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The beginner's guide to lighting

The good old light bulb has been around for roughly 150 years, transforming our homes, our cities and the world as we know it. And yet, the idea of furnishing with light is still unfamiliar turf for many. Light fixtures don’t just illuminate your home – they can also improve its ambience, add to its style and (most importantly) make certain areas more useable. Now, with the introduction of smart lighting, the possibilities truly are limitless. If you’d like to learn more about what light can do for your home, then you’re in the right place. With this family apartment as a shining example, let’s explore the three basic categories of lighting in action.

EVEDAL table lamp on top of a BESTA storage cabinet cupboard next to a FADO lamp. next to a few picture frames which are mounted on the wall.
EVEDAL table lamp on top of a BESTA storage cabinet cupboard next to a FADO lamp. next to a few picture frames which are mounted on the wall.

1. General lighting: the very first layer

Not unlike a kind smile, this first category is what (very literally) lights up the whole room – most often achieved with ceiling-hung pendant lamps. These lighting fixtures are often on the larger side, and so can really enhance the style of your interior. One great idea? Play around with plurals. In this long hallway, for example, three pendant lamps hang in a row, guiding your eye into the room. If you’d like varying levels of brightness for different times of day, get a helping hand with wireless LED bulbs.

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A lit black SKURUP pendant light hangs above a GAMLARED dining table with ADDE dining chairs.
Dining room with BUNKEFLO pendant ceiling lamps hanging above the MELLTORP dining table. VOXLOV and RONNINGE chairs are seen around the table.
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2. Functional lighting: for where you really need light

The name gives it away: this is purpose-serving light that helps with specific activities around the house. Use functional lights to brighten up your desk or favourite reading chair. Or spotlight collections in your cabinets. Or peer into the dark, hidden depths of your wardrobe — look, there’s that sweater you last saw two years ago! Floor lamps and table lamps are great, but if free space is hard to come by, you can also put your walls and ceiling to work.

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A young boy sitting, pen in hand, at a white PÅHL desk, adjusting a white KRUX work lamp.
SKURUP wall lamp is mounted above the ALMAROD mirror next to the HAUGA open wardrobe in the bedroom.
MITTLED integrated lighting inside a METOD kitchen cabinet with other kitchenwares stored inside.
NYMÅNE spotlights shining its light on a wall shelf with plants on top.
A corner of a bedroom with a grey VEDBO armchair, a ARÖD floor lamp and a BJORKASEN sofa table.
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3. Ambient lighting: now it really feels like home

Think of this softer, warmer lighting as the final cherry on top, filling in the gaps between other light sources to create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. Table lights, fairy lights, LED tea lights... the list goes on. This is also where naked bulbs are best applied – without a lampshade – since the bulbs can be harsh to look at when they're too bright.

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A TÄRNABY table lamp on a KRAGSTA bedside table next to a bedframe.
A SOLKLINT wall lamp shows a beautiful lighting shadows on the wall.
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Switch on your home's style

Black and white lamps lend themselves brilliantly to this home’s punchy black and white palette. Take a look at the colours and textures of your home, and keep them in mind when picking out your light fixtures.

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