Interiors: how to create stylish lighting Illuminating: Heal's funnel Add some pendants and lamps, spotlight your fireplace, coffee table, painting or uplight a window and it makes the space look as though it has been redecorated without buying a single scatter cushion. You can create interest and sculptural effects where you never thought possible - uplight a door, under the stairs, in small recessed spaces. Lighting the space beyond draws the eye and makes the spaces appear larger. If you light your garden or roof terrace it creates another room and adds to the sense of space. Having an entire energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) lighting scheme put in place does not come cheaply, at around £100 a bulb for a professionally fitted scheme, but the argument is in the energy and cost saved in the long term. Instead of using the equivalent of, say, 60 watts in energy, you use 7 watts, with the same amount of brightness. Storey recently lit an entire garden with just 60 watts - the equivalent of one traditional light bulb. The company offers a bespoke lighting scheme for £150 pus VAT per room and has a masterclass in lighting on January 28 next year (John Cullen Lighting). If money is no object, Storey recommends recessed lights with a handmade frame to silhouette a particular work of art and movement sensors that automatically turn on low-level lights in a bedroom or bathroom. If on a budget, lamps with shades made from silk or parchment diffuse the light and allow it out sideways, "which can often be enough in a bedroom." It makes sense to make use of any natural daylight, whether that involves pruning a large climbing rose or swapping bulky curtains for something less intrusive, she adds. Light fantastic: Stockholm Design cord lamp There are affordable options, still. Lucio Longoni, chief lighting expert at Heal's, recommends buying plug-in floodlights, such as their "funnel light" (£260, left) to put behind plants or sofas and bring light into dark corners. Or use an "angle light," clamp light or extendable wall lights, such as the adjustable wall light from Rockett St George (£99) in an antique finish. Simply having all your lights on diffusers can mellow the ambience, says Longoni. Bounce light off mirrored surfaces for a smoky glow, use a diffuser sheet at the base of a ceiling shade. Opaque glass, perspex or coloured shades in warm ochres and browns also soften the light. Heal's has launched a useful service where customers can book a consultation in their "Light Box" room and try out which bulbs, fittings and styles best suit their taste and home. Single "antique-style" bulbs, such as the Edison squirrel, where the filament is the centrepiece, wound in the shape of a cage inside the lamp, are a top seller (also available from Classic Lightbulbs, from £10.95). They have become a feature to display in their own right, without a shade, being some of the closest in colour to the warm, golden glow of the now banned incandescent bulb. Even wires have become decorative, rather than something to hide away under the sofa. Heal's flex Simple hooks with coloured flex running down the wall make a modernist statement (Heal's; £25 for flex; from £8 per bulb). The cord is the main draw of the quirky Design House Stockholm Cord Lamp (£259; Occa) where the bulb is suspended upright, as if by magic, by its cord and steel tube. And if you want to do away with wires all together, new technology from Philips (philips.com) offers a bespoke "wireless lighting environment" where you can control, dim and bathe your room in all the colours of the rainbow from your smart phone or tablet (Hue, starter pack with three LED bulbs and router; £180). Programme them to ward off intruders, energise or relax you, or to wake you up slowly in the morning. Lighting is clearly no longer just for illumination. Kelvin: bulb colour temperature. Aim for 2,700K-3,000K (some prefer 4,000k and above in kitchens). Lumens: bulb brightness. 60W is equivalent to 702-806 lumens; 40W to 410-470 lumens. Halogen bulb: most popular since the demise of the incandescent light. Pro: cheap. Con: only 30% energy saving Compact fluorescent: Pro: 80% energy saving. Better colour range and smaller than 10 years ago; value for money. Con: still not the same sparkle effect; often cold LED bulbs: Pro: most energy efficient up to 90%; longest life; range of colour temperatures, although not perfect yet. Con: expensive, but prices will continue to fall as technology improves Bathrooms For an even, soft and shadow-free flattering light, use two wall lights either side of the main mirror. For a spa-like feel, combine downlights with low level wash lights under a basin, together with uplights behind a free standing bath. ideally, use one dimmer for general light, one for task light and the low level light could be on a presence detector so that it comes on automatically - great as a night light. Bedrooms Light the front of wardrobes with discreet downlights to add a practical source of light, as well as bounce reflected light off them to boost the overall level of ambient light. Good reading lights are essential. Sometimes a bedside lamp is sufficient to read by, or try a dedicated task light such as the 1W LED Cama, which provides just enough for a page of a book and is discreet enough not to bother someone sleeping on the other side of the bed. Kitchens Of all the rooms in the house, the kitchen needs the most flexible lighting scheme. Exposed light fittings collect the grime which cooking creates; so always opt for recessed or semi-recessed fittings and, above cookers, use lights which have glass covers. Under cupboard lighting is ideal for work surfaces, while a more unusual solution is back lighting a glass splash back - which could even change colour. Always light the centre of an island unit with recessed LED downlights, or combined with simple decorative pendants on a separate circuit to your perimeter lights. You will then be able to chop vegetables safely one moment and enjoy your food in a softly lit room the next. Living rooms Work out exactly where your sofas and any tables will be going and what focal points you will want to highlight. Paintings, furniture, sculpture or other works of art can each be accentuated subtly with a directional recessed downlight. Consider lighting your shelving to highlight books or objects. This can be done in a number of ways: highlighting specific items with a miniature, surface-mounted Footlight or, using a linear LED warm Vario strip concealed within the depth of the shelf for an even glow. Lighting can also be used at the front of the shelf or used at the back to create a dramatic backlit effect. Using 5 amp sockets means that you can control all your floor lamps with a single switch by the door, and always make sure you have ample sockets in the corners of your living room which can often be rather dark and forgotten. Lighting the centre of a room pulls the seating area together. If you have a central coffee table, for example, think of using a 10° beam to create a narrow focus on a particular ornament or bunch of flowers. Gardens A little light goes a long way at night. As well focusing on the best features you can also use darkness to hide any areas you would rather not draw attention to. Use spiked fittings so the position of the lighting can be changed to suit the changing seasons and planting growth. The quality of lighting matters almost as much outside as insides, so aim for good quality warm white LED light throughout. New 1w Kew LED spotlights allow gardens to be predominantly lit with 1w rather than 25w fittings. It will keep your energy bills down and reduce maintenance to practically zero. Use a dimmer switch to control any lighting in close proximity to the house.