lamps. How To Get The Best Home Lighting

Design & Style How To Guides How To Get The Best Home Lighting

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Date Published:
10/06/2008

Good lighting is essential for a room to make an impact, but what sort of lighting is appropriate for where? Our guide will help you bring a sparkle to every room in your house.

hallway-stairs-lighting your home

Lighting Your Hallway

Your hall is not just that busy space where everyone fights to get to shoes and coats; it's also the room that welcomes visitors to your home. While hall lighting needs to be practical, that doesn't mean it can't be decorative, so think lantern, hanging bowl, posh pendant or chandelier.

Getting It Right

Don't hang a pendant if your ceiling is low - it will only make it appear even lower. Instead, stick to halogen spots, sunk flush with the ceiling. These bulbs mimic daylight and, when recessed, they don't attract attention to themselves. However, if yours is a period house - anything pre-1930s - or a large new-build, chances are the ceiling will be high enough to take something really show stopping.

chandelier. How To Get The Best Home Lighting

Photo: Simon Whitmore

A single chandelier can bring a touch of glamour and a sense of occasion to a hallway. They don't really provide a great deal of illumination though, so it's likely you'll have to fit other lights, too. A good way to do this is to direct a corner-fitted spotlight onto the chandelier to highlight its shape and to reflect light off its drops. Over the stairs, where visibility needs be good, halogen lights are a good choice, while wall lights are best avoided, as they only get in the way, especially in narrow hallways.

Floor-level lighting is a dramatic way to lead the eye along the hall and up the stairs. Or, you could choose gorgeous lamps for your hall table and fit them with a dimmer switch so you can adjust the amount of light they give out to create a welcoming glow on cold winter nights, or more light if you need it.

For More On Lighting

Buyer's Guide To Kitchen Lighting
Buyer's Guide To Bathroom Lighting

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Comments

  1. I have two beautiful lamp bases but have been unable to find the correct shade fitting. Please supply me with the details of suppliers of lampshade fittings to enable me to make my own lampshades. It had never occurred to me that I could make my own. Well done Kirstie!!
    Posted by E NICHOL on 05/05/2009 00:04:31
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  2. Please send details of firms who provide everything you need to make your own lampshades. I have two very large parchment covered shades, very old, and I can't replace them. I'm afraid to wash them in case they disintegrate!
    Posted by J Stanesby on 02/05/2009 11:19:11
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  3. Please let me have information on lamp shade courses in the Guildford, Surrey area. Was very impressed with last nights programme. I Smith
    Posted by I Smith on 01/05/2009 10:37:16
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  4. Please could you advise how I can contact the lampshade maker on Kirstie's Homemade Home programme (purple lampshade) so I can book myself on a course. Thanks.
    Posted by GD on 30/04/2009 21:26:47
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  5. Re: Grand Designs - Brighton a Modern Mansion. Please can you tell me where the globe lamps in the above episode can be purchased. They appear from approx 45 minutes into the programme and are in the living area. Many thanks Paco Lock
    Posted by Paco Lock on 21/04/2009 12:00:49
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