Home Lighting Design Hub

30/05/2026

Not very inspiring is it? But my clients could see through the dust and the mini being stored there to see their dream home. I don't have any photos of my own yet, but here's the link to an article the barn has just been featured in. What a place to light! So much character...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/interiors/home/couple-transformed-essex-barn-into-dream-home/

30/05/2026

Thinking about renovating, extending, or building your own home? Then please don’t leave the lighting until the last minute. It’s one of the biggest and most expensive mistakes I see homeowners and self-builders make.

I’ve now spent almost 25 years seeing the same lighting mistakes repeated over and over again in homes across the UK. Some are annoying to live with every single day, while others completely ruin the atmosphere people were hoping to create in their new home. Things like:

• too many downlights
• poor switching
• no layering of light
• cold, clinical LEDs
• no allowance for dimming
• lighting planned too late in the build

The frustrating thing is that most of these mistakes are avoidable if you know what to look out for early enough. Unfortunately, many people only realise something has gone wrong once the plastering is finished and the electrician has moved on to the next job. That’s exactly why I created my free guide “The 20 Biggest Lighting Mistakes Made by Self-builders and Homeowners”

It’s practical, straightforward, and written in plain English rather than lighting jargon. The whole point of it is to help you avoid expensive regrets and end up with a home that actually feels good to live in once the sun goes down. You can download your free copy here:

https://smpl.is/ajssf

If you’re investing serious money into your home, your lighting deserves more than a random grid of downlights and a bit of guesswork.

29/05/2026

29/05/2026

This is a small business. I'm taking part in this new initiative and I’d love your support.

My special offer for UK Small Business Week is soon to be revealed...

29/05/2026

Kitchen lighting is where function meets finesse and it’s one of the hardest spaces to get right without a proper lighting design. This is a room that has to work hard all day long, from early morning coffee to late evening entertaining, and the lighting needs to flex with it. From crisp, practical task lighting for cooking to softer layers that create warmth and atmosphere, a well-designed kitchen lighting scheme quietly supports everything that happens in the space.

For self-builders and renovators, this is where a detailed lighting plan really proves its worth. Too often kitchens rely on rows of downlights or a couple of pendants, leaving worktops in shadow and the overall feel flat and uninspiring. When the lighting is properly considered, though, it brings out materials, defines zones, and transforms the kitchen into a space that feels as good as it functions. It’s that balance of precision and atmosphere that separates a standard kitchen from one that truly works.

27/05/2026

Wisdom Wednesday

Many homes are still designed around a single central ceiling light, but this approach rarely delivers the best results. It tends to create flat, uniform lighting with very little atmosphere.

Layered lighting allows you to build depth and flexibility into a space, rather than relying on one source to do everything.

If you’re planning a renovation or self-build, it’s worth questioning whether a “main light” is really what your space needs.