How to use bold, artistic lighting to add style to your home

Lighting treatments can be a striking way to give a room distinct style and a strong focal point. Discover how you can create powerful lighting design at home

How to use bold lighting design to add style to your home

Over the past few years lighting treatments have stepped out from the shadows, so to speak, to become the star attraction of a room. Once supporting players in a design concept, lights have become a talking point, setting the mood of a room and supplying the wow factor.

1. Lighting now plays an artistic role

It’s not just a central light fixture that’s grabbing attention, everything from table lamps to floor lamps are sharing the lime light and in many cases can be regarded as functional art.

Bold and striking designs are very much on trend with many having a personalised rather than mass produced feel. Although “industrial” overtones are still popular, these have a more handcrafted or sophisticated slant.

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2. Create unusual lighting arrangements

An element of surprise is key to the success of many lighting arrangements. Lighting styles used in unusual places, such as an elaborate fitting in the corner of a bathroom, or a pair of oversized light fittings in the centre of a seating area, grab attention.

3. Control the brightness

Ambient light can be a very successful way to literally brighten a dull corner of a room. A string of pendant lights descending down a wall, or an eye-catching floor lamp, can pack a powerful punch without taking up too much space or making a room feel cluttered.

One must-do when installing lighting is to fit a dimmer-switch so that you can adjust brightness to create the particular mood you want. This is especially important if using LEDs with their harsher quality of light.

Scroll to see how to add style to your home with this gallery of inspiring lighting