Light does the heavy lifting: the same room feels twice as expensive with layered circuits and half the fittings of a flat, over-lit box.
Five circuits, three layers
Every room we plan gets ambient light for moving around, task light for reading and cooking, and accent light for art and texture. Across those layers, five separately switched circuits let you compose scenes: bright morning, working day, dinner party, film night, all-off.
Put light where the eye rests
Wash the chimney breast, graze the stone, pool light over the table — and leave corners gently dim. Contrast is what makes a room feel deep. A ceiling full of downlights aimed at the floor is the fastest way to flatten everything.
“Clients remember how a room felt at 8pm. Nobody remembers a downlight layout.”
Warmth is a setting, not a bulb
Specify 2700K for living spaces, dim-to-warm where budget allows, and keep bathrooms honest at 3000K for grooming. Then label every switch plate for the first month — guests should never play switch roulette.
- Dim everything living-roomIf it can’t dim, it doesn’t go in the lounge.
- Light the art separatelyPictures on their own circuit, on timers, at 30 degrees.
