1. In the living room, avoid a central ceiling pendant. It rarely casts sufficient lights on its own to reach all the corners. You will also find that the page of a book or newspaper that you are reading is annoyingly cast in shadows and a strain to read. For the living room incorporate adaptable features when you arrange the fittings, the atmosphere should be calm and lulling when you are tired after a hard day's work, or bright when you are entertaining.

2. Spotlights on track systems should be fixed to the ceiling or wall around the edges of the room, allowing you to angle the individual lamps. Avoid spotlights at the centre. Direct them at bookshelves, curio shelves or a painting, or use them as reading lamps. Never aim them directly at an area of seating. Also make sure to include a dimmer switch in your lighting plans. These can very effectively alter the atmosphere and mood of the place

3. Reducing Glare From The Television. A television set usually dominates the room, partly because of the sound and the action on the screen, but also because of the glare from the tube. Lighting in a room where there is a TV set should be designed to reduce the overall glare. This can be done by placing low-level fittings nearby. A table or standard lamp behind or to any one side of the set will lessen the effect of the flickering screen. Alcove or concealed shelf lamps can also provide gentle background illumination.

Caution: Take care never to place a lamp directly on top of the set; it's a positive fire risk should overheating occur.

4. For switches, always consider two-way versatility by locating another switch at the opposite side of the room or at the entrance to an adjoining room.