Five Expert Lighting Tips to Battle the Winter Blues

The coming of winter can have a significant impact on our mood, motivation, and mental health. This is largely due to the decrease in daylight available to us during these months. You may have already noticed the days starting to feel shorter, and with the clocks turning back this October, we’ll be losing an hour of valuable natural light in the evenings. With our expert lighting tips, you’ll be able to keep your home bright and cosy throughout winter.

While the transition from autumn to winter can bring with it a rather dark and dreary atmosphere, it’s important for your home to feel the opposite. Choosing the right lighting can play a huge part in creating a cosy vibe in your home to keep the winter blues at bay.

Here are our five top lighting tips – featuring some of our exclusive October new arrivals – to fill your home with the warmth you’ll need to melt this winter’s icy chill.

1. Maximise natural light

First and foremost, nothing beats the positive impact that natural sunlight can have on your mood. A lack of sunlight can unfortunately lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition categorised by low mood, fatigue, and lack of motivation. Thus, it’s always a good idea to accentuate the natural light coming into your home for as long as possible before the sun goes down. It may seem obvious, but keeping your windowsill decor minimalistic will ensure that the space around your windows is clear of obstructions, allowing as much light in as possible.

A simple trick to maximise this light is placing mirrors on walls facing windows. This will refract the light that naturally filters in through the windows throughout the entire room, and can create an especially beautiful glow during golden hour. Large mirrors or mirrors with metallic details can be especially complementary for this purpose.

Furthermore, backlit mirrors are an excellent addition to any room as a multifunctional feature. While they aid in natural light refraction during the day, the backlighting will illuminate the room once the sun goes down, creating a warm atmosphere and an impressively dramatic focus all at once. The mirrors below feature LED lighting, allowing maximal customisation of lighting colours for your home.

Opting for glass accents – such as glass coffee tables or light fixtures – will serve a similar purpose as mirrors, offering refractive surfaces for sunlight to bounce off of that will make any room feel brighter and more spacious.

2. Warm it up

The colour temperature of the bulbs in your lighting can make a huge difference when it comes to setting the atmosphere in your interior. Colour temperature is measured in kelvins – the higher the number, the cooler the hue. For example, a 2000-3000K bulb will emit warmer, orange-toned light, while a 4000K bulb will emit cooler, blue-toned light that is generally brighter and more stimulating. Opting for warmer toned bulbs will create a cosier and more relaxing ambience in any room, and is generally more pleasant for the winter months. Not to mention, it provides a well-needed contrast to the drab greyness of winter.

However, lower kelvin bulbs tend to be better suited to smaller light fixtures, such as wall lights, floor lamps, and table lamps. These are excellent for ambient lighting, and will set a calming and inviting atmosphere in your home.

While higher kelvin bulbs are generally better suited for overhead lights such as chandeliers and pendant lights, harsh or cool-toned overhead lighting can make for a somewhat clinical and all-around slightly unpleasant atmosphere. When it comes to overhead lighting, it’s a good idea to play around with interesting aesthetics and eye-catching details, such as lampshades and coloured glass flourishes. Not only are these visually impressive, but they can help diffuse the light in a far softer way, so that you can light up the room while avoiding that uncomfortable hospital hallway feel.

As mentioned in our first tip, dimmable LED bulbs can be an excellent solution to any colour temperature needs you may have for your home’s lighting. The ability to easily dim or change the colour of the bulbs yourself makes for maximal customisation to suit your needs, whether you need cooler tones to stay awake and focused, or warmer tones to wind down and relax.

3. Experiment with levels

Leading on from our previous tip, utilising lighting at different levels of a room can be a great way to enhance the natural flow of space and create a more dynamic interior. Wall lights, floor lamps, and table lamps should be placed throughout the room at various heights to keep the entire room illuminated in a warm glow.

Pendant lights that feature a tiered effect are an excellent way of incorporating varied levels into your space. The variety of heights allows for light to be distributed up the walls to the ceiling, as well as downwards to light up each and every level of the room. Plus, they’re often far more visually interesting than regular pendant lights, making them a great option for both decorative and functional purposes.

4. Don’t cut corners

Be sure not to make the mistake of neglecting the corners of the room. Keeping the corners bright can help a room feel larger and more spacious. Floor lamps with interesting details can also serve a decorative purpose while they keep the darkness at bay.

Investing in a unique table lamp to decorate a side table in the corner of your space is another excellent way of keeping the corners of the room bright while creating a more dynamic interior. Filling the corners of the room can make for a far cosier space for you to relax into – and cosiness is an essential factor in prepping your home for the harsh winter months.

5. Utilise outdoor lighting

Last but certainly not least, never underestimate the impact of adequate outdoor lighting. The cold weather at this time of year shouldn’t mean that you have to sacrifice enjoying your outdoor space. Brightening your home’s exterior by placing interesting light fixtures in your front or back garden will not only elevate the overall aesthetic of your home, but is also sure to impress any guests you may have. Here are our top picks for outdoor lighting that will make your home’s exterior feel a little less frosty this winter.

Bonus lighting tip – candles for cosiness!

Adding candles is a foolproof way of creating a cosy atmosphere in your home. It’s a tried and true method, and for good reason. The greatness of candles is threefold; they provide light, warmth, and can be a form of aromatherapy that will up the relaxation factor of your space.

Candles are an excellent way of curating intentional clutter – for example, placing scented candles on a windowsill or a bedside table will make any other decor in that space look effortlessly put together.

Inspired by our luxury lighting tips?

If you’re looking to curate a cosy atmosphere in your home, we are always more than happy to help. All of our exclusive pieces can be fully customised and made bespoke to suit your personal needs. We encourage you to contact us or visit our Chelsea showroom, where we are more than happy to help you find what you’re looking for. We are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Please note that Saturdays are by appointment only.

Alternatively, you can learn the skills to create your own luxury interior with our Online Interior Design Course. We provide all the tools you need to gain a boast-worthy new life skill. Join our waiting list and weekly newsletter to be the first to hear about future courses!