The right lighting scheme is essential to any interior design and can drastically change the look of any room, but a single lighting scheme will not work for every room. Taking the time to customise your lighting to suit the room's specific needs will dramatically enhance its aesthetics without losing its practical uses.

In today's blog, we give you a brief guide to lighting design and see how light fittings can be utilised to produce the best lighting effects, enhancing the look and feel of the rooms in your home.

Bathrooms

A good bathroom lighting scheme is all about achieving the right balance between ambience and practicality; after all, bathrooms should be relaxing and functional.

Therefore, we recommend using task lighting to add extra illumination to certain areas, such as around the sink and mirrors, to increase the usability of these critical spaces. Task lighting is a term for lighting designed for a specific task rather than general illumination. For example, you want adequate lighting around the sink, toilette and bath or shower in a bathroom, so tasks like washing, putting makeup on or getting ready for a night out can be achieved.

 You can achieve task lighting by installing light fixtures such as spotlights on the ceiling above your sink or a pair of wall lights on either side of the mirror in your bathroom.

You can also try installing dimmer switches; these will allow you greater control over the light levels and will help to soften solid overhead lighting, letting you create the right ambience when you want to relax in the tub.

Kitchens

The kitchen is another crucial room where a good lighting scheme can make a big difference. In addition to general overhead interior lighting, it's essential to include some task lighting in kitchen designs. For example, work surfaces, in particular, require good task lighting; undercabinet lighting can be an excellent option for this and will help illuminate grey countertops and workspaces, increasing the functionality of these areas.

Spotlights are also a common feature in kitchen designs and can be used in the areas of a kitchen where more light is needed with being both attractive and practical, they also typically use less energy. LED lighting and Cabinet lights are a great way of subtly illuminating every surface.

As wholesale hardware distributors, we stock many different options for under cabinet lighting, including fluorescent strip lights that can be installed on the underside of kitchen cabinets. These can provide just the right amount of illumination to make food preparation and other tasks more straightforward, and they'll shed light evenly across the countertop. These light fittings also have a tremendous streamlined and contemporary aesthetic too.

Bedroom

Task lighting should ideally also be used in bedroom designs. For example, bedside lighting is key and will enhance the space with gorgeous romantic lighting to read by. This also gives you're the opportunity to accessorise your bedside area with some decorative light switches

There are a few other handy lighting options you could consider too. For example, dark wardrobes don't always make finding the right choice of clothing easy. However, integrated wardrobe lighting can make all the difference, and the great thing is that these lights consume surprisingly little energy.

Living Room

Layering different types of lighting can bring living room designs to life and give the space a more three-dimensional feel. For example, in addition to ceiling lighting, try using a few lamps dotted around the room, as these will provide  options to relax on an evening without the whole room being lit up.

Accent lighting, such as some wall lights, can also highlight features such as fireplaces to make these stand out. Uplighters are another excellent option for living rooms. These can be used to increase the feeling of space in small living rooms by pooling lighting on the ceiling and drawing the eye upwards.

Garden Patio

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to consider enjoying adding some flair to your garden space around your home or patio. Barbeques with friends on a warm summer evening, romantic stargazing with a glass of wine, and garden parties are all fantastic events limited to the summer. By adding strings of LED lights hung from poles, you can make your outdoor space, conservatory or patio magical with the added advantage of keeping the party going long into the night.

Premium Lighting and Fittings Distributor

Hopefully, this handy guide will make designing your perfect lighting scheme easier. Here at Hart Wholesale, we have a fantastic selection of light bulbs and fittings, to help you create the ideal lighting scheme. We're also stockists of a wide range of other home fixtures and fittings, from Blum drawers to door handles.

For more information about our range of products, please don't hesitate to contact us today by giving us a call on 01702 614044 and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.