Clever lighting can make all the difference in creating ambience in the home. We asked Kris Manalo, Design Lead for Atkin and Thyme for his top tips.
Hallways
Lighting is so important in every room. For the most effective schemes, try to include a combination of task, ambient and feature lighting. This is true of hallways, too, where your choice of lighting can be used to make a dark, narrow hall feel larger and brighter. Team with a wall-hung mirror and you will instantly make it feel more spacious. Adjustable desk and table lamps angled upwards or towards the wall are perfect for this interior designer trick – our Alice in antique bronze is ideal - as are coloured glass designs such as our Ripple or Gem lamps, which are also battery operated so can be placed wherever you want them.
A statement chandelier will give guests a lasting impression of your home. Just as you would in the living area, make your hallway lighting stand out and never an afterthought. Hallways generally suffer from a lack of natural light, especially when you have a solid front door with no glazing in it and no windows. To make a dark space feel instantly lighter and larger, choose a glass pendant fitting that will help the light ‘bounce’ around the space.
Table lamps are perfect for creating a cosy glow in hallways and they don’t take up much room if you go for a compact design, which is ideal for the long, narrow hallways traditionally found in period properties. Our Gem and Ripple lamps come in coloured glass, which is a big trend this season, and because they’re battery operated you can put them wherever you need to create a glow without worrying about where the plug socket is. They make wonderful gifts for family and friends, too.
Bedrooms
For bedrooms with limited space, consider hanging statement pendant lights either side of the bed to save on surface space on the bedside table and act as focal points. Our Jule pendant light in amber glass looks gorgeous and emits soft lighting perfect for relaxing after dark.
Wall lights or task lamps can be used to help visually maximise small spaces and uplighters are great for making rooms with low ceilings appear bigger. The eye is naturally drawn upwards, which increases a sense of space. Dimmable bedside lamps are perfect ways to create a warm and inviting bedroom, as well as good lighting when reading the Sunday papers in bed.
Dining
Statement lighting suspended over the dining table offers a sense of occasion and leaves a lasting impression on your dinner guests. Our Joya chandelier is ideal for any room requiring a point of interest such as the living space or an open-plan scheme. This statement pendant is made from dark brown wood with solid strips of timber suspended from a luxurious brass metal frame – perfect for adding texture to your space.
Dimmable lighting will help create the ambient lighting you want to achieve – low lighting for an intimate dining experience or full lighting for those large family gatherings or to work under. Layered lighting is ideal for pockets of warm lights within your dining space – from floor lamps angled to the ceiling for an even glow to smaller table lamps dotted around the room illuminating sideboards or shelving. Battery operated designs can also be used on shelves, window sills or anywhere without a plug socket close by.
Different lighting options allow you to achieve the mood or functionality you’d
like to create. Perfect for open-plan spaces
with zones for relaxing, entertaining and dining, task lamps can be added for reading
in a cosy corner or to add ambient lighting to set the mood.
Kitchens
Layered lighting will offer breadth and depth to any kitchen space. Use lighting that will complement your kitchen fixtures while offering a point of difference. Metallic or glass pendants look stunning hung over islands, breakfast bars or dining tables.
Remember that the rule of three works best for lighting groups suspended over kitchen islands or breakfast bars. Our Maine Hanging 3 pendant light, made of clear glass and brass, is a perfect example. As well as providing task lighting for food prep, cooking and dining, it also offers ambient lighting after dark.
Consider using vintage or upcycled lighting pieces to illuminate your newly fitted modern kitchen for an eclectic look. Glass and metallic lighting are perfect for helping to bounce light around in dark kitchens, making the space brighter but also feel bigger, too. Our Maine pendant in glass is also ideal for this clever design trick and looks stunning both day and night.
Have fun with your kitchen lighting. So long as you have sufficient task lighting in work areas such as the cooker, oven and hob, worksurfaces and sink, there are no hard and fast rules. Add a table lamp to the worktop, shelving unit or dresser for an ambient glow or a floor lamp next to a chair for reading.
