25 Lighting Ideas That Transform Your Home

In this blog, we’ll look at some of the best ideas for using lighting to reinvigorate your home, providing one or more spaces with renewed flavour and character. Whether it be natural light or artificial light, there are many ways to utilise light to enhance your home.

Let’s dive in!

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1. Opt for Smart Lighting

The use of smart lighting has increased in recent years offering increased efficiency (and therefore generally lower bills) and more convenience.

Some of the most notable smart lighting fixtures include smart LED bulbs, smart strip lights, smart downlights, smart dimmer switches and smart lamps.

The way in which a given smart light functions will vary from product to product with prices differing significantly too. Some examples include a smart dimmer switch used to set the mood in a living space, voice-operated kitchen lighting, and lighting designed to offer ‘energy boosts’ attuned to your circadian rhythm.

2. Let In Plenty of Natural Light

Allowing in lots of natural light at the right times of the day and in the right locations can significantly enhance your home visually.

Along with opening window blinds or curtains, you may want to use well-placed mirrors or reflective surfaces to increase the amount of natural light within your home.

Skylights are a particularly standout option as they can be installed on a ceiling and let natural light enter vertically. Skylights can prove more effective than regular windows at letting natural light in. They are also popular for their aesthetics and potential mental health benefits.

3. Vintage Lighting

While topical lighting ideas to enhance a home focus on modern and sometimes more novel approaches, it’s important to keep vintage lighting in mind.

Of course, vintage lighting may refer to actual old lighting fixtures or newer options designed to capture that retro look. Either way, a qualified electrician is needed for the installation and they’ll need to evaluate a genuine vintage lighting fixture to ensure it is safe to install.

4. Colour-shifting LEDs

Colour-changing LEDs can add an extra dimension of vibrance and fun to your home. While these LEDs can come in relatively simple forms (e.g. LED strip lighting), fancier and more expensive options exist including LED ceiling panels and recessed LED downlights.

5. Add Statement Lighting

The purpose of a statement lighting fixture is to act as a standout feature of a space. Along with being a fixture that could act as a daring or opulent centrepiece while setting the mood.

Some of the most notable types of statement lighting are:

• Chandelier*
• Pendant lighting
• Industrial statement lighting
• Stairwell pendant
• Multi-arm light

* Of course, if having a chandelier added, it’s important that it is not too heavy. Professional(s) are needed to install a chandelier regardless and, as with any ceiling-hung lighting fixture in general, it must be safe and not too heavy for the ceiling’s load-bearing capacity.

6. Oversized Pendants

Expanding on the above topic, oversize pendants are a type of statement lighting deserving of their own section.

As an alternative to a chandelier, one or more oversized pendants can provide a striking centrepiece covering a range of designs.

From chrome polished lanterns to industrial ‘petrol copper’ pendant lights, there are many styles and aesthetics to consider, allowing you to explore options that might best suit your home and preferences.

That said, as with chandeliers, any wall-hung lighting fixture installations need to be safe; that is not exceeding the ceilings load-bearing weight and installed in a safe manner too by a suitable professional.

7. Layered Lighting

Layered lighting involves using several types of lighting (e.g. ambient, accent and task lighting) in order to add dimension, an improved atmosphere and aid in highlighting different zones of the space.

You could also use layered lighting for its versatility since by using different layers in specific ways you can create different looks and atmospheres depending on your preferences.

Here is a brief definition of different types of lighting:

• Ambient Lighting - The main form of lighting used to illuminate a space.
• Accent Lighting - Aesthetic addition used to light up something specific in the room.
• Task Lighting - Designed to highlight certain areas so that tasks can be undertaken (e.g. cooking, writing at a desk etc.).

8. Minimalist Lighting Fixture

Minimalist lighting fixtures offer the benefit of blending into the background with a more limited design or/and colour shades that match the background.

Minimalist spaces are more popular nowadays as an alternative to more packed rooms. In general, minimalism usually offers a calmer space, highlighting the simplicity and efficient use of a room.

9. Consider Garden Lighting

If you have a garden space, be sure not to overlook it when considering lighting for your home. Some top garden lighting examples are floodlights, spotlights, standalone solar lights, garden pathway lights and garden lanterns.

10. Decorative Lighting

The use of decorative lighting can add an opulent aura to your home while also acting as a form of accent lighting. Popular types of decorative lighting to consider include chandeliers, pendant lights, table lamps, wall sconces and even floor lamps.

As mentioned earlier, if opting for a chandelier or any ceiling-hung lighting for that matter, it’s important that the professional(s) installing it ensure that the lighting fixture is not too heavy for the ceiling’s load-bearing capacity.

11. Create an Atmosphere

There are many ways of creating an atmosphere with different lighting setups with this generally covered under the category of ambient lighting, although accent lighting can also achieve this.

Starting with ambient lighting, this primary form of lighting is used to illuminate a space well. Some examples to consider include warm-toned lights, dimmable lights and coving lighting (more on the latter two later). Backlit mirrors and under-cabinet lighting are also worth considering.

Naturally, the right atmospheric lighting will depend on the room(s) in question, your preferences and how given lighting options will look compared with the rest of the space.

As for accent lighting, you may want to create an atmosphere with these types of lighting using table lamps or low-height floor lamps. Again, what will work well will depend on what you like and the setup/space.

12. Waterproof Recessed Lights For Your Bathroom

Water-resistant recessed lighting is a good idea when considering how to enhance lighting in your bathroom.

