The Importance of a Good Lighting Plan

Gloomy, dimly lit corners or a house so full of spot lights, that it resembles an airport. These are two scenarios you can be left with when lighting is ill conceived or poorly thought out during your renovation. Clients often bring me on board towards the end of a building project and I find that lighting options can be limited, if it has been a neglected consideration up to that point.

When to do your lighting plan

It is really important to make a lighting plan as soon as you have a floor plan, as it is messy and expensive to change the lighting at a later stage.

Image Credit Devol Kitchens

The ‘first fix’ electrics is when the cables, back boxes and hidden wiring are installed before the finishes such as plastering, tiling and flooring. The amount and position of the lights should be decided before this happens. This includes recessed lights, wall lights, hanging pendants and chandeliers and any other accent lights such as on shelving. These decisions should not be made on the spot when the electrician is standing in front of you, ready to get to work.

Image Credit Soho Home

What to ask when making a lighting plan

 

If it is a renovation rather than a new build, many of the points will remain the same, but if you stop to think, you may realise that some changes would really help the functionality and ambiance of your home. You may realise that you have artwork that you would like to highlight with a picture light, or that your book shelves would look amazing with accent lighting.

The type of questions I ask my clients when doing a lighting plan include: Do you want to be able to turn off the overhead light in your bedroom while lying in bed as well as when you enter the room? Do you have a particular nook that you use for reading? Do you want to be able to read in bed without disturbing your partner? Are there particular lights you want to be dimmable? What size is your dining table? What size bed do you have? What sort of mood do you want in each room? Does any room have multiple functions such as home office by day and snug in the evening? Do you want a sensor light in the pantry/ cupboards/ wardrobes? Do you want lights above or on either side of your bathroom mirror or an LED illuminated mirror? Do you need extra sockets for floor or table lamps?

Don’t forget your switches

It’s also really important to decide the location and order of the switches and which ones you want to be dimmable. I have been living with hallway switches that are the wrong way around for the last ten years and it bothers me. A walk through the property, deciding switch by switch, light by light and getting the plan down on paper, is the only way to make sure that the electrician will know exactly what to do.  It will also be much easier to tot up the amount and types of switches and lights to buy.

The electrician will not be a mind reader and there is no guarantee that anything you write on the frames or the walls will still be there when he comes to do the first fix. Electricians do not appreciate changes when they are mid-way though the first fix, and once the walls have been plastered and finished, you are very unlikely to want to consider the headache of any change.

Image Credit The Soho Lighting Company

And finally….

A home renovation can be a stressful process and you can feel like the builders are firing questions at you every day and awaiting your decisions. A good lighting plan is a critical and allows you to stay ahead of the game, being proactive rather than reactive with your decision making. It doesn’t need to break the bank or add further stress. In fact it will likely save you money and regret in the long term.

If you would like help with your lighting plan, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I will walk through your property with you, asking all of those questions to prompt you to think about what you really want from your lighting and of course offering suggestions and advice. I will then draw up your plan, meet your electrician onsite and walk through with him to make sure that you get lighting that harmonises functionality, atmosphere and your unique vision.