When hotelier Cesar Ritz opened his eponymous hotel in Piccadilly in 1906, he insisted that the lighting in its Palm Court and restaurant should be akin to candlelight and thus flatter all those dining therein. He understood perfectly, then, that nothing has the power to transform a room like its lighting. Over-light a space and the whole place risks becoming cold and clinical; use it too sparingly, and it will appear dingy and unwelcoming.

To strike the balance, we’ll always favour lamps over ceiling lights, and the softer the better; used well, they create little pockets of warm glowing light in a room. We also suggest using them liberally to illuminate gently yet well enough to see by (we favour the softer, yellower lightbulbs over the bright white). All we need next is an armchair, a cup of something warm and a good diverting book, and our winter afternoons are neatly taken care of.

These are just a handful of those that we’d never dream of throwing shade at.

By Nancy Alsop
February 2021

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