Chandeliers

A chandelier is a great way to set the tone and focal point for a room. Suspended over a dining table, a chandelier light serves as a decorative room element that enhances the beauty of your fine furnishings. Dim the light for a soft, glowing atmosphere similar to candlelight for instant glamour. Or, use in a foyer or entry hall as a grand focal point centerpiece.

 Oyster lights (ceiling sconses)

Your standard CTC (close-to-ceiling) fitting, the oyster sconse is an effective source of ambient light. Oyster fittings are available in a broad array of shapes, shades and sizes including oval, round and rectangular. Ceiling sconses are a simple, functional way to provide basic overall illumination to every room and suit rooms with low ceilings.

Recessed downlighting

Recessed downlighting is a subtle, sophisticated way to illuminate specific areas within a room, creating pools of light directly below the globe. A popular installation method for downlighting are above kitchen sinks and bench. As recessed downlighting is embedded into the ceiling cavity, retrofitting is expensive. (If building or renovating a two-storey home, fit recessed lighting before laying flooring.) Pivot-head downlights with separate switches and dimmer controls allow for directed illumination and changes in ambience.

Spotlights ceiling or wall-mounted

Ceiling-mounted spotlights are generally employed in clusters of two or three, on individually rotating heads that can be directed onto one or multiple areas depending on the situation. Single, wall-mounted spotlights make effective accent lighting: use them to highlight artworks, architectural features, or for purely dramatic effect. Spot lights are also effective for garden lighting to highlight features at night.

Track lights

Employed in galleries and museums for good reason, track lights - rows of moveable tiny bulbs mounted on plastic or metal tracks make for functional, flexible task lighting. Track lights can be attached to virtually any wall or ceiling surface to provide accurate, variable directional lighting. Track lights may come equipped with rotating heads or drop pendants. They can be fitted easily with spread lenses and UV filters for illuminating artwork.

Under-cabinet lighting

Common in contemporary kitchens and study areas, under-cabinet lighting allows for discreet task lighting directly over the work zone. A variety of bulbs can be employed including halogens, LEDs, Xenon and fluorescents, in strip or spot lighting formation.

Wall-mounted lights

An elegant way to add ambience to a living area or bedroom or to highlight a painting, wall-mounted lights come in a broad array of styles and accommodate various globe types. Light can be directed up, down or in multiple directions, depending on the fixture (for versatility, choose those with pivoting heads). Position wall-mounted lights thoughtfully: unlike lamps, they can't be easily moved to accommodate changes in room layout.

Overhead pendants

One of the most popular forms of residential lighting, pendant lights are suspended from the ceiling, with the pendant oriented downwards or upwards. They yield overall ambient illumination and are generally the focal point, often used in combination with recessed halogen spots and downlighting. Ceiling-mounted pendants suit rooms with high ceilings. Pendant lighting can provide both task and general lighting. Equipped with shades or globes to avoid glare, they are ideal suspended from the ceiling over kitchen tables, game areas, kitchen counters, or other work areas.

Uplighters/ floor lamps

Popular in living and dining areas, uplighters reflect off the ceiling, yielding a soft light that adds ambience to a room and enhances the feeling of space. Floor lamps can provide diffuse or directional lighting depending on the shades and globes used. Rotating heads enable uplighters to be turned into reading lamps; dimmers enable a variety of mood lighting effects. Increasingly employed as a decorating feature, floor lamps are available in a huge variety of shapes and styles, to accommodate low-voltage halogen, incandescent or ecofriendly CFL globes.

Table lamps

Ideal for isolating reading areas within a lounge room or illuminating the bedside area, table lamps add soft light and warmth to any room. They're available in myriad styles, colours and fitting types: change the lampshade to create different colour effects. Table lamps are one of the most important components for adding warmth, style, and value to your home and decor.

IXL Tastics

Suitable for bathrooms, IXLs combine a bright incandescent downlight with an infrared heater and, often, an extractor fan. Various styles are available. Ensure your ceiling cavity, rafter configuration and circuitry can accommodate the proposed fitting before you buy.

Feature lights - installations

In today's high-end homes, feature lights and light installations are increasingly part of the decorating scheme. Various types of accent lighting are used to highlight artworks, sculptures, staircases and interior features such as walls, fireplaces, atria and water sculptures.