How to light a white space

It can be tricky lighting a pale room. Avoid your white scheme looking cold or clinical with these tips from Sally Storey, design director at John Cullen Lighting and author of Perfect Lighting.

• Textured walls can be emphasised by up- or down-lighting them close to the surface, producing plays of light and shadow.

• Reflecting light off the ceiling will make the room feel taller. Use wall-mounted fixtures or up-lights recessed into the floor. Focusing light in various directions can also make a space feel bigger. Team down- lighters with directional spots, for example, and supplement with lamps.

• Put your lighting on several circuits and dimmers so you can change them individually. Dimming lights helps make a space feel warmer.

• Introduce coloured light to a white space with concealed LED lighting – great for changing the atmosphere for a party.

• Bring warmth to a living room by backlighting shelves with a yellowish light. This will throw objects on the shelves into silhouette.

• Use a fluorescent light above kitchen cupboards to reflect off the ceiling and create an ambient glow. Team this with a directional down-light above an island to create focus. If you have a white worktop, under-cabinet lights will bounce off the surface and enhance task lighting.

• In a bathroom, position lights so they 'wash' down white tiles to add glamour and drama.

• In the bedroom, team soft side lights with discreet uplighting above a wardrobe. You could also have soft lighting below the wardrobe – in the baseboard – to create another indirect light source.

For more ideas on lighting your home, take a look at the lighting gallery album.