I write this from the comfort of my sofa, with the warm glow of the fire and a small collection of candles to keep me company. It’s highly likely you’ll be doing something similar at this time of year too, instinctively embracing the cold winter months as we move our attentions indoors. January is here and it’s time to nest and hunker down. We bring out the blankets, take pleasure in the ritual of building a fire in the hearth, cook slow and hearty meals for long and leisurely gatherings around the table together. The days are shorter – we wake in the dark and return home at the end of the day in much the same way, and so the quality of lights that we live with are all the more important to give us a pick-me-up.

Layer Up

A cosy living space is all about texture. In the same way you might mix textiles on your sofa, layer your light sources, using low table lamps for general ambience with one or two floor lamps or directional lighting for reading. The Air table lamp is ideal for this with its fluid, almost continuous shape, it gives a warm light and reassuring atmosphere.

Suspended down lighting is best for the dining table with pendants grouped together or as one large shade for a more intimate feel. The light naturally draws your attention down to the table and those around it.

Ambience is Everything 

Don’t forget that when it comes to mood lighting, it’s worth paying attention to the bulbs you’re using as these can make or break a room if they’re the wrong colour temperature. Energy saving LED bulbs with a hint of blue, despite appearances actually give a cleaner, warmer light to counteract the colder winter daylight.

Choose lamp shades made with natural materials such as wood to create a warm light for winter. LZF’s veneer is tactile and translucent, allowing the light to move through and highlighting the grain.

As we enter into the new year with a few more months left before spring, maybe now is the ideal time to refresh your home lighting and set the scene for a cosy winter.

Written by Tiffany Grant-Riley

Tiffany Grant-Riley is the founder and writer of Curate & Display – a home and lifestyle blog where good independent design is at its heart. An interior stylist by trade, she finds pleasure in collecting house plants, photography, motherhood and being a minimalist. We are proud to welcome her to the LZF writing team as a guest blogger and are excited for the perspective she will bring to the LZF Blog