Shedding light on lighting

What a treat today with all that sunshine and warmth! But the days are inevitably getting shorter and now is a good time to review your lighting needs at home. Here are three tips on how to get it right:

1) You will need task lighting for areas where you will perform specific activities, such as reading, playing cards, etc. You will also need sufficient overall illumination in the entire room. This is often achieved through ceiling fixtures or potlights. Lastly, you might want to add some mood lighting to draw attention to certain areas or objects in the room. Don't rely on one bright ceiling fixture for all your lighting needs! That's not a recipe for an inviting space.

2) A successful lighting schedule is based on variety. Plan to have illumination flow in different directions - let some lamps project downward, some upward and some in all directions. Also, place lighting fixtures at different heights in the room to create a more dynamic light flow. Finally, vary the intensity of the illumination. Dimmers are a great tool for that.

3) Make sure that the light fixtures are suitable in style and size to the rest of the furniture in the room. A super modern lamp will most often not look good in a traditional space.

Electrical lights are good, but when it comes to

creating a cozy environment, nothing beats candles!