When you're doing major renovations, plan the lighting as early as you can. If you're redoing the lighting in an existing room, make a scale drawing showing natural light sources and fittings such as fireplaces and doors. Then think hard about how you want to use the space. Will you be reading or watching television, socialising or working there? Is the room used mostly during daylight or at night? Where will you sit, and where are the entry points and high traffic areas of the room? Are there any specific artworks or pieces of furniture you want to highlight?
Then you can get down to designing the kind of lighting you want. Think about the level of diffuse background light that will make the space comfortable. Plan accent lighting to create areas of focus and shade; task lighting without glare for close work areas and reading, and spot lighting for features. Mark the lighting with directional arrows on the plan to create an interplay of darker and lighter areas, with the lighting sources at different heights to give added interest. Then plan where the switches will be - definitely near the door, but perhaps also where you sit and read.
