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Puting a new light in your life

Nature is brilliant at varying the light with the seasons.

It varies from sombre, muted glows of winter, through the contrasting light-and-shades of summer to perhaps its most effective: the mellow, subtle levels of autumn.

You can match the mood of the year just as easily in your home with careful and imaginative use of lighting.

It is not widely realised that lighting effects can transform a house far more cheaply than a complete redecoration, say the Lighting Association.

Lighting offers tremendous flexibility - no two evenings in your front room need present quite the same atmosphere.

Spotlights, uplights, downlights, table lamps, pendants - there's a vast number of ways to ring the changes.

Every room in the house benefits from imaginative lighting - and low voltage halogen and compact fluorescent bulbs add to possible combinations.

The living room has to perform a multi-function role, so versatile light sources are essential. Dimmer switches, too, are invaluable.

Downlighters create shadowy areas which can make a room look more cosy and intimate.

Subdued background illumination can also help protect against eye strain, which opticians warn can result from watching television in the dark. This can be achieved with "wall-wash" lighting.

By contrast the kitchen should be shadow-free yet many suffer from having only a central light source.

Good lighting can eradicate the dangers of working with sharp utensils in your own gloomy shadow.

Bedrooms offer wide scope for discreet lighting effects, often with opportunities to create effective glows by reflecting light off large mirrors. Uplighters are also ideal for bouncing light off surfaces.
