Painting with light can be a lot of fun with rewarding results. Lighting has many roles in the home, from creating general ambience to illuminating work areas. You may have never thought about lighting before or you may be interested in it already, either way, try thinking about these topics:

• Start looking at how rooms are lit.

• Does the light source give off a warm or cool light?

• What kind of bulbs and fittings do you prefer?

• Do you have any favourite lamp shades that you need a place for in the new house?

• Table lamps are an easy and very affordable way to add warmth to any room in your home.

• Floor lamps shine upwards bounce light off the ceiling to brighten the entire room

• Down-lamps are useful for reading

• Rice paper sculputural floor lamps not only create a relaxing glow, but are also extremely affordable.

• Pendant lamps are ideal for general ambient lighting. They look great over dining or kitchen tables, and should be hung at 55-60 cms above the table. It's best to add a dimmer switch so you can adjust the lighting for different occasions, and some of the newer pendants have integrated touch dimmers.

• Halogen track lighting and spot-lights are used for highlighting artwork or other collectibles.

• Lights can also be purely decorative pieces such as the new LED sculptural lamps.

Outdoor and garden lighting

Lighting spaces outside is very important at the front porch, down the driveway and even from the door to the bin. You will always need a convenient switch near entrances and exits to the house. Functionality and the use of particular external areas should be a consideration in the determination of the type of lighting required. There are many types of lighting for the exterior walls of the house from traditional to contemporary light fittings.

Light fittings with motion sensors can be strategically placed to provide improved security

• Sensor lights are available in many different shapes and designs.

• Increase the security of your house

• Convenient with hands full.

• Energy saving because light comes "on" and goes "off" automatically.

• Are available in different styles from classic to modern

• Available as wall, ceiling or free-standing lights.

• Reliable operation.

• Provide the easiest way of bringing contemporary lighting to your home and garden.

• Equally as simple to install as conventional lights, but bristling with cutting-edge sensor technology, they automatically switch the light "ON" after dark when they detect a moving heat source.

• When they stop detecting movement, they switch the light "OFF" again after a programmed time.

Are you a keen gardener? Do you have a space to sit in your garden on summer evenings? You will want to consider installing lights in your garden. It is important to plan the positioning of lights whilst the house is being built. In the garden you have the options of either 240V or 12V low voltage lighting. Early planning and installation here is most important, particularly if 240V lighting is your choice.

All the installation work is completed and hidden before you create pathways, lawns, gardens, etc. Depending on the types of garden lights you choose the electrician may need to lay cables around the same time you are digging trenches for electricity to the house.

• Exterior and garden lighting improves the appearance and security of your property as well as creating a pleasurable environment for entertainment and relaxation.

• Low voltage garden lighting offers increased flexibility by way of changing, adding or reducing lights through the fact that only low voltage cable is utilised throughout the garden, which is safer and not subject to the tighter installation regulations for full 240V cable systems.

• For permanent lighting on gates, pathways and uplights you may choose to plan a 240V system for the initial installation, leaving low voltage for the rest of the garden at a later stage

Some general tips

• Kitchens, laundries and bathrooms, which are very task orientated, should be well lit with either halogen or fluorescent fittings.

• For special effects also consider under shelf or cabinet lighting options in the kitchen.

• Dimming capability in living areas, bedrooms and even the kitchen should be considered as a means of providing variable ambience and comfort.

• It is primarily the light source that determines the quantity and quality of light – not the light fitting.

• Speak to your electrician about what is most practical to install and maintain.