Usually the first request I receive from my clients is to provide then with more space and light. These two factors come hand in hand. Opening up rooms by removing internal walls, or creating more space with new extensions will allow an increased flow of natural light; however, in most cases additional, better lighting is also required. Wherever possible, I try to create mood lighting which means different kinds of lighting options to suit the room's various functions. 

With today's open-plan living style it has become even more important to create different lighting zones within a space. When I first walk into a new client's home, I always look up to the ceilings and the corners of the rooms to see how many shadows are being created by their current lights. Pendant lights or spotlights (lights which are semi-flush to the ceiling but which can be angled to point in different directions) are the worst culprits. Shadows and darker areas of a room will always make it feel smaller, and, of course, are not ideal for working in.

One of my favourite solutions to this problem is to use LED downlights. These are small, round light fittings that fit into the veiling itself. My personal choice is for white light fittings as these blend more into the ceiling, but you can also get the in stainless steel or chrome. The idea with these lights is that they do not draw attention, they simply create bright and even light throughout the room and therefore remove most of the shadows. Because they are LED lights, they are perfectly safe to install in a ceiling and are energy efficient. Before installing them, always check you have enough of a void above the ceiling itself for them to be installed correctly. Also the correct number and their actual positioning can make all the difference. 

Once these main lights are sorted, it is time to get creative. In a kitchen there are many different lighting options, such as under-wall cabinet lights, or plinth lights that run around the plinth or kickboards of your kitchen cabinets. I prefer LED strip lighting here that is hidden under the pelmets or plinths, with the emphasis on the light that is created rather than the actual light fittings themselves. These are ideal in the evening when the work in the kitchen is done and you just want to pop back in to make supper or a cup of tea. Most extractor hoods also have their own lights and some extractors are even disguised as lights or chandeliers. Whilst these can look beautiful, you may want to consider how easy these would be to keep clean before you buy them, plus they are usually extremely expensive.In a bathroom, I love to create recessed shelves where possible, particularly within showers which provide wonderful in-build storage for all your bottles - with the correct bathroom lighting, these recesses can also be lit to provide a softer effect. I also usually use downlight extractors over showers or baths to create both good lighting and effective extraction at the same time - far nicer than an unsightly wall or ceiling extractor fan.

Besides effective lighting that is understated and that can blend into the room, there is also, of course, the lighting you want to draw attention to, that forms an integral part of the overall design itself. Sometimes then a lot of money is being invested in an interior project, these lights come fat down on the list, but they can really make a room into something special.In a kitchen, pendant lights over a bar, island or table are a key addition and I often use them to tie in an accent colour. They can be bright and bold, funky, and on-trend, or used to add elegance with a beautiful crystal pendant in a more traditional space. I love to use crystal throughout a home, as the lighting effect can be amazing - wonderful shards of light across the room. 

Where possible use a dimmer switch, so this can be finely adjusted. It is even possible to buy bathroom crystal lights which can look amazing in traditional-style bathrooms in period homes. Table lamps and floor standing lamps are also very important within a living space and can often act as a real design statement.It is always worth investing in good lighting. There are often deals to be had if you shop carefully and, once brought, good quality lights can last a lifetime.