Lightbulb moment

General lighting is best diffused over a wide area, says Kya deLongchamps who offers some practical advice

Artificial light is a dynamic ingredient in a room, quite apart from its vital, practical role. As soon as the light starts travelling from its source, it can be altered dramatically by the surfaces it meets and the materials it passes through. Think of a total light plan with all its fixtures and fittings, partnering around the room waltzing with the colours in the scheme, the shapes of your furniture and the reflective or blocking quality of things. Here is a very basic lighting guide to illuminate your journey.

General lighting: The standard wash of light throughout your home, the light that guides your footsteps and discreetly turns night to day after dark is termed general or ambient lighting. It’s the most important element to get right. Intended to be easy on the eye, general lighting is best diffused over a wide area. Many homeowners favour central pendant lights that pour light out and over the room but this can create murky lost areas, as it pools on the floor allowing it to be blocked by furniture. The addition of other light sources set at different levels presents a more interesting picture pumping light into the corners and edges of the room and softening shadows. Alternatively, ceiling mounted up lighters, bounce the light onto the ceiling and use it as a huge diffuser, softening its influence. Sieving light through a material such as a translucent balloon shade or raking it through a ribboned wood, will also alter it dramatically. A wall switch can set off ceiling mounted down-lighters (recessed lighting), wall lights and even table lamps to pool various quantities and qualities of light in an overlapping play.