Creative ways to use lighting you may not have thought of

We’re all familiar with the standard ways you can light your home – wall lamps, table lamps, floor lamps, ceiling pendants, spotlights and occasional or novelty lighting, such as fairylights. But there are plenty more ways to add layers of light to your home, giving a stylish and unique look.

For example, you’ll see in this lovely kitchen that there are overhead spotlights and an attractive feature pendant. However, notice the under cabinet lights, too, which do a great job of illuminating those smart wall tiles. Without the under cabinet lights, the tiles would be shadowy and not the standout feature they are here.

Read on for more lighting ideas!

Light up the floor

One of the many ways to transform your home using lighting is to focus on the lower level. Most lighting is mid-level or ceiling height, so adding lighting to the floor gives a whole new perspective. Spotlights along walkways and landings provide an exciting flightpath feel and you can dim them in the evening, which is a great way to light a path to the bathroom for families.

In stairways, if you have a wall mounted handrail, you could place LED strip lighting beneath it for a stylish and unexpected source of light, achieving a similar effect to this beautifully lit handrail.

In the kitchen, lighting underneath your floor cabinets is a great way to bring your kitchen to life. RS Electrical Supplies has a great range of Kitchen Plinth Lights here. They are LED lights that come in a range of colours, perfect for when you fancy a little kitchen disco!

Create a unique wall light installation

Would you ever consider bringing a contemporary art gallery feel to your home with a trendy wall light installation? Something like this can looking amazing and quirky in a hallway, living room or on any blank, boring wall to add an injection of colour and design. This kind of light feature really comes into its own in the evening, giving an edgy, club feel. A big trend at the moment is for neon lightboxes and wall signs. You could buy a ready made or bespoke neon design, but they are pricey. How about creating something unique and unusual with your own design using coloured light tubes? Something like this would look great in a teenager’s room too:

Spa lighting in the bathroom

We all yearn for a bathroom that helps us relax and unwind at the end of the day, so creating a spa-like environment is a popular design choice when remodelling a bathroom. One idea to incorporate for a natural feel is a tactile stone wall, which you can add atmospheric wall lights to. Downlighters and uplighters are excellent at highlighting the texture of a natural wall, but in a beautifully diffused way. With smart home technology you can adjust the light levels and even colours with smart light bulbs, creating an ambience to suit your particular mood.

Play with light outdoors

Who says we can only have fun with lighting inside the home? Outdoor lighting is a great way to extend your living space, making it more usable during the evenings, especially in the summer months. Garden lighting is as varied as indoor lighting these days. As well as typical wall lanterns and solar lights, you can find more unusual lighting options for example bollards or posts with lights, or wall downlighters in different colours. If you have some attractive plants in your garden that you can’t see at night, you could add ground lights to highlight them. As long as you have an outside power supply, the only limit with outdoor lighting is your imagination!

You could check out these garden lighting options for further inspiration and if you’re looking for your next home design project, why not make it about lighting.