Let there be light, but do it right

1

Standard wiring in a home will usually allow for a few sockets in a room to be used for free-standing lights and a central pendant light, but there is more that you can do with lighting. "The central pendant is the least helpful place to have a light fitting because you will usually be sitting with your back to the wall, so if you are reading a book the light will be in front of you, if you're watching the TV, it will be between you and the television, and if you're talking to someone, it will be between you and them," says Denis Casey of Rath Lighting Design. "The kitchen is the exception - here you stand with your back to the middle of the room, which is worse because you are standing between the light and whatever you are working on." However, in a room with a high ceiling a central pendant does provide good lighting - it just helps to have other sources of light as well. It is a good idea to have at least two different types of lighting in each room to increase your options.

2

If you are getting the house rewired, or are building or renovating a home, then you must consider lighting at the early stages and think about what you really want. Wiring in a house is generally divided into the "first fix" and "second fix." At the first fix stage the electrician comes in and fixes conduits (which contain wires) to walls, which the plasterer then covers. At this stage you should tell your contractor that you want your conduits chased into the walls (hidden in the walls) rather than on the surface and simply boxed over. At the second fix stage the electrician puts the fittings on. "You need to think about your lighting needs at the first fix stage," says Denis Casey. "Fixing a few more pieces of wire to the wall and adding some extra points won't cost much extra whereas changing sockets and adding light fittings after the plastering has been done is very expensive and disruptive." At the very least include some extra sockets as this will give you flexibility with free-standing lamps. You need to decide at the early stage whether you want wall lights as these need to be wired into the wall.

3

Look at the way in which the door swings open - it's not uncommon for switches to be placed behind the door, which leaves you grovelling in the dark, tackling a door and trying to locate the switch. Just inside the door is the best place to put a light switch.

4

Lighting designers (or architects and interior designers) will draw up what is known as a lighting plan, perhaps marked up on a set of architect's plans, showing where all the sockets should be placed and what type of lighting they want and where. At the very least you can draw a sketch of your rooms and indicate where the furniture will go so that you can have sockets to provide task lighting near sofas, chairs and beds, and so on.

5

The usual sockets in a room will be on a 13-amp circuit and, along with this, you can ask an electrician to put in a separate 5 amp circuit for the lighting - this gives higher protection against electric shocks. You can plug floor and table lamps into these sockets, which are smaller than normal sockets, so you can't mix the plugs up (you can buy 5-amp plugs in any electrical shop). All the sockets on this circuit can be wired to one panel by the door, so that you can switch the lights on from here.

6

Make sure you have as bright a lamp (as light bulbs are correctly known) as possible so that your dimmer options are increased. Lighting is great for creating different moods which is necessary now that each room in our homes can have different uses throughout the day and evening.

7

At the wiring stage you can also think about where you would like sockets, switches and other fittings. If you ask an electrician to wire in wall lights, you must say at what height you'd like all of them, otherwise you could end up with lights at an unsuitable height and even at different heights to each other in the same room! Traditionally, sockets have been placed low down on walls but you may want to consider placing them higher up - low sockets are at an awkward height for certain disabled and, sometimes, older people to negotiate. The same goes for light switches - can everyone use them easily ?

8

Regulations concerning bathrooms dictate that you can╣t have a switch which you can touch. This has traditionally meant that pull switches are used in these rooms although it is safer to have all switches outside the bathroom - if you are rewiring it's worth moving the switches. The exception may be lights above the mirror with a pull switch. Conversely, if your switch is outside your bedroom door you may want to have this moved inside.

9

Regulations regarding light fittings changed recently and they must comply with an electrical standard, known as an IP rating. The higher the IP rating, the more waterproof the fitting is (with some being suitable for use underwater, for instance on harbour walls). Bathrooms should have low-voltage fittings with a minimum IP of 23. Fittings with very high IP rating can be expensive but a fitting with an IP of 23 won't cost much more than a standard fitting. It is possible to seal in lights that aren't specifically for bathrooms, but it can be difficult to ensure that they are completely moisture proof and changing the lamp can be tricky.

10

A garden will be much more accessible at night-time if you fit lighting here. Ask your electrician to fit three circuits so you don╣t have to have all the lights on at the same time. You can have lighting in, say, the patio, lawn and flower beds. The standard underground cable comes with three circuits anyway so you╣re not asking a great deal of your electrician to request this (make sure your electrician uses a cable suitable for gardens which can't be pierced by spades and forks). Each circuit can be wired to a central switch.

11

At the second fix stage, when the electrician is adding the fittings to the wiring, you should consider whether you want standard switches, sockets etc, that are provided by the electrician or whether you want to choose your own fittings from a supplier .

12

When it comes to the lights themselves, there are still a lot of unexciting, "traditional-style" lights sold widely. Innovative lighting, because it is catering for a smaller market, is often (but not necessarily) more expensive. Specialist lighting suppliers include Rath Lighting and ECI, while outlets such as Enclosure, Inreda and Habitat sell contemporary lighting along with furniture ranges. In high street lighting stores perhaps look for something that is unfussy or, if you don't see anything you like, ask if the store has any catalogues you could look at. When looking through brochures check the industrial ranges, such as those by Thorn, with spun metal shades and bulk-head fittings (basic oval wall lights) which are meant for commercial premises but which can look good in homes.