How to Light Your Home: Tips For Beautiful & Functional Lighting

Lighting plays a huge role in shaping the mood, functionality, and style of your home. From setting the right ambience to drawing attention to your favourite features, the right lighting scheme can transform a room. Here’s how to get it right, with expert tips and some statement pieces that balance practicality and personality.

Understand the Three Main Types of Lighting

A well-lit home isn’t about one overhead light; it’s about layering. Use a mix of these three lighting types to build a flexible and inviting atmosphere:

Ambient Lighting

This is your base layer; the general light that fills the room. Ceiling fixtures like pendant lights or flush mounts do the heavy lifting here.

Try this: The Lena Mesh Pendant Lamp is perfect for creating soft, atmospheric ambient light while acting as a subtle centrepiece in a living or dining room.

Task Lighting

Task lighting gives you focused light where you need it most; for reading, cooking, working, or getting ready.

Try this: The Tubu Vintage Adjustable Brass Desk Lamp offers directed, adjustable light with vintage charm, ideal for a desk or bedside table.

Accent Lighting

Use accent lighting to add drama or to highlight architectural details, artwork, or shelves. Think of it as the final layer that brings your space to life.

Try this: The Aada Gold Table Lamp doubles as a sculptural accent and a warm light source, drawing attention to sideboards or shelving displays.

Use Natural Light to Your Advantage

Before you even think about artificial lights, make the most of what nature offers:

• Keep window treatments light and airy to let in maximum sunlight.
• Use mirrors opposite windows to reflect daylight deeper into the room.
• Choose light-reflective paint colours, like soft whites or pale greys, to bounce light around the space.

Think Function First, Then Style

Each room has different lighting needs:

How to Light Your Kitchen 

Mix ambient and task lighting. A pendant adds elegance over an island, while under-cabinet spotlights ensure functional illumination.

How to Light Your Living Room

Create a layered scheme with overhead lighting, floor lamps, and table lamps. The Isla Natural & Black Bamboo Pendant Lamp adds sculptural elegance and casts a soft glow, while the matching Floor Lamp is ideal for corners or reading spots. The Isla Natural & Black Bamboo Table Lamp can also be added in for additional accent or task lighting as needed in your living room. 

How to Light Your Bedroom

Go for soft, adjustable lighting. The Dutchbone Eclipse Floor Lamp gives off a warm, calming light that’s perfect for winding down, while the matching Dutchbone Eclipse Table Lamp can be used as task lighting for dressing tables, desks or bedside tables.

Let Lighting Be the Star

Lighting doesn’t just illuminate a room, it can be art in itself.

Statement Pendant Lighting 

Statement pendant lights can serve as a focal point in a room. 

Draw the eye upward with a dramatic ceiling fixture like the Nordal Atomic Brass and Glass Pendant Light, a great choice for rooms with higher ceilings or stairwells.

The Tine K Home Large Raffia Globe Pendant Lamp brings sculptural beauty to a boho or Scandi-inspired space with its textural shade and warm glow, ideal for dining rooms or hallways.

Statement Lamps

Lamps like the Aada Gold Floor Lamp and Table Lamp are as much about form as function, blending Art Deco-inspired design with ambient mood-setting.

Create Zones and Highlight Features

Use lighting to define different areas in open-plan spaces or to spotlight features:

• Position lamps to distinguish reading nooks or lounge zones.
• Highlight shelves, plants, or art with small accent lights.
• Add quirky lighting choices to liven up particular areas, such as a home cocktail bar or coffee station. 

Mix Materials and Styles

Don’t be afraid to mix finishes and textures. A mix of different materials and finishes all adds character. For example:

• Pair brass-detailed lighting with a reclaimed wood desk for a vintage-industrial look.
• Use bamboo or rattan pendants in a minimalist room to bring warmth and texture.
• Gold-toned lamps work beautifully with darker, moodier interiors thanks to their luxe finish and soft illumination.

Use Dimmers for Flexibility

Installing dimmer switches lets you easily shift the mood from bright and energising to calm and cosy, perfect for multi-use rooms like living spaces or kitchens.

By layering different types of lighting, thinking about how each room is used, and using your fixtures to make a statement, you’ll create a home that’s as practical as it is beautiful. Take a peek at our full lighting range to discover the perfect lights for your home!