How to use lighting to transform any room in your home

Illuminating our rooms is practical but also transforms the look and feel of a space

Dispensing with a central ceiling pendant light and opting for hidden lighting in this scheme by Willie Duggan Lighting creates a warm atmosphere in a living room.

Wed, 30 Oct, 2024 - 19:14

Carol O’Callaghan

The clocks have gone back and we’ll barely have downed our lunch before dusk descends and we’re travelling home from work in the dark.

Some of us love it, indulging in evenings by the fire, or lighting candles for the effect, but being indoors so much makes us aware of the shortcomings in our lighting and that it may not necessarily provide the atmosphere we crave.

A lighting scheme must be well-considered, according to Eoin Shanley, owner and creative director of Wicklow-based lighting designer Copperfish. “People often rush the job,” he says. “Give it the time it deserves. Lighting shouldn’t be an afterthought," says Eoin.

Anyone who has ever built or remodelled their home knows lighting choices are often made near the end of a project when decision fatigue is setting in and there’s pressure to make decisions on the spot.

Eoin has some pointers to mitigate potential mistakes: “We start by asking, what’s the focal point in the room? Are you going to be reading? You’ll need task lighting. We don’t have to have what we used to call the big light in the living room. They can be cold and clinical, especially in our climate.”

In the kitchen misplaced lights often cast shadows over food preparation areas, Eoin says, adding: “You can’t beat traditional white spots. They’re necessary task lighting for cooking and prep.”

For winter, he stresses the value of table lamps and wall lights: “They make the room and are often overlooked. I swear by dimmers. It’s not a big job to change to dimmers, but you do need an electrician.”

It seems, however, the big mistake we make is going over the top with our lighting, according to Monica Duggan, director and senior lighting designer at Willie Duggan Lighting in Kilkenny. “We should do less and do it better and allow for ambient light,” she says.

In kitchens she sees common errors, where spots and downlights are put in the wrong place between the island and the back wall.

“It creates a shadow when you’re working at the counter,” she says. “Spots should be 120-150mm off the back wall cabinets, with spots or a pendant over the island.”

In living areas, she points out one of the downsides of our love of huge windows.

“We’re living with a lot of glazing which is amazing for natural light but it becomes a black mirror by night. Positioning the spots up into the ceiling can help with the glare. Less glare inside, less black mirror effect.”

Vicki Faller's kitchen lighting includes sculptural pendants above her island, emitting a warm glow as dusk falls.

For winter, she encourages utilising table and floor lamps. “Change out bulbs for warmer ones,” she says. “The warmest bulb is 2,200 to 2,400 Kelvin. It should be on the package. If it’s not, don’t buy it.”

Vicki Faller, whose County Cork home, Elibank House, is a focus for interiors enthusiasts on her Instagram account, considers lighting from both a practical perspective and as a way of putting your own stamp on the home.

Wall lights are a warming alternative to the central ceiling light, like the Liberties sconce from Copperfish.

“When shopping for those key pieces, trust your gut,” she says. “It’s true what they say; nothing you really like is ever out of style.”

She made sure her house had plenty of sockets, especially for what she calls the “sparkle season”.

Willie Duggan Lighting's kitchen light plan includes a pendant over the dining table, with a spotlight pendant above the kitchen island, and ceiling spotlights to illuminate work surfaces.

“Internally, we ensured there were sockets where lamps may add to the warm, cosy feel to a room. Externally, one of my favourites was adding sockets at our entrance. Last Christmas it allowed us to add gorgeous twinkling lights to our railing and this year we’re hoping to add a little more festive glow. “

One of her top tips is the discovery of smart plugs. “Every one of our lamps is connected to a smart plug and controlled via an app. We come home to a lovely cosy feel, barely ever touch a light switch in the house and head to bed knowing they’ll go off themselves. It also makes a great bedtime prompt when they all start going off and you’re contemplating one more episode of a new series.

“You can change all the times at one click for summer or winter. If you’re away from the house you can change the times for added peace of mind, just make sure to tell your babysitter. We arrived home one time to a dark house as she thought the electricity had gone out. We laugh about it now.”