At the just concluded Salone Del Mobile, the world’s largest contemporary furniture and design fair, that Absolute Interior Decor attended, lighting took up four huge pavilions. Usually lighting is one of the most overlooked and yet important elements of good interior design. After all, there is little point in creating luxury surroundings if they cannot then be appreciated properly or if there is insufficient light to be able to carry out even the most basic of tasks. In addition though, lighting is also essential in terms of creating the mood and ambiance of a living space, so getting it right from the start is vital in all of our Absolute Interior Decor projects. There were many beautiful examples of lighting installations in Milan, one more stunning then the next. Sometimes it seemed that one was in a crystal palace with huge scale Murano glass chandeliers or cascade walls of hanging light crystals.

When thinking about lighting, it tends to be artificial light that comes to mind. Absolute Interior Decor believes that optimizing the use of natural light, however, is also key, both in terms of practicality and in order to be able to appreciate the beauty of the space. Where artificial lighting is concerned, there are of course a number of different types. Accent lighting, for example, can be extremely effective when used to display paintings or to accentuate plants or objects d’art, although the angle of the lighting clearly needs to be just right to achieve the very best effect. Task lighting is another type of lighting which is important in just about every room of a house. In sitting rooms and studies, for example, it helps to avoid eyestrain when reading or working, while in the kitchen it ensures that tasks can be carried out safely. Adequate task lighting is also essential in the bathroom for the purposes of shaving or applying make-up for instance. Mood lighting uses different tones and colours of light, as well as different levels of brightness, with the aim of creating atmosphere in a room. In many cases it uses soft, warm lights to induce a feeling of calm and relaxation, but at the opposite end of the spectrum it can also be used to provide a lively and invigorating effect. As Absolute Interior Decor knows well, getting the lighting right in a luxury design scheme isn’t just about where lights are placed or how strong or bright they are. The light fittings and lamps themselves are an element of the overall design and, when chosen to fit perfectly with the style of the room, they have the potential to give life to the space.