Well-planned lighting can transform a dark room, and there are several tricks to remember if you want to make the most of it. One is to put table or standard lights near the window, even on either side .of it. Placed in this way, they will increase the feeling of light coming through the window. Hidden lighting behind a curtain pelmet is another useful trick.
This gives a good background light, helps to frame the window, reflects a light-coloured ceiling, and again will help to increase the feeling of daylight in a room. strip lights used in this way, or fitted behind a false cornice, should be tungsten tubes, which give a more natural light than fluorescent tubes.
Main lighting over the rest of the room can come from table lamps. One or two spotlights reflected on to the ceiling will help brighten up a dark room. Highlight a dark corner with an eyeball spot let into the ceiling (expensive to install, but worth it) and add to the effect with a huge jug of pale grasses or cheerful flowers. In a dark hall, living room or kitchen, use lighting hidden above a suspended ceiling. Hidden strip lights above a work surface help in a dark kitchen, but more light will be needed at ceiling level for general illumination.