducing natural light to a room gives you the option to grow houseplants.

If possible, you should try to allow natural light into every room in your home. Make sure that rooms with external walls have enough windows - consider whether you can add casement windows to bare walls or extend small windows. Introducing more natural light can be tricky when it comes to some spaces like internal rooms and basements, however there may still be ways of letting light in. Knocking down internal walls, adding cut-outs or installing borrowing lights can allow light to pass through into walls without windows. Skylights can meanwhile be used to let sunlight in from above. Hopper windows are meanwhile typically used in basements to let in light, while transom windows or frosted glass front doors can let light into hallways. 

Adding windows and knocking down walls can of course be expensive. And in some cases you may even have to seek planning permission. Consequently, decorating with natural light can be more difficult than using artificial light. It’s important to consider your budget and understand what is feasible. 

When to use artificial light

Artificial light is ideal for lighting up those gloomy areas that natural light simply cannot access. Most homes contain single overhead lights in each room with the occasional lamp for lighting up a corner or cabinet, but there is so much more you can do with artificial light. For rooms with few windows, it’s often better to use multiple ceiling lights such as recessed lights or track lighting. Task lighting can also be placed under kitchen cabinets for preparing food or even above a bed for reading. You can also use artificial light for creating ambience such as adding up lights on walls.

Unlike natural light, artificial light can also help to illuminate your home at night. It can be useful to install outdoors for this reason - a light above the front door could help you when finding your keys late at night, while lighting around your garden could allow you to stay outdoors longer on a summer evening. 

Installing artificial lighting can be expensive and you also have to be careful about the energy consumption. In most cases, you should use LED lighting as it is more energy-efficient. When installing lighting outdoors, consider battery-powered lights and solar lights to reduce the need for cables - artificial lighting can be installed anywhere, but needs to be done so safely.