How to light up your home

Lighting has one of the most fundamental impacts on your self build or renovation project. As well as maximising natural sunshine, you should aim to achieve an artificial lighting scheme that's practical, uplifting, warming and inspiring. That sounds like quite a big ask, but don’t be daunted; the best way to approach this element for your project is to channel your inner lighting designer.

That means don’t jump straight in with your lighting. Start by looking at the architecture and interior design. Think about the different spaces, how they’re going to work and how you want them to look and feel. Picture yourself living, working, relaxing in the house and you’ll get an idea of what illumination you’re going to need for practical purposes. Establish what the focal points should be and find those little details in your project that you’d love to highlight. That will help you think about how to add a bit of magic and ambience on top of your basic lighting needs.