Let there be light . . .

The tricky thing for a lighting designer is that if they do their job well then no one should even notice the lights.

"Lighting is all about ambience," says Aengus Scott, a professional lighting designer who has returned to Dublin after six years spent illuminating some of the most prestigious hotels and corporate headquarters in Malaysia. He has set up a company called Lighting Point, which designs and instals lighting plans for industrial and domestic clients. His latest commercial client is the Harry Ramsden chain of fish and chip shops which indicates how much lighting is a planned feature of every type of shop.

Lighting is one of the most important - and possibly the most neglected - element in any interior. Everyone has been to a restaurant where a badly-angled bright light makes you feel like you're at the dentist's or sat in the perfectly decorated livingroom spoiled by dark corners and gloomy shadows. "Lighting," says Aengus, "should enhance our environment." For example, candles are the perfect light source for diners in a restaurant, he says, because if they are at a 15 degree angle away from the face, they guarantee that the diners will look their best. On the other hand, if you're sitting under a downlighter beaming on the top of your head, your nose will be casting the most alarming dark shadows and every wrinkle will be highlighted.

In Malaysia, he concentrated on large-scale outdoor lighting projects, and he is pleased to see that more and more public buildings are being lit up. However, he stresses that especially on a commercial project, it is important for a lighting designer to get in at the plans stage so that lighting can be incorporated into other architectural features.

"There's nothing worse than seeing a big ugly light just stuck on to the side of a building," he says.

His service is entirely independent, which gives him the edge over going to a specialist lighting shop and getting them to design your lights. "A good lighting scheme will include several different types of lights, so being able to order from several different manufacturers means more choice for the client," he says. "And anyway, the range of lighting available over the counter here is so limited."

Lighting design is an unusual profession and Aengus Scott first discovered its possibilities when he was a pupil at Scoil Mhuire in Dublin . "They have a full theatre there complete with lights," he says, "so I spent my teenage years lighting shows and plays." After that he emigrated to the US, where he became an electrical contractor, and took specialist lighting design courses in UCLA, in California, before chasing the Asian tiger to Malaysia to set up Lighting Point. To date, his biggest residential commission was lighting two new houses built by Mark McInerney in Foxrock, Co Dublin, one of which was recently sold.

Aengus Scott's handiwork is instantly apparent, from the subtly designed light switches to the carefully positioned picture lights and spot lights.

He does have some smart lighting tips that can be applied in ordinary everyday houses, such as installing a dimmer switch if you have halogen downlighters. By dimming the bulbs by a mere 10 per cent you'll triple the life of your expensive bulbs. For what is probably the most difficult area to light, the conservatory, he advises very low level lights and a mixture of bulb colours. "If you light a plant with a strong white light, it often turns brown, which doesn't exactly look great," he says.

Aengus Scott can be contacted on 087 2207689.