The key to good lighting is creating a scheme that is flexible. It should be able to take you right through the day and all the different purposes your room may encounter. You should be able to transform a room from a bright, vibrant living space to the setting for a romantic dinner for two, with just the flick of a switch. If you're still throwing a shawl over your lamp to create atmosphere, or putting in a single red bulb for a party, you're light years behind.

The key thing that everyone wants, and estate agents kill for, is natural light. If you can harness it and make it work for you, you're halfway there. If your living room always looks chilly, but your dining room, which you hardly use, is roasting, consider swapping them round.

As a general rule:
If your room faces north: you won't get much direct sunlight but a cold, harsh light. Artists choose to have their studios facing north as you get a truer colour rendition.

If your room faces east: you'll have bright light first thing in the morning, with long shadows and will lose the sun later in the day.

If your room faces south: you'll have a warm light all day, although it changes throughout the day and year. The midday sun will tend to be so bright it will flatten everything out.

If your room faces west: you'll get sunlight at the hottest part of the day, which can cause glare. Then in the late afternoon you'll get long shadows and a softer light.

Remember:
North and East facing rooms - need to maximise the quality of light and may need artificial lighting and measures to control glare

South and West facing rooms - generally receive lots of light, which needs controlling

Choose south facing rooms for kitchens and main living areas - rooms you're going to spend a lot of time in