Aside from it being essential that this lighting setup is installed by a qualified electrician, make sure they opt for waterproof recessed lights that can be safely added to a bathroom.

13. Task Lighting

As touched on already, task lighting is one of several primary types of lighting setups. The value of task lighting should not be overlooked as it can be used to highlight certain areas of a space, supporting tasks at home by potentially improving focus and even relaxation.

The potential mood benefits of task lighting come from its capacity to light up a space which in turn reduces eye strains, mimics the look and ‘feel’ of natural light.

By creating a visual focal area, it draws your eyes and mind to the work zone in question. That said, task lighting should not be confused with mood lighting.

While task lighting can improve mood, the term ‘mood lighting’ more broadly is usually used in reference to a soft and ambient look for the space at large.

All in all, though, task lighting is great for working on tasks at home like food preparation, home office work and studying.

14. Linear Lighting

This form of lighting involves the use of sleek and tubular/elongated lights to provide a modern and decorative look.

Unlike old fluorescent tube lights, modern linear lights tend to act as a smoother, more aesthetically pleasing addition.

Along with a fancier design, many modern linear lights provide additional features such as diffused lights, a collective design where multiple linear lights work together to enhance a room’s visual appeal and the variation in how each tubular light looks.

15. Sustainable Lighting

Some notable forms of sustainable lighting are smart lights, garden solar lights, LED dimmer switch lighting and those which utilise natural materials.

Solar lights are not only better for the environment but can be powered completely for free, helping to lower your energy bills.

When it comes to natural materials, one concern worth noting, however, is the use of certain natural materials for light fixtures that may pose a fire hazard. For example, a basket light could be made with natural materials but may also pose a fire risk if it is heated up to an ignition point by the light source.

16. Utilise a Dimmable Light

Note: If opting for a dimmable light just be sure that it is the correct fit and that it is installed by a qualified electrician.

Dimmable lighting is a great way of adjusting the lighting within your room to your preferences while also having the capacity to set the mood just right.

With manual dimmable lights, you can alter the look and feel of a space in real-time. That said, a smart dimmable light can automatically set the tone while learning from your preferences.

17. Bathroom Vanity Lighting

One lighting setup that can also work well in a bathroom is vanity lighting. This involves having a vanity light installed above or next to a bathroom mirror.

This can light up the space, allowing for a clearer view for daily grooming for everyone at home, including brushing their teeth, applying makeup, shaving and so on. It can also charm and visually enhance the bathroom aesthetic as a whole.

18. Under Cabinet Kitchen Lighting

Having lighting installed beneath a kitchen cabinet can add ambience while making it easier to highlight areas of your kitchen you’ll need to work with.

Under cabinet lighting may be used as task lighting, mainly used to light up spaces in your kitchen which you may use for preparing food. If you want to have under cabinet lighting fitted above a hob, ensure that it is suitable.

19. Neon Sign Lighting

Neon sign lighting can enhance an interior space by acting as a unique, eye-catching feature. Neon sign lights are not only aesthetically pleasing but can introduce ambience.

These lights can also offer a great way of introducing a customised phrase or word (e.g. a person’s name, a brief quote or even an image).

20. Track Lighting

Track lighting is when several lights attached to a track (usually hung from the ceiling) are positioned in such a way as to highlight certain features, fixtures or fittings of a room.

While track lighting can come in the form of linear lighting (i.e. a track of lights that go in a straight line), other options such as curved and flexible track lighting also exist. It’s even possible to opt for tailor-made track lighting.

21. Solar Tube Lighting

While its title may give another impression, solar tube lighting is not actually related to solar panels or solar energy. Instead, solar tube lighting is a setup that features mirroresque materials to direct sunlight into your home.

Natural light enters the top of the solar tube lights fitted on a roof and directed down and into the spaces below, therefore, appearing usually as cylindrical lights on the ceiling. This intelligent technique is fully manual. While it has its many pluses (including no running costs obviously), solar tube lighting will only be possible for some homes.

22. Cove Lighting

This alternative form of lighting involves the use of indirect lighting through ledges, valances or/and recesses. When setup right, cove lighting can illuminate along the walls or ceiling, using diffused lighting to create a soft and sophisticated aura with a modern feel to it.

23. Bedside Pendant Lighting

While setting up a small lamp on a nightstand is commonplace, bedside pendant lighting is a more intriguing way to mix things up.

Bedside pendant lights are hung from the ceiling, offering a more aesthetically pleasing setup. Along with their visual appeal, bedside pendant lights can save space and illuminate the room very well. By freeing up space, bedside pendant lighting can also create clutter-free surroundings.

24. Floor Uplighting

Floor uplighting involves using lighting fixtures on the ground or at low level to direct light upwards, acting as another notable way of transforming the look and feel of the room. Floor uplighting can be used to highlight wall features or other structural aspects of the room’s design.

25. Industrial-style Lighting

We’ve mentioned some examples of industrial lighting in this guide, though it’s definitely worth exploring this type of lighting with its own category!

For domestic interior design, industrial-style lighting often comes in the form of metallic lighting fixtures that provide a rustic, raw and ‘weathered metallic’ charm. Some might call this type of lighting utilitarian while others see it as charming, vintage or mechanical.

One way or another, the industrial-style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but for those who like the visual qualities it can bring to the table (or above - if installed in the middle of a kitchen), this option can provide a more unique and intriguing look and character.