If you are building a new home, do you know where to start when it comes to lighting?

This can be a daunting task. Many people leave the lighting plan to their electrician. This is fine, but I do think getting an interior designer/lighting consultant in at an early stage to work with your electrician is so beneficial.

When building a new home, it is important to create your lighting plan at or before your ‘first fix’ stage. What is first fix you may ask? First fix is everything that happens before your builder plasters or tiles your walls. By hiring a professional to help you with your lighting plan, it will save you time and money in the long run.

Design-led approach

I, as a designer, start at the front door and ask clients what they are putting in each area of the property. I go through room by room and discuss their needs. On the plans, I will draw in where I think light sources should be added; be it pendants, task lighting, chandeliers, recessed lighting, wall lights, floor lights, or LED lights.

I avoid overlapping of fixtures and ensure the lighting is spread evenly throughout the space, thus avoiding dark shadows in corners.

There are three basic types of light sources that act as the foundation to any interior setting. These are:

1 Ambient lighting: This refers to a room’s overall light or illumination. This is your light switch in a room. Natural light coming into a room also comes under the ambient lighting heading, which can be brought in through a window, skylight, or glass doors.

2 Task lighting: This is used daily for focussed activities like studying, shaving, applying make-up, etc. It can also be used to make a room look nicer and create an area of interest. When deciding what task lighting you need, think about what each space is used for. Popular task lighting would be:

  • Under cabinet lights in your kitchen.
  • Pendant lights over a kitchen island.
  • Table lamps by a sofa/desk lamps.
  • Lights beside your bed.
  • Bathroom mirror.
  • Floor lamps – these can be adjustable.

  • 3 Accent lighting: This is used mainly for decorative/aesthetic purposes in interior design. It helps draw your eye’s attention to specific areas in a room – for example, photographs or art. Popular accent lighting includes pendants, led strips, and floor lamps.

    Cork-based interior designer Maura Mackey.

    Perfect light plan

    I recommend taking these steps when planning the perfect light plan for your home:

  • Put a budget in place.
  • Figure out what style of lighting you like – have a look online or on Pinterest for ideas.
  • Layer your lighting. Don’t just have one pendant in each room. Think about the space, who is using the space, how you want to feel in that space, how much natural light will be coming into that room, and what way your house is facing.
  • What do you need in each room? For example, in a kitchen you will want lights over your island, task lighting around cabinetry and food prep areas, LED lighting, mood lighting over your dining table and extra sockets for lamps if required.
  • Get your room measurements right – this will impact the lighting needed.
  • Don’t be afraid to get creative with your light plan.
  • Stay educated about any new lighting technology.

    • The lighting plan for your new home is just as important as all the other plans. Your home can be completely transformed by carefully selecting a range of different light sources.

    Before you start your new build, please consider this in your budget. CL

    Maura Mackey is an interior designer and home staging specialist based in Ballinhassig, Co Cork. For further information, visit www.mauramackeydesign.ie

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