How to brighten up an existing lighting scheme

Before calling in the electrician for a redesign, consider the following simple ways to refresh your existing lighting scheme. You can apply the same principles of good lighting without starting from scratch; simply updating your lampshades and light bulbs can make a remarkable enhancement with very little expenditure.

Firstly, ensure you are making the most of natural light during the daytime. Depending on the style of your property, you might have large modern windows which already funnel as much daylight as possible into your rooms. However, if you live in an older period property with small windows then you may need to make small changes to enhance the natural light in your home, consider using tiebacks for heavy weight curtains as this will greatly increase the natural light flow.  

Ceiling pendants, table and floor lamps provide not only essential lighting but a visual focus in each room; replacing your lampshades is a quick and effective way of improving your lighting scheme. Our recently expanded library of fabrics and colours offer a vast choice for all interiors, ranging from enduring neutrals to bold, statement colours.

The shape, size, material, colour and lining are all key to the purpose of a lampshade as well as its aesthetic. Choosing a shade that compliments your décor is important but ensuring that the light is directed in the way you intend is pivotal. Light coloured shades with a white lining will cast a relatively cool light as the bulb will transmit the colour of the shade. Opt for a gold or bronze metallic lining to create a soft, warm glow.

There are many shapes of lampshade available and each one has a different design purpose. Empire (or coolie) shades are popular as the conical shape pushes most of the light downwards, creating confined pools of light.

Drum lampshades allow the light to escape both upwards and downwards, contributing to ambient lighting as well as task lighting. Drum shades are ideal to show off a bespoke fabric or vibrant colour.

Finally, Tapered lampshades are a contemporary design that sit between drum and empire aesthetically. Light is predominantly directed downwards and also escapes out of the top.

Once you’ve decided on shape and size, click here to order our colour palette so you can compare fabrics and colours against your soft furnishings. Bespoke options are available if you desire a fabric or wall paper outside of our standard palette, all the information is on our bespoke page so all you need to do is get in touch.

Below is the David Hunt Lighting Odyssey table lamp, featured with Linwood Fabric’s Jungle Jive.

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