Is it Worthwhile Hiring a Lighting Designer?

Q: I’m building a four bedroom home in Surrey, and my thoughts are now turning to the interiors. A friend and fellow self-builder employed a lighting designer for his project (which I have to say looks great), and suggested I do the same. However, before seeking one out I wondered what a lighting designer will actually do for my new home? When is it best to begin thinking about lighting design? And what should I expect to pay for the whole house — is it really worth the investment?

A: Lighting design is one of the most important – but also most overlooked – aspects of the interior design process. Lighting in the home can have a considerable impact for the following reasons:

• Lighting can transform a room’s atmosphere — just as theatre lighting transforms a stage. At the flick of a switch the mood can be changed from light and functional to subtle and atmospheric. Hot colours can be used to invigorate and stimulate; cool colours to sooth and calm.

• Lighting affects our perception of space. Small rooms can be made to feel larger, big rooms cosier. Lighting can also be used to make ceilings appear higher or lower.

• Just as good lighting can dramatically enhance a room, bad lighting can make an otherwise stunning room look drab, dreary and grey. It is important to get it right.

• Lighting can be used to obscure or highlight, and emphasise texture. It can highlight architectural features, furniture and artwork.

The importance of working with a lighting designer will depend to some extent on the complexity of the spaces in your home. If you have vaulted or sloped ceilings, beams, columns, recesses, voids or atriums, you will benefit from the help of an experienced lighting designer. But, even with comparatively simple spaces, they can still provide essential input as they have an unrivaled knowledge of lighting technology which they will use to ensure you have the best fittings in the best location.

It often happens that the lighting design is only considered towards the end of a project; typically when the electrician is on site and wants to know where the lighting should go. By this time all the structural decisions will have been made and fixed, meaning you’re constrained as to where light fittings can be placed. Take, for example, kitchen lighting. You may have invested in kitchen furniture and want to show it off to good effect. If the kitchen cupboard doors are attractive then you can use small ceiling recessed spots positioned centrally in front of each door — this will cast plumes of light down to highlight the doors. If you plan to do this before the ceiling is constructed, then you shouldn’t have any problems. If, however, you leave this decision until after, the position of the joists and noggings may make it impossible to position the recessed spots centrally. The cost of lighting design depends to some extent on the type of lighting designer you choose. Some lighting shops offer free advice, but this is usually restricted and confined to the products they sell. At the other end of the spectrum are the large lighting design companies used to working on prestigious high-end projects — who charge accordingly. In between are the lighting design consultancies that charge around £1,000-2,000 to design a lighting scheme for an average four bedroom house.

Is it worth the expense? For a small percentage of the total build cost you will get a lighting scheme that shows off your house to its best advantage. I certainly think so.

How to get the most from your lighting designer

To get the most out of your lighting designer provide them with as much information as possible about the interior layout and design. The more information you supply, the more considered and appropriate their advice. If, however, you are not sure how the spaces will be finished, a lighting designer will talk you through the possibilities and design a scheme that is flexible enough to accommodate changes to the room layouts.

You can find lighting designers by searching for the term on the internet, while the International Association of Lighting Designers lists 34 lighting designers in the UK (iald.org)

Bill Noble is an experienced lighting designer and runs lighting design consultancy WowLighting (01934 712226 wowlighting.co.uk)

Further reading:

• How to Make Contemporary Interiors Cosy
• A Guide to Internal Finishes
• View more readers' questions in the Ask the Expert section