If I generalise, and I realise it’s always a dangerous thing to do, the more upmarket retailers tend to have a better understanding of what lighting can do for their businesses and my belief is that this is probably fuelled by the designers that they employ. They, better than anyone, understand the necessity of task lighting and the importance of creating the right ambiance to a completed project. You can have the most incredible kitchen or bathroom installed but if the lighting isn’t right it will be impractical and will appear flat.

Bathroom retailers are generally ahead of the game as the need for task lighting is so much more acute because their customers require appropriate light for shaving, applying cosmetics and general grooming. However, I am encouraged by the creativity of bathroom designers as they now often specify low level halogen lighting, which, if planned correctly, creates a fantastic atmosphere to a bathroom; and the emphasis on mood is often continued with under-water lighting within the bath and sometimes they even facilitate chromotherapy in showering areas.

Without doubt, kitchen designers are catching up with their bathroom colleagues as more kitchens become open plan and therefore the requirement for mood lighting is becoming more apparent. Of course, task lighting within kitchens has always been provided for.

I would like to take this opportunity to urge all retailers to cast their nets a little further to source lighting products as they may be surprised at just how much more is available to them. Sensio Ltd alone has literally thousands of lighting products in stock, many of which will provide in-house designers with creative solutions and may even provide them with new ideas for future projects.

For further information contact 01132 879191 or visit www.sensio.co.uk

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