The Home Series: Bring to Light

Words: Karen Tennent | Photography: Inge Prins

There are few places more personal than your home. Not only is it a site of security and comfort that you return to at the end of each day, it is a physical representation of your style – a coming together of pieces both old and new that speak to your essence as an individual.

In the Home Series, we show you how to build on that aesthetic with contemporary additions imbued with timelessness and versatile appeal. Part one saw us discuss the importance of foundational furnishings such as seating, storage and rugs. Part two took a deeper look at how tables anchor a space and part three explored a matchmaker’s guide to finding your perfect chair. Now we turn our attention to lighting and the way it can be used for functional purposes while simultaneously creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere in your home.

Although statement furniture, bold wallpaper and rich paint colours tend to immediately grab people’s attention, an often overlooked decor element is how a room is lit. Most interiors feature standard overhead lighting which, while practical, can be quite harsh on the eye – especially when fitted with blue-tinged fluorescent bulbs that cannot be dimmed. An easy way to counteract this is by introducing levels of light via various sources. Not only does this affect the mood of an interior, but also its functionality. We look at three types of lighting and how you can use different fixtures to enhance your space.

Regardless of the sort of ambient lighting that you have in your home, some tasks require more direct illumination than standard ceiling lights can provide. (If you’ve ever struggled to read in a dimly lit room, you’ll know what I mean.) This is where task lighting comes in. From low-hanging pendants positioned over a kitchen counter to a traditional desk lamp casting its glow over a dark surface, this functional lighting comes in various shapes and sizes. Choose your fixtures according to the space they will be used and consider directional fittings that can be positioned to best suit your needs.

All homes have features that we would like highlighted more than others, be it an alcove, a piece of furniture, artwork or a pressed ceiling. Accent lighting can be used to direct the eye to such areas in a subtle yet intentional way, guiding your visitors on a visual journey throughout your home. The easiest and least-obtrusive way to do this is with neutral, minimalist light fixtures that make people notice the object you're lighting instead of the light itself. These can take the form of two lamps positioned on either side of a mantel, a sconce uplighting an artwork from below or a standing lamp illuminating a plinth from above.

The wonderful thing about lighting is that it is not only a necessary and practical addition to your home, but can be a unique design element all on its own. Thanks to the emergence of new sustainable technologies and the increased use of LED bulbs, lighting has evolved dramatically over the past few years, resulting in an array of decorative fixtures that suit any style or space. Instead of crystal-adorned chandeliers and heavy, ornate lamps, there’s been a move to more streamlined, modern designs, with molecular globes, graphic silhouettes and mixed materials coming out on top.