Lighting Buying Guide
A room rarely needs just one type of light. Most spaces work best with a combination, general illumination to move around safely, focused light for specific tasks, and accent light to draw the eye to a particular feature. Getting this combination right has more influence on how a finished room feels than almost any other single design decision.
Types of lighting
- Pendant lights add both focus and style to kitchens, dining areas and entryways, and are available across industrial-inspired metal designs through to glass and fabric forms. Café Lighting's pendant range is a common choice where the fixture itself is intended to be a visual feature, not just a light source
- Ceiling lights in flush-mount and semi-flush-mount formats from brands like Eglo and Telbix, suit general lighting needs in living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens, and are a practical option in rooms with lower ceiling heights where a pendant would sit too low
- Downlights recess into the ceiling for discreet, even illumination, well suited to kitchens, bathrooms and hallways where a low-profile light source is preferred over a hanging fixture. Martec's downlight range is commonly chosen for its combination of energy efficiency and a clean, unobtrusive appearance
- Wall lights add soft, ambient light to hallways, living rooms and bedrooms, and range from minimalist to more ornate designs depending on the room's overall style. Brilliant's wall light range includes both indoor and outdoor options, useful for carrying a consistent fixture style from inside the home to an outdoor entertaining area
- Spotlights direct light exactly where it's needed, whether that's onto artwork, an architectural feature, or a specific work area. Telbix's spotlight range includes adjustable heads suited to both indoor and outdoor use
- Exterior lighting including wall lights and floodlights adds both visibility and street appeal to a garden, patio or entryway. Martec's exterior range is built from weather-resistant materials suited to Australian outdoor conditions
Light layering: designing with more than one light source
Light layering is the practice of combining different light sources within a room, rather than relying on a single overhead fixture, to create depth, shadow and visual interest as well as practical illumination. There are three layers worth planning for in most rooms:
Ambient lighting is the base layer, providing overall illumination for safe movement and general visibility. It's typically delivered through ceiling-mounted fixtures or a ring of downlights around the perimeter of a room.
Task lighting provides focused light for a specific activity, reading, food preparation, grooming or close work, and needs to be bright enough to avoid glare or shadow falling across the task itself.
Accent lighting adds visual interest rather than raw brightness, drawing the eye toward artwork, a feature wall, or an architectural detail such as a splashback or open shelving.
A well-planned room typically uses all three layers together, rather than relying on ambient lighting alone to do every job.
Planning a kitchen lighting layout
A kitchen is one of the most heavily used rooms in a home, and it benefits from a considered, layered lighting plan rather than a single ceiling fixture.
For the ambient layer, downlights positioned around the room's perimeter, or a central ceiling-mounted fixture, provide the room's baseline illumination.
For the task layer, a row of pendant lights or a track lighting system positioned over an island bench gives focused light for food preparation, and under-cabinet strip lighting extends this task light directly onto the benchtop's main work areas.
For the accent layer, strip lighting installed under benchtops or within cabinetry can highlight a splashback or the contents of open shelving and glass-fronted cabinets, adding depth to the room after dark.
Choosing lighting for a room's design style
Matching fixture style to the room's overall design keeps the lighting feeling considered rather than incidental. Minimalist, streamlined fixtures from Martec or Eglo suit modern interiors, where a fixture's clean lines are meant to blend into the architecture rather than stand apart from it. Café Lighting's more ornate pendant designs suit classic or vintage-inspired interiors, where the fixture is intended to read as a feature piece in its own right.
Lighting temperature and brightness
Colour temperature, measured in kelvin (K), has a significant effect on how a room feels. Warm light, in the 2700K-3000K range, creates a cosier, more relaxed atmosphere and suits bedrooms and living rooms. Cooler light, in the 4000K-5000K range, gives more clarity and is better suited to task-focused spaces like kitchens and bathrooms, where accurate colour rendering and reduced eye strain matter more than ambience.
How do I choose the right lighting for each room?
Start with how the room is actually used. Kitchens generally need bright, task-oriented lighting such as downlights or spotlights over key work areas. Living rooms benefit from layered lighting, combining ceiling lights with wall lights and accent lighting, since these rooms are used for a wider range of activities throughout the day.
Are LED lights more energy efficient?
Yes. LED lighting uses significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs for a comparable level of brightness, which reduces both electricity costs and environmental impact over the life of the fixture. Brilliant and Martec both offer LED options across their ranges.
Can I use indoor lights outdoors?
No, not without checking the fixture is rated for outdoor use. Outdoor lighting needs to withstand rain, UV exposure and temperature changes that an indoor fixture isn't built for. This collection's exterior lighting range is specifically designed and weather-rated for gardens, patios and entryways.
Completing the room
Lighting works best when it's planned alongside the rest of a room's fixed elements, tiles, cabinetry, and benchtop finishes, rather than chosen last. The Blue Space's Tiles and Cabinet Handles collections are worth reviewing at the same time as a lighting plan, so the finishes and fixtures across the room read as one considered scheme rather than separate decisions made in isolation.
