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Adding SOUL to your New Build (part 4)

Welcome to the fourth part of my mini series to inspire you to bring interest, depth and SOUL to your typical white new build home.

So far we’ve covered Storage, Texture and Colour, so if you’ve missed these,click the button to catch up.

Read Parts 1, 2 or 3

And in this part 4, I’m bringing life and light to your home to add warmth and atmosphere.

Just like colour, the importance in using good lighting in interior design could fill and entire in depth book. It’s a vital pillar in the interior-designer’s handbook, for each and every space.

But when you buy a new build, the grid of kitchen ceiling spotlights and single plastic downlights in the lounge, feel particularly lack lustre…and require immediate attention. Good lighting is one of the keys of interior design and without it, your colour washing will fall flat and your carefully curated artwork will be missed.

Here’s how we fix it:

Highlighting artwork is just one way to create interesting layers of light.
  1. Start by changing all spotlight bulbs to warm white – or natural white…but NEVER, EVER cool white. Its migraine inducing and deeply unflattering to our skintones and to our fabrics.
  2. Upgrade the sad plastic pendant light to new elegant fittings over dining tables, beds and staircases – choosing pieces you really, really LOVE. Find whatever makes your heart sing, but make it BIG. Don’t be shy with this – go big or go home.
Ceiling pendants are born to be beautiful, so make your heart sing with structure, texture or shape
  1. Add extra layers of light wherever you can. Table lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps, reading lamps…don’t let a dark corner miss out. Hide an extension lead if there is no nearby socket or search ‘battery touch lamps’ and you’ll find a whole world of no-plug-in lamps available – some really beautiful pieces are on the market now and make the perfect finishing touches to a kitchen counter.
  2. Wall lights are the layer of magic fairy dust your home needs. Add them over mirrors to bounce extra light when needed, angle them towards artwork to highlight colours and textures, and use sconces to add a gentle glow up the stairs or in an entryway.
Wall lights add magic, so let them highlight artwork, wall texture or any dull corner
  1. Avoid the mess of wiring – especially in a new build when your walls are most likely neat and smooth. Opting for battery powered wall lights is one of my latest favourite solutions. They often have colour light control from warm to cool (always choose warm!) and can be recharged with USB cables.  A really excellent idea way to add cosy pools of light around your home without hard wiring…and they are improving with new styles all the time.
  2. When choosing lighting for all your rooms, try to pick a similar element you can trickle through each space, creating more cohesion from room to room. This could be the colour of the fitting (wood, rattan, glass, metal) the tone of metal (bronze, brushed brass, black or nickel) or the shape (curvy, rounded pendants or slim, tall pendants). Adding repetition around your home with lighting fittings is a subtle but sophisticated interior design trick you’ll use time and time again.
Stick to similar metal tones, shapes or materials for your light fittings around your home for a cohesive style

Lighting is the one step you should not miss when it comes to updating your home…so make an impact by thinking through fittings, style and proportion.

And having a new build home, is even more reason to add more light, to highlight your favourite things and bring soul into your home.

This room features some beautiful lighting features. Click to explore the whole project

Enjoyed this blog?  Come back for the final part 5 in this New Build mini series…coming soon!

Enjoyed this blog? Click to read more