Spring is in the air and for many of us this means frolicking about listening to the chirping of birds and generally waking up from winter. For others, it's the fresh feeling that comes from a good old spring clean - the perfect opportunity to start with a blank canvas and re-model your home. If your budget won't stretch to a total re-design, why not think about seeing everything in a new light... with new lighting!

To start with, you may find yourself flipping through the pages of the latest aspirational-yet-unrealistic glossy design magazine, remarking to yourself how dramatic - yet natural - the lighting seems. Hmmm... if only you could replicate it chez vous. Sadly, the magic wand wand won't come to your rescue here, but I can suggest a few simple yet totally effective ways to achieve a glamorous atmosphere in your own home - without the benefit of a professional photographer and the magic that goes into producing a print-quality image. 

What many people don't realize is that lighting is often an afterthought. Yet often it seems to be the last element of a design project to be considered and executed. Truly insightful design, on the other hand, integrates lighting from the outset - not only to accent the design elements around it, but to provide an integral setting and atmosphere in which color, texture and key furnishings can live harmoniously. In other words, lighting should really be one of your first considerations in any design - for the essential reasons of style, drama and function.

Different lights impose different characteristics on a space by marrying their surrounding colour - a warm, golden glow, for example, or a cool, white halo - to the spaces and objects they illuminate. Your interior designer can help you assess where natural light will enhance or detract so you can choose an appropriate wattage for your lighting scheme, or redirect lamps to complement each specific area.

For example, suppose you have this splendid, spacious living room and you've filled it with exotic carved darkwood sculptures from your visits to Tibet and Indonesia. You want to create a "showroom" that will show off these divine one-of-a-kind pieces in their best light. Easy: spotlights. They are the best lighting tool to produce shadows and high-key contrasts, and they allow you to light any object from whichever angle best suits it. Remember, where you direct the spot - from above, below, or at angle - will determine the effect you truly desire, from the subdued to the theatrical. The key is to play around a little. Move the spotlights around, make a few adjustments, take a few digital pictures... see what you like you best. Come on, don't be afraid! Light it up!

Now what about your home's surfaces and finishes? Say, for example, you have an enviable collection of gorgeous glassware that you want to show off. By lighting glass objects from above or below, you can be sure to see those pieces positively come to life and sparkle. Use reflective surfaces to bounce light around in different directions, giving a sense of movement. Once you start experimenting, you'll soon discover how light tucks itself around corners and dances across flat surfaces. The key is to be aware of the light-reflecting qualities of everything in a room and play to their strengths with the right lamp, spot, uplighter or downlighter.

Natural beauty: Of course, every home and every room in every home, has a different outlook. Some are all floor-to-ceiling windows, some have no windows at all or - even worse - tiny, north-facing windows. Tapping into and enhancing the effect of existing natural light can totally change the mood of a room. The color of the décor will have an impact on lighting effects as well as how natural light enters that space, and how light plays off the space is infinitely changeable throughout the course of the day. So before you add or change anything in a room where natural light has a significant effect, spend some time in it at different points throughout the day and get a sense for when and where a lighting accent could add to the look and feel.

But before splurging on expensive high-tech lights, try experimenting a little with what you already have. Rotate a few things around to see how the lighting effects behave. Look at different window coverings to accentuate your space - these can significantly alter your domain and don't have to cost a fortune. Depending on your budget you could add a skylight or change the colors of the walls and ceiling. Everyone knows that lighter colors reflect light while darker colors absorb it - but it's worth reminding yourself of this basic concept before you fall in love with that deep crimson paint swatch.

Think not only of the beauty of the light, but of its function too. So you have concluded that the Italian light you saw in your favorite magazine is the one? Well, Bravo, I say! But before you take the big leap - and the big credit card commitment -  remember where it's going and what it's going to do. Is it for direct, indirect, semi-direct, semi-indirect, or general diffusion? Do you want it ceiling mounted , partially recessed, as a spotlight, a pendant or a floor lamp or something else? In other words, what is its sole function? If it won't perform that function and that function alone, move on to something else.

Alright, here is one of my favourites, yes, I am truly indulging here. KENDO (table, nightstands and floor lamps) and Giò by Michele Sbrogiò (Italy) and NEMO with their ABSOLUTE BLACK series of wall sconces and more.
But hey, you can do wonderful things with Any light if you stick to the rules of color, shade, drama, effect and shadow. So, you have nothing to lose! Start playing, let your Spring Fever come alive and give you  rooms which seem completely new at a fraction of the cost of redecorating.

Remember this, light satisfies both the physical and the emotional. Lighting can reflect your personality and soothe your psyche; it can give a room a mood and influence your own state of mind Which, if it's anything like I'm feeling right now, is frisky! After all , it IS spring!   NL