The secret to a beautiful home lies deeper than just the furniture. The right lighting can completely transform your space, making your interiors shine both literally and figuratively. From cosy bedroom lamps to statement chandeliers, this guide covers everything you need to know about home lighting ideas and how to choose the best lights for every room. Learn about the different types of lighting fixtures and light bulbs, along with expert tips to help you create the perfect mood throughout your home.
What are the types of home lighting?
When choosing lighting for your home, it’s important to consider the various types of lighting effects and how they can be used to create a visually appealing and balanced, yet functional, space.
What is ambient lighting?
Ambient lighting (arguably the most important lighting effect) provides your room’s overall illumination. It’s often cosy, soft and natural, creating a welcoming environment for relaxation. Examples of ambient lighting include ceiling lights, chandeliers and pendant lights.
What is task lighting?
Task lighting has one main purpose: to help you see what you’re doing. It’s often the brightest of the three types and provides focused light to help you read, cook and work. It’s necessary to reduce eye strain and help you see clearly while completing detailed tasks. Examples of task lighting include table lamps and under-cabinet kitchen lights to help you chop vegetables without shadows.
What is accent lighting?
Accent lighting is perfect for highlighting wall art, sculptures or shelves. It’s also great at drawing attention to parts of your home you’d like to showcase, such as furniture pieces and architectural details. It’s often seen as a ‘finishing touch’ and can add depth, drama and dimension to your room. Examples of accent lighting include wall lights, spotlights and floor lamps angled towards walls.
Home lighting ideas for each room
We spend so much time decorating and personalising every room in our home to reflect our style, so it’s only right that the lighting gets the same attention. From bright, practical lighting in the kitchen to soft, relaxing tones in the bedroom, every space has its own lighting needs. Try to see these differences as opportunities to create different atmospheres and make every room interesting and unique. Here are some home lighting ideas for each room to help you get started.
Living room lighting ideas
Your living room is a place for you to socialise, relax and unwind, so you’ll want to choose lights that adapt easily to different moods and moments. Start with a ceiling light for general brightness, then layer in floor lamps to highlight furniture or artwork. For a softer evening glow, add warm wall lights or a dimmable table lamp to create a cosy atmosphere. If you love to watch shows of an evening, choose a ceiling light that produces minimal glare on the screen.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out our living room décor ideas.
Kitchen lighting tips
Kitchens need clear, bright lighting to ensure good visibility while cooking and preparing food. Pair cool-toned ceiling lights with focused, under-cabinet lighting to eliminate shadows from chopping boards and worktops. If your kitchen gets steamy while you cook, a ceiling fan light can help circulate the air and keep the room bright.
Dining room lighting inspiration
Create ambience in your dining room with a statement chandelier or pendant light above your dinner table, complemented by soft wall lights around the perimeter. We recommend using warm bulbs to create a golden glow that brings depth, warmth and intimacy to your dining space.
Bedroom lighting ideas
Your bedroom is where you relax and unwind, so opt for gentle lighting, rather than harsh, bright lights. Start with ambient light from a ceiling fixture for general brightness, then layer bedside lamps or wall lights to add warmth. Lamp shades and dimmable lamps help diffuse light softly, and a conveniently placed bedside switch saves you from fumbling across the room. If you like to curl up in bed with a book, a cool, focused table lamp with a nearby switch is perfect for reducing eye strain without flooding the room with light.
Best bathroom lighting options
Good bathroom lighting is bright enough for daily routines, while still maintaining a relaxing atmosphere. Ceiling and wall lights together provide full, even coverage, and can be used to reduce shadows around mirrors. Always check your lights are at least IP44-rated to protect against steam and splashes and keep you and your family safe.
Lighting for your home office
A well-lit home office can make all the difference when it comes to being comfortable and staying focused, especially when working from home. Opt for a bright ceiling light to illuminate the room, then add a cool-toned table lamp to your desk for detailed work or reading.
Are you redesigning your workspace? Explore our range of office desks and office chairs to complete the look, or check out our home office furniture guide!
Hallway and staircase lighting ideas
Hallways and staircases tend to be quite narrow, so wall lights and ceiling lights are perfect for saving on space while keeping the area well-lit. Be sure to install two-way switches so you can control the lighting from either end.
Accent lighting can also be used to highlight artwork or architectural details, turning your walkway into a mini gallery.
Outdoor and garden lighting inspiration
Outdoor and garden lighting can transform your garden into a stylish escape, while also improving security and visibility after dark. Choose durable, weather-resistant lighting options like wall lamps, post lights or motion-sensor spotlights to illuminate driveways and garden paths.
Choosing the best light bulb for your home
When choosing lighting for our homes, we often spend time carefully selecting the perfect style, shape, and colour to suit each space. But after all that thought, it’s easy to overlook the most important part: the light bulb itself. It’s the bulb that produces the light, so choosing the right one is just as essential as picking the fixture. Here are some things to consider when picking out the perfect light bulb to complete your home décor.
What colour temperature light bulbs do I need?
