How to Plan a Lighting Scheme Before You Renovate

Lighting is usually the last decision made on a renovation, chosen the week before handover from whatever is in stock. Designers increasingly argue it should be one of the first, since where the wiring goes determines what is possible later.

• Plan lighting before the electrical rough-in, not after it.
• A layered scheme uses several smaller fixtures instead of one central source.
• Match the fixture plan to what actually happens in each room, not its label.

What a layered lighting scheme looks like

A layered scheme uses several smaller fixtures at different heights rather than one central source: a pendant over a dining table, a floor lamp in a reading corner, warm strip lighting under a kitchen cabinet. Planning this before the electrical rough-in means you are not stuck retrofitting switches and sockets after the fact.

Start from how the room is used

Start by listing what happens in each room, not just what the room is called. A living room that doubles as a home office needs a different lighting plan than one that is purely for evening relaxing. Match the fixture to the activity, then work out the wiring from there.