Lighting Installation & Feature Lighting

Lighting done properly

Lighting is the part of an electrical installation people actually notice. It is also the part where the difference between careful and careless work shows most clearly: downlights that line up with the room rather than the joists, switch drops that land at a consistent height, dimmers matched to the lamps so nothing buzzes or flickers.

Most of the work here is domestic: replacing tired ceiling roses with recessed spots, running new switching so a room can be lit in layers, fitting a chandelier that a customer has bought and wants hung properly, or adding under-cabinet strips to a new kitchen.

What gets fitted most

• Recessed downlights. Set out to suit the room, fire-rated where they penetrate a ceiling, and IP-rated in bathrooms and en-suites.
• LED upgrades. Swapping halogen for LED cuts running costs sharply and removes a real heat source from the ceiling void.
• Pendants and chandeliers. Heavier fittings need a proper fixing back to structure, not a plasterboard hook. Ceiling roses and mounting plates are matched to the fitting.
• Under-cabinet and cove lighting. LED strip and profile in kitchens, with drivers sited where they can actually be reached.
• Dimming and multi-way switching. Two-way and intermediate switching so large rooms and stairs can be controlled from more than one point.

Layering a room

A single pendant in the centre of a ceiling lights a room evenly and flatly. Most rooms work better with two or three layers: general light from downlights or a pendant, task light where it is needed over a worktop or a desk, and accent light on a wall, a panelled feature or a shelf. Splitting those onto separate switches or dimmers costs very little at first fix and makes a substantial difference afterwards.

That approach applies outdoors too. Where a lighting scheme runs into the garden or onto the front of a building, see garden and outdoor electrics and security and exterior lighting.