The colour temperature of your bulbs, measured in Kelvins, can completely shift the energy of a room. Lower numbers give off a warmer, cosier glow, which can be great for winding down. Higher numbers create crisp, clear light that’s ideal for seeing clearly and staying focused and alert. Here's how to pick the right one for each space.
Warm light bulbs (1800K-2700K)
Warm white bulbs between 1800K and 2700K create a soft, amber glow that’s ideal for making a room feel cosy. They’re perfect for living room and bedroom lighting, where comfort and relaxation are key. They’re also great for hallways, maintaining ambience while providing soft light. An 1800K light bulb would be perfect for a softly lit hallway or entranceway, offering just enough light to guide the way while keeping the atmosphere relaxed. If you’re still looking for warmth, but need a little more visibility, a 2700K light bulb is the perfect choice.
Neutral (3000K-3500K) and dimmable light bulbs
This mid-range temperature offers a balance between warm and cool tones, making it a versatile choice. It’s bright enough for enhanced visibility without feeling too harsh. Because of this, it’s a great choice for dining rooms, lounges, staircases and bathrooms.
Cool & crisp (4000K and above)
Cool white bulbs provide strong, clear light that’s ideal for kitchens and home offices, where visibility and focus are key. They can shift the tone from cosy to professional.
What's the difference between lumens and kelvins for light bulbs?
Many people often confuse the brightness and temperature of a light bulb. The colour temperature refers to how warm or cold (orange or white) the bulb shines and is measured in Kelvins. The brightness of a bulb, measured in Lumens, simply refers to the intensity of the light it emits. For example, a bulb with a high Kelvin number and low Lumen number would be a cool white light, but not very intense and bright.
Understanding LED bulbs: what they are why they matter
LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs have become the top choice for household lighting, overtaking incandescent bulbs in recent years. Instead of heating a metal filament until it glows, LEDs use a semiconductor that efficiently converts electricity into light. This uses 80% less electricity than traditional light bulbs, as energy isn’t wasted (dissipated as heat), making them cheaper to run and more energy-efficient. Their lengthy 25,000+ hour lifespan results in fewer replacement bulbs and, ultimately, less pollution.
What light bulb do I need for my light fitting?
When buying a light fixture, you need to make sure you buy a matching bulb that fits. If your light already comes with a bulb, simply remove it and check the label to see what type it is. If your light fixture arrives without a bulb, you can find the bulb requirements in the instruction manual. The most common light bulb fitting types include the E27 and B22. ‘E’ stands for Edison Screw, which is a standard screw-in bulb. The number ‘27’ references its 27mm diameter. ‘B’ indicates the Bayonet Cap, which is a twist and lock bulb that’s available most commonly as B22 and B15.
Lighting FAQs: Expert answers to common questions
How high should I hang a pendant light over a dining table?
Ideally, pendant ceiling lights should be around 75-90cm above the surface of your table. This allows for the light to be evenly distributed across your table, while preventing glare and ensuring visibility.
What is the difference between watts and lumens?
Lumens measure a bulb’s brightness - the higher the lumen rating, the brighter the bulb shines. Wattage, measured in Watts, refers to how much power a bulb needs to run; the higher the wattage, the more energy a bulb needs to produce light. Bulbs with higher wattage, like incandescent bulbs, use more power and are therefore less efficient than lower wattage bulbs, like LEDs.
What does “dimmable” mean and how do I know if my bulb is compatible?
A dimmable light bulb allows you to change the brightness of the bulbs in your home. When paired with a dimmer switch, it allows for more creative control and customisation of your interior. You can brightly illuminate your living room during the day, allowing you to focus and get things done, then dim the lights to a soft glow, allowing you to unwind and relax of an evening. Not all light bulbs have this feature, so be sure to check before purchasing.
What is the best lighting for small spaces?
The right lighting can completely transform how your room looks and feels. Poorly lit spaces with harsh shadows, dark corners and no natural light can feel stuffy and uninviting, so it’s important to take the time to plan out the lighting of your room. We recommend using multiple lights, like wall light and floor lamps, to highlight walls and the corners of your room, rather than just one central light. This eliminates shadows and spreads light more evenly, creating the illusion of a more open space.
Why does my light bulb flicker?
The most common reasons for flickering light bulbs are incompatible dimmer switches, inconsistent power supply, faulty bulbs and wiring problems. To figure out what’s wrong, start by turning off and unscrewing, then securely tightening your light bulb – if it stops flickering, it was likely not secured tightly enough. If this doesn’t work, check that your bulb is compatible with your switch, as some old-style dimmer switches won’t work properly with LED bulbs.
If several light bulbs in your home are flickering, this could be due to voltage fluctuations or an issue with your wiring. If this is the case, we recommend consulting a qualified electrician.
Final Thoughts: Brighten your home, your way
Whether you want a bold, statement ceiling pendant or a sleek, modern floor lamp, we’ve got you covered here at Fishpools. Browse our full lighting range online or visit our Waltham Cross showroom explore our collection in person. We promise to deliver on quality and luxury, helping you achieve your dream home.
