Lighting tricks

Your lighting scheme should be flexible enough to take you through from dawn to dusk, creating different atmospheres along the way.

Changing the lighting can alter the way a room looks, particularly the dimensions, just as much changing the colour of the walls.

To make your room appear larger

• Use wall washers on a large expanse of light coloured ceiling.
• Use uplighters to bounce light onto the ceiling and walls.
• Create panels of light at one end of the room - your eye will be pulled along towards it, making the space appear longer.
• Light all four corners of the room.

To make your room appear taller

• Use vertical light beams.
• Hang pendant lights low.

To make your room appear cosier

• Use several table lamps, singularly or in clusters, to create lots of little low pools of light in a large, high room.
• Don't allow light onto the ceiling.

For more on creating the illusion of space, using pattern and colour, try our interactive room.