Lighting Knowledge Centre - Lunares Blog

A metal lamp can look brand new for decades – or lose its finish after one “thorough” cleaning. The difference almost never lies in diligence, but in knowledge: matte black, brass, copper and chrome are four completely different finishes, and most home remedies that work on one will ruin the others. In this guide we go through each of them: how to recognise what you’re dealing with, what to clean with safely, when (and whether at all) to polish, what waxing does – and what you should never do to a metal lamp.

Garden lanterns can mark a safe route, frame a formal entrance and give a property character after dark. Height and the number of arms alone do not guarantee a good result. Beam distribution, weather resistance, a suitable foundation and spacing that guides the eye without creating a row of glaring points all matter. This guide explains when to choose a classic park lantern, when a low bollard works better and how to plan fittings from 1 to 2.5 metres high.

A lamp you put down exactly where it’s needed – on the patio table, by the bathtub, on the windowsill – with no hunting for a socket and no extension lead tangling underfoot. It sounds like the obvious choice, until it turns out that after two seasons the battery holds half of what it did at the start and the lamp glows dimmer than a child’s night light. In this guide we compare rechargeable lamps with corded ones honestly: what you really gain, what you give up, how long the battery lives and in which places around the home (and beyond) a cordless lamp is unbeatable.

Pendant lights are the most visible lighting in your home – they hang at eye level and can define an entire interior. That is exactly why they deserve a conscious choice: a single pendant or a 3-light pendant, a closed shade or an exposed bulb, a plain ceiling canopy or an adjustable suspension. This guide gathers everything in one place: the types of pendant lights, proven spots around the house, installation rules (including sloped ceilings) and what sets an IP44-rated bathroom pendant light apart from a regular one.

A lamp that throws an orange-pink sunset glow across the wall, and a projector that turns the ceiling into a starry sky – these are among the most-searched room decorations right now, driven mostly by social media. In this article we explain what the trend is about and what to look for when choosing one. Upfront: we don’t currently stock a dedicated sunset lamp or a star/galaxy projector as a standalone product – further down, though, we show how to get a very similar mood using what’s actually available in our range.

A garage needs more than one powerful bulb in the middle of the ceiling. Around the car, shelves and workbench, even light without deep shadows, resistance to dust and moisture, and clear colour are essential. This guide explains when to choose an LED garage light or IP65 damp-proof fitting, how to estimate output and how to illuminate a workshop without glare.

E27, E14, GU10, GU5.3, G9, G4, GX53… these base codes look like a code, and a mistake means another trip to the store—or a light bulb that stays in the drawer forever. In fact, the system is logical and can be figured out once and for all. In this guide, we explain what the letters and numbers in bulb base names mean, how to identify the base in your light bulb, the differences between common threads and plugs, and what to watch out for when replacing halogen bulbs with LEDs.

Good under-cabinet lighting makes chopping, weighing and cleaning more comfortable and provides gentle background light in the evening. Simply sticking an LED strip beneath a cabinet rarely gives the best result: visible dots, reflections in a polished worktop and excess heat reduce comfort and service life. This guide explains how to choose an under-cabinet LED profile, neutral colour temperature and strip output, where to hide the driver and how to plan motion or hand-wave control.

Garden lighting should not require a daily walk around the house with a switch. A well-chosen dusk sensor can turn it on when daylight fades, a timer can switch it off late at night, and a motion sensor or app can adapt it to the household. This guide explains how to plan garden lighting control, how an outdoor-light photocell differs from a basic timer, astronomical clock and smart system, and how to avoid flickering LEDs, false switching and lights left running all night.