LIGHTING – Scottish Living

Kitchen Lighting

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home and getting the lighting right is so important.

The Benefits of successful lighting solutions.

At Scottish Living we are huge fans of what lighting can do to enhance the mood in your home. Lighting is the most fundamental element when trying to create the right atmosphere. Brighter lights can make you feel alert and awake, where as softer and dimmer lights can be much more relaxing and intimate.

From a simple bedroom lamp to a sitting room chandelier we have something we know will enhance your room. There are industrial, contemporary, retro, vintage and even cool LED’s nowadays that can change your whole experience.

At Scottish Living we always love making a plan.
If you’re starting from scratch or simply redecorating your room, its a great idea to create a lighting plan that works in all situations. Think about what rooms mean in terms of use (eating, sleeping, relaxing or even working) as they all have a very different purpose and mood. Think about architectural issues that might affect what you have in mind. Consider the overall colour temperature of your room too. The more you plan, make lists and chew it over the more successful you’re vision will be. It will also be quicker to implement and probably save you money in the long run.

We’ve all done it – bought 4 lampshades because you didn’t get it right the first three times. So good planning is key.

For more ideas on creative lampshades for your project check out the Scottish Living shop:
Scottish Living Lampshades & Bases

Lucy Wagtail – doing shades differently!

Irene Massey founded Lucy Wagtail in 2007 and has been a real Highland success story as they offer a range of hand made, bespoke and custom lamp shades, cushions, curtains, blinds, table lamps, floor lamps and many other interior decor items to help make your house a home.

Sustainability is important to them. They have introduced and encourage the use of our eco friendly board as a lining to create a new lampshade, much kinder to the environment!

If you are interested in a custom or bespoke lamp shade or if you don’t find what you’re looking for at Scottish Living

Please get in touch here: info@lucywagtail.com

Thomas Edison has a lot to answer for!

Choosing the correct BULB for the job!

A bulb’s a bulb we hear you say.
Well actually their not. The choice of bulb is crucial for creating that ‘mood’ thing we were talking about earlier.

There are now bulbs for all occasions so consider the following:
How bright does your project need to be?
In todays energy saving climate we suggest using energy saving bulbs as often as possible, especially where there are a lot of bulbs frequently used.
Bulbs have different colour temperature’s – some are warm and some are cool so be careful of your choice.
The introduction of modern Edison light bulbs create wonderful feature bulbs perhaps for an industrial style room.

Use Spotlights for highlighting your favourites

Why not add some warmth, drama, sophistication and ambience to your setting. Use your lighting to focus on a feature wall, architectural element or even a special possession. Uplighters make high ceiling rooms even bigger while a small spotlight over an object can create a moment of intimacy and beauty.

One of the best uses of spotlights to draw people in, is over the kitchen/dining room table. Keeping the focus tight on the food and ambience will help conversations flow late into the night.

Little touches in the darkness

Late in the evening when a bathroom run calls, you get out of bed and switch the ‘BIG’ light on and BOOM you’re blind. Why not think about investing in some floor level lighting in hallways, stairs, bathrooms and kitchens to create a subtle warmth and a guide to your destination.

Keep it simple and consistent!

One thing to watch out for is you don’t get carried away and have lot’s of different styles in a sordid array throughout your home. By keeping a neutral tone your spaces will seem to open up and appear larger, statement pops will add interest through colour (lampshades) will add interest, while darker hues will add that touch of opulence, luxury and intimacy.

Scottish Living is all about keeping it simple and consistent but with a bit of wildness flung in.