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When it comes to designing and decorating a room, it's important not to leave the lighting scheme as an afterthought, as it can have a dramatic effect on the overall decor.
Good lighting performs a variety of functions. For example, central ceiling lights and chandeliers provide good overall room illumination. Wall lights and lamps can help provide atmosphere and ambience, either soft and calming or bold and invigorating. They can also help change the perceived size of room by lighting up dark corners and recesses. Task lighting provides strong light for reading or working to avoid eyestrain.
A well thought out lighting scheme can help pull together the overall design theme of the room. Choose lighting styles and colours that complement your decor and furniture or add quirky and original designs to make a real statement!
When choosing your lighting, think about the room's natural light and how that changes during the day. Also consider the main function of the room. For example you'll need stronger lighting for study and hobby rooms and for children's room desks where they do their homework, while bedrooms and living areas need softer, more ambient lighting.
Ceiling lights are one of the best ways to illuminate an entire space and, depending on your room, there are a number of styles to consider:
Flush mounted ceiling lights sit tight to the ceiling and are ideal for areas where ceilings are low, where there is a lot of traffic through the room where goods carried might reach high, or a minimalist design is desired.
Semi-flush sit just shy of the ceiling and offer a mid-way solution to a ceiling light fitting between flush and pendant styles of ceiling light.
Pendant lights, as the name suggests, hang down and dangle, often with an adjustable chain or cord so that the length can be altered. Thought needs to be given to the placement of pendant lights to ensure that they don't cause an obstacle or safety issue. Pendant lighting can form a dramatic design statement, especially if using eye-catching bulbs or shades, or even if used as a set in a row.
Chandeliers can add drama, opulence and grandeur to a room. Traditionally adorned with crystal or glass, they provide brilliance by reflecting off the shiny surfaces. Contemporary styles often feature shiny metals such as chrome or ornate designs in wood or wrought metal.
Floor lamps provide a very practical lighting option as they come in many different styles, and don't require any installation beyond being plugged into the nearest socket! They are also very versatile and can be used to provide both ambient and task lighting. For living rooms, for example, look for floor lamp models that direct light upwards (also called torchiere style), useful for illuminating dark corners and to fill awkward spaces. Conversely, look for adjustable downward directional lighting when using floor lamps in offices and working spaces.
Table lamps offer the ultimate in lighting versatility! Being portable, they can be moved around your home easily. And with endless designs, sizes, colours and shapes to choose from, you can chose a style that suits your room perfectly. They are also perfect for giving your room an inexpensive makeover: a new lamp, a couple of new cushions and a throw, and you're good to go!
Add colour and interest to your garden and patio at night with Kaleidoscope's range of solar-powered garden lighting. From everything to string lights to hang on trellis, stake lamps to illuminate a path, tabletop lamps for those al fresco evening meals, and decorative ornamental designs to highlight shrubs and plants, you'll be able to create a wonderful lighting effect at night.
Confused by light bulbs? Don't worry, you're not alone! There's been a huge amount of change since energy-saving bulbs replaced traditional incandescent bulbs. But follow the guide below, and you'll find the right bulb for your light or lamp. It's worth remembering that not all types of bulbs cater for all fittings yet - e.g. you may not be able to get all wattages and shapes for an LED bulb.
If your new light doesn't come with a bulb, check the packaging to ensure you have the correct details. You may then want to keep the box the bulbs comes in so that you have a reference when you need to buy replacements. The following diagram illustrates the most common fittings and codes.
There are three main types of light bulb: Halogen, Energy Saving (CFL) and LED. Some last longer than others, and vary considerably in terms of initial cost as well as energy savings as detailed below:
- 80% energy saving (compared to traditional incandescent bulbs)
- Estimated annual running cost of £2 (based on average usage of 3 hours per day)
- 10 year lifespan (based on average usage of 3 hours per day)
- Provides an warm, soft, diffused light which may build more gradually to reach 100% brightness
- Bulbs tend to be larger
- May contain traces of mercury, so require safe disposal
- 30% energy saving (compared to traditional incandescent bulbs)
- Estimated annual running cost of £8.50 (based on average usage of 3 hours per day)
- 2 year lifespan (based on average usage of 3 hours per day)
- Provides an instant, crisp bright light
- Do not contain harsh chemicals
- Cheapest of the "new era" technologies
- 90% energy saving (compared to traditional incandescent bulbs)
- Estimated annual running cost of £1.70 (based on average usage of 3 hours per day)
- 25 year lifespan (based on average usage of 3hours per day)
- Provides an instant, crisp bright light
When incandescent bulbs were the norm, brightness was measured in watts - which is actually a measure of power. Since the introduction of energy-saving bulbs this is a less useful measure of brightness as new bulbs use a lot less power to produce the same amount of light. So, instead, light output is measured in lumens. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light.
Although wattage and lumens don't exactly correlate, this chart will give you a good indication of which bulb you need. Always check on the light fitting or lamp itself the maximum wattage to use.
| 180 lm | 360 lm | 600 lm | 1100 lm | 1400 lm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old-style incandescent |
25W< | 40W | 60W | 100W | 150W |
| CFL | 5W | 9W | 15W | 20W | - |
| Halogen | 18W | 28W | 42W | 70W | 105w |
| LED | 4W | 6W | 10W | - | - |
