💡 LIGHTING - Mistakes to avoid

Hi Interior’s Enthusiast!

It’s been a crazy week for me with lots of client consultations and the start of a few new E-Design projects which I’m excited about. It was also my birthday last week so I tried to take some time off, I don’t know how well I did at that…

We are working tirelessly behind the scenes on a very exciting new product which I’m hoping will answer many of your ahem ‘colour’ conundrums but you’ll have to wait until next week to find out what that is! Any guesses?!

Anyway onto my design tips of the week…

5 Lighting Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not layering your lighting

Layering is important in all aspects of Interiors. You need plenty of layers of lighting, from lamps to pendants and wall lights. Everything must have a purpose, but a purpose can be to look pretty. Without layering you create a one-dimensional lighting look that doesn’t function well when required to serve different functions throughout the day and night. A single room generally has many functions that require different types of lighting.

2. Wrong Bulb Colour

This may be an obvious one but it’s a mistake I see so often. You need to make sure you buy bulbs with a Kelvin of no higher than 2700. This ensures you have a warm white light rather than stark blue/white light that feels very clinical. No one wants to feel like they’re living in an airport!

3. Too Many Spotlights

Let me say it again for the people at the back!!! I’m not sure I need to elaborate on this too much as I’m sure you’ve heard me bang on about it multiple times. In case you haven’t, the key issue with spotlights is their overuse in unnecessary places like kitchens, hallways, and bedrooms. Unless each light has a purpose and a direction why is it there? And even then is there a more decorative way to light your space?

4. Not having Multiple Circuits

Gone are the days of single on/off switches for a singular space. We are better than that! Nice light switches with multiple circuit options are more accessible than ever before. Ensure you consider each circuit carefully when doing your lighting plan to ensure you can individually control particular spaces while leaving others off. We don’t want all the kitchen lights on when you're having a dinner party across the other side of the room. If you want to really push the boat out look at smart lighting systems like Rako for the ultimate tech fix.

5. No Dimmers

Similarly to the above point, we want control of our lighting beyond an on/off option. Whether you do or do not have your lights on the circuits you’d like, at least get some dimmer switches into your house to ensure you can control the levels of light evening if you can’t independently control the areas. Just remember you need dimmable bulbs as well!

The STRIPE Edit

Stripes really do go with everything, it’s almost a neutral in my book. What do you think? Here is a selection of my favourite striped pieces at the moment…

Thanks so much for reading, see you next week.

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