With the onset of winter, it can get pretty dark, dreary and cold during the winter months.

When designing our homes it is important to consider the purpose of the room and what lighting may be required to support those activities.  Generally a room will require a mixture of light sources to achieve the right ambience and ensure that tasks performed have the correct lighting.

From June through to August (in the Southern hemisphere), we spend more time indoors so I thought I’d share some ideas on how to cleverly use lighting to illuminate and brighten your home in winter. 


1. Go for a multi layered look. Include a mixture of ceiling mounted, floor lamps, table lamps and even wall lights. 

2. When using overhead lighting, glare can be distracting, fit a dimmer switch to allow greater control.  

3. Pendant lights have become a popular decorating element in a room.  When selecting  a design carefully take into consideration their scale and placement. Be careful when placing your pendant light over free standing furniture i.e., a dining table.  If you decide to rearrange the room, a pendant is difficult and expensive to move. Consider hanging it in a corner instead.

4. Regarding table lamps, look at the shape, size and colour of the lamp and shade, but also ensure that it will supply adequate illumination for the task at hand.

5. Uplights bounce light off the ceiling and provide good background lighting.  They are particularly useful to highlight plants or feature pieces.

6. The colour of the light emitted from a globe can change the way curtains, furniture and wall finishes appear.  Where possible always look at samples in the light that it will be viewed in.

7. For any built in joinery, say under an overhead cupboard in your kitchen or living room storage, consider installing an LED strip. This will give you a softer glow in the room and provide area specific task lighting.

8. Downlights have come a long way, with LED energy efficient lights now available. They last longer, are more efficient and have come down in price to be comparable to the halogen variety.

9. To add atmosphere to a room, you can’t beat candles. Look for a new take on an old classic - the Flameless LED candles.  They look like the real thing without the mess!


Tania Bell is the interior decoration & design expert behind Green Room Interiors. She will take your hand and lead you through the re-decoration maze. Together we will arrive at the interior space of your dreams. Join us on facebook to gain more interior design hints and tips. Servicing all the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, as well as the Dandenong ranges.

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