Lighting - Innovations to Make Your Dwelling Shine

Many of us still remember the time when light fittings were simple- boringly so. Every room was gifted with the same standard bulb and cable arrangement, and lighting atmospherics were words you expected to hear on the weather forecast. Even with the addition of tasselled lightshades, the standard fitting just didn't cut it, in style terms. See lighting for inspiration. But we can forget that dull conformity, these days, because modern lighting has moved on, in leaps and bounds. The choice of lighting that the consumer has now is staggering. A dizzying array of lights and fitting types can be selected from. So it is possible to suit the particular lighting needs of each room, creating an ambience that is special and unique for each one. However, as is often the case, the wide range of choices has brought its own drawback- it can be quite tricky to know exactly what modern lighting effects to go for. But if you run through each of your rooms in turn, that bewildering array of lighting options can quickly be made to fit each one. The entrance hall is a good place to start, because that is where visitors get their first impression of your home. A bold statement can be made with a lit ceiling pendant- or even an unlit glass chandelier that catches the light. Interesting, different, but not too overwhelming – those are qualities you'll want from lighting here. Another area where drama is right is the dining room. Here you can spend much of your time entertaining guests, both family and friends. And nothing says splendour and beauty as much as a crystal chandelier. Of course, these need to be selected carefully, to fit the mood of your dining room dйcor. But with the range of colours and materials available these days, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Your living room should also have an interesting lighting feature, but subtlety works better here. One type of lighting that works well is recessed ceiling lights -especially if they are brightness adjustable. They can add an air of minimalist chic, and allow you to adjust the mood of the room according to whether you're entertaining, playing or relaxing. In the bathroom, shower room or toilet, hiding the lights with one or more ceiling lights is also a good option. With all the humidity present in these rooms, safety and practicality, for cleaning, makes flushed lighting the best bet. When it comes to your bedroom, it is tempting to go again for a big showy central piece, like a chandelier or artistic fashioned pendant. That can be great fun with the right supporting dйcor. But another approach is create multiple pools of light - using ceiling mounted spotlights. Because they can be tilted, and rotated, you can point them in any direction- and so create an interesting light and dark texture for your bedroom. And modern lighting doesn't stop in the kids' bedrooms- these days the sky is the limit when it comes to the wildly imaginative options available for your children. From footballs, and dinosaurs, to airplanes carrying twin bulbs as engines – or glowing pastel shaded caterpillars – there is very little in lighting fun that you can't excite you kid with.