Spotlight: The Power of Lighting in Design

Q1. How does lighting influence the emotional experience of a space beyond just functionality?

Lighting is arguably one of the most powerful tools we have for shaping perception and emotion within a space. Long before people notice the furniture or finishes, they’re already responding to how a space feels. I often think of lighting as the element that brings architecture to life, and without it, even the most beautifully designed space can fall flat.

Good lighting creates depth, contrast and a sense of comfort that people intuitively respond to, even if they can’t quite articulate why.

Q2. Where do you see the strongest relationship between lighting and design coming together?

Lighting is a remarkable wayfinding tool — it leads people on a journey through a space. We’re naturally drawn to light, which means you have the ability to draw focus toward something, or just as deliberately, away from it.

We worked on a project with a dark outlook and no real view to speak of. To overcome this, we lit the ceiling and used feature lighting to lift the eye upward and through the space — drawing people in and taking them on the journey we’d intended.

Q3. How can lighting be integrated more intentionally into joinery and material selections?

The key is bringing lighting into the conversation early. When it’s considered at concept stage, it can be woven into joinery, wall details, ceiling junctions and architectural elements in a way that feels completely seamless. Rather than noticing a light fitting, you’re simply experiencing the effect of light itself.

The best integrated lighting often goes unnoticed  because it feels inherent to the space.

Q4. How important is lighting in shaping how people feel within a space?

Understanding how a space will be used is everything because from there, the lighting can be aligned to support it. People rarely notice lighting directly, but they almost always respond to it. The difference between warm and cool light, between soft and sharp — it all shapes the mood in ways we feel before we register them. In an office, you’re looking for brighter, sharper light to energise the space and encourage focus. At home in the evening, you want something softer and warmer to ease the mind.

A simple illustration: imagine two streets at night where one is lit, one is not. As you approach the unlit street, you feel apprehensive, on edge, perhaps nervous. The lit street feels safe, open, at ease. The architecture is identical; the lighting changes everything. It doesn’t just change what we see but it changes how we feel and how we behave.

The best lighting design is often invisible. People may not remember the fittings, but they remember how the space made them feel. That’s where lighting has its greatest impact — not as a product, but as an experience.

Q5. What are some of the biggest lighting mistakes you commonly see in office fitout projects?

Over-saturation is one. Using too much light indiscriminately, rather than being tactful about placement and using it to genuinely enhance what’s there.

Q5. What are some of the biggest lighting mistakes you commonly see in office fitout projects?

Over-saturation is one. Using too much light indiscriminately, rather than being tactful about placement and using it to genuinely enhance what’s there.

Another common issue is leaving lighting decisions until late in the fitout design. When it’s treated as a finishing item rather than a design element, the opportunities for integration and spatial enhancement are often lost entirely.

And then there are the missed moments  beautiful materials and architectural details that simply aren’t illuminated, so the design never reaches its full potential. A vaulted ceiling with no uplighting, for instance, just lost to the shadows.

Q6. How do you balance statement lighting with functionality in a space?

Decorative lighting is exactly that — decorative. Its role is to enhance the narrative of a space, not carry the entire lighting strategy. It works in concert with the architectural and ambient layers, not in place of them.

When done well, it can become a conversation piece!. A custom element that embodies a brand’s identity or creative expression. A moment of pause and intrigue in an otherwise busy world.

Q7. How do you approach layering light to create spaces that feel considered and complete?

I think of decorative lighting as the jewellery of a space …  that one piece that pulls everything together. The way the right pendant or fitting can connect the kitchen handles, the base of a chair, the texture of a wall… suddenly everything makes sense. It creates harmony, and the space feels whole.

Q8. How do you think lighting will continue to evolve in architecture and interior design?

Intelligent spaces are already well established in the home and will continue moving into the commercial sphere — that much is clear. But I think the next significant shift will be moving away from hardwired fittings altogether. We’re increasingly thinking about the third, fourth, fifth lifecycle of a space, and with that comes the need for lighting that can move and adapt, adjusting not just to the life of a building, but to the personal needs and preferences of the people within it.

The takeaway? Light is never just light. It’s the thing that makes a space feel alive, inviting or electric — often without anyone knowing exactly why. Devon’s perspective is a good reminder that the best design decisions are the ones that go unnoticed, because they just feel right. And that’s something we think about every time we start a new project.

Get in touch to find out how Intermain’s in-house design, project management and joinery teams can help realise your dream space.