The beginner's guide to lighting

The good old light bulb has been around for roughly 150 years, transforming our homes, our cities and the world as we know it. And yet, the idea of furnishing with light is still unfamiliar turf for many. Light fixtures don’t just illuminate your home – they can also improve its ambience, add to its style and (most importantly) make certain areas more useable. Now, with the introduction of smart lighting, the possibilities truly are limitless. If you’d like to learn more about what light can do for your home, then you’re in the right place. With this family apartment as a shining example, let’s explore the three basic categories of lighting in action.

Not unlike a kind smile, this first category is what (very literally) lights up the whole room – most often achieved with ceiling-hung pendant lamps. These lighting fixtures are often on the centre, and so can really enhance the style of your interior. One great idea? Play around with plurals. In this longer hallway, for example, three pendant lamps hang in a row, guiding your eye into the room. If you’d like different levels of brightness for different times of day, this is where wireless LED bulbs can really lend a helping hand.