Make Your House Your Home – How London Interior Design Companies Work with Lighting

Make Your House Your Home – How London Interior Design Companies Work with Lighting

Part I: The Universal Language of Light

The need for light is universal and impacts the entire galaxy. Interior design companies often employ staff who understand this deeply. We are drawn to light like moths to a flame (or to cashmere). In London, we are revitalized by sunny days (too few, too few!) and we feel downcast when we see London’s grey skies of autumn (too many!). Interior design companies often employ lighting design specialists. Some of these individuals will have studied the history of light – and they will know that light even connects us to ancient civilizations. From the Aztecs to the pharaohs, the sun ruled supreme as a light- and life-giving force … and now Interior Design Companies are taking this majesty and using it to enhance the homes of both Londoners and property owners across the world. Top interior design companies recognise that artists - from impressionists like Monet to more contemporary painters like Hockney - have been inspired by the quality of natural light and its effect on colour. In this two-part series on “How Interior Design Companies Work with Lighting” I will reflect on my experiences with lighting, working in London alongside the capital’s top professionals at some of England’s most prestigious interior design companies.

We can learn a great deal by observing light in the natural world and understanding its role in creating pattern, texture, colour and atmosphere. I often remind students who come to intern with me at my interior design company that, during the course of a London day, light will naturally assume myriad different forms. I remind them of the soft light of early morning, the strong contrast of shafts of bright light and sharp shadows at midday. I link this to the work of our interior design company as I speak of the dappled patterns of late afternoon and the rosy glow of a London summer evening. Light is constantly changing, from moment to moment and from latitude to latitude. The very best interior design companies recognise that natural light, in all its forms, can enrich our interior spaces, making them warm and welcoming or cool and contemplative. Indeed, at my interior design company, light serves as our ultimate inspiration when it comes to planning artificial lighting schemes that rely on modern light sources and fittings. Today, interior design companies try to emulate the infinite variety and contrast of natural light in our homes, filtering, directing and modulating lighting effects to create interiors that can be enjoyed by our clients every single day.