How to Create Atmospheric Lighting: Five Tips from Lara Clarke Interiors
A single overhead light rarely creates atmosphere. Lara Clarke of Lara Clarke Interiors shares five tips for warmer, more considered rooms.
Lara Clarke, Founder of Lara Clarke Interiors, says:
Lighting is one of the most powerful tools we have as designers, yet it's often the last thing people think about. Done well, it can turn a functional room into a space you actually want to spend your evening in.
Layer, don't just illuminate
The biggest mistake I see is relying on a single overhead light to do all the work. Think of lighting the way you'd think about layering a room with cushions or textiles. Wall lights, pendants and table lamps each bring something different, and together they let you zone a space and dial the mood up or down depending on the time of day. A kitchen, for example, can go from a functional cooking area in the morning to an intimate entertaining space by evening, purely through how you layer your lighting.
Choose finishes with character
The fittings themselves matter just as much as the bulbs. We love specifying living brass, which ages beautifully over time and develops a soft, mellow patina rather than staying harsh and shiny. It brings warmth into a scheme in a way that a cold, overly polished finish never quite manages.
Use light to zone open-plan spaces
In open-plan rooms without walls to define different areas, lighting becomes your best zoning tool. A pendant hung low over a dining table, or a lamp on a console, does a huge amount of work in signalling "this is a different part of the room" without you needing to lift a hammer.
Don't forget the unexpected corners
Some of the most atmospheric lighting moments come from the smallest details. A niche or reading nook with its own integrated light, or a low-level PIR light that guides you into a bathroom at night, adds a sense of thoughtfulness to a home that overhead lighting simply can't replicate.
Bounce it where you can
If you're short on natural light, mirrors are your secret weapon. Position one to catch a lamp or a window and you'll add a soft, diffused glow to a room rather than a stark, clinical brightness.
Get the layering right, choose finishes that age well, and use light with intention, and you'll find a home feels warmer and more considered without changing a single wall.
Posted: 18.09.26
Updated: 18.09.26