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Lighting, Flooring & Finishes for a Better-Looking Home
LED lighting, recessed downlights, smart controls, wood flooring, herringbone floors, paint colours and wallpaper ideas that can completely change how your home looks, feels and works
Lighting, flooring and finishes are often the things that make a home feel complete.
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A new extension, loft conversion, kitchen, bathroom or living space may be shaped by walls, windows and structure, but the finished feeling usually comes from the details: how the room is lit, what the floor feels like underfoot, what colour the walls are, and whether the finishes create the mood the homeowner wanted.
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These choices are not just decorative. They affect comfort, energy use, safety, daily convenience and how people experience the home.
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Over recent years, LED lighting, recessed downlights, dimmers, smart controls, video doorbells, security lights and mobile-controlled systems have changed how homeowners use their properties. At the same time, flooring has moved beyond basic carpet and laminate, with real wood, engineered wood, LVT, underfloor heating and classic patterns such as herringbone becoming popular in modern open-plan homes.
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Paint and wallpaper have also become more design-led. Wallpaper is no longer something people only associate with older houses. It is being used again to create feature walls, statement staircases, cosy bedrooms, luxury dining rooms and memorable entrances.
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APN Home helps homeowners think about these choices properly, whether they are finishing a new project or simply upgrading the way an existing home feels.
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LED lighting, recessed lights, dimmers and smart home control
Lighting has changed massively.
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Many homes that once relied on a single ceiling pendant in each room now use layered lighting, LED downlights, wall lights, feature lighting, under-cabinet lighting, dimmers and smart controls. This has changed both the look and the way rooms are used.
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LED lighting has become one of the most important improvements in modern homes. LEDs use less energy than older-style lamps, last longer and are now available in a wide range of colours, brightness levels and fittings. This means homeowners can create practical lighting for cooking, working and cleaning, while also creating softer mood lighting for evenings.
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Recessed lights are especially popular in:
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kitchens
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open-plan living areas
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bathrooms
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hallways
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loft conversions
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utility rooms
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home offices
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extensions
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dressing areas
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Used well, recessed LED downlights can make a room feel clean, modern and evenly lit. Used badly, they can make a ceiling look like an airport runway. The spacing, beam angle, colour temperature and switching layout all matter.
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Dimmers have also become much more common. A kitchen-diner may need bright light while cooking, softer light when eating and low-level lighting in the evening. A living room may need general light, reading light and relaxed evening light. A bedroom may need practical light for dressing, but calm lighting before sleep.
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Smart lighting and mobile control have added another layer. Homeowners can now control lights from a phone, set timers, adjust brightness, use voice control and create different scenes for different parts of the day.
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The same is true for external lighting and security.
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Security lights, video doorbells and mobile-connected cameras have changed the way homeowners interact with their homes. A video doorbell can allow someone to answer the door while upstairs, in the garden, at work or away from home. Security lights can make entrances, side paths and driveways safer and more reassuring.
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Popular modern lighting and control upgrades include:
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LED recessed downlights
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dimmer switches
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under-cabinet kitchen lighting
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pendant lights over islands
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wall lights
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LED strip lighting
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bathroom mirror lighting
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external security lights
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garden lighting
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smart lighting controls
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motion sensors
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video doorbells
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mobile app control
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timer settings
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smart switches and smart plugs
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When installed correctly, LED lighting and smart controls can save money over time by reducing wasted energy and allowing better control.
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The key is proper design and installation. Electrical work should be carried out safely, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor areas and renovation projects.
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Lighting should be considered early, not at the end. Once ceilings are plastered and rooms are decorated, changing downlight positions, switch layouts or cable routes becomes more disruptive and expensive.
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TOP TIP: Plan lighting in layers. Think about general lighting, task lighting, mood lighting and security lighting separately. A good lighting scheme should let the same room feel bright and practical during the day, but calm and comfortable in the evening.
Flooring choices, herringbone patterns and underfloor heating
Flooring has a huge effect on how a room feels.
It affects warmth, sound, cleaning, durability, cost and appearance. In larger open-plan areas, the floor is one of the biggest visible surfaces in the room, so the choice matters.
Many homeowners now want flooring that looks beautiful but can also cope with family life. Children, pets, kitchen spills, shoes, furniture, sunlight, heating systems and everyday use all have to be considered.
The main flooring options include:
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real wood flooring
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engineered wood flooring
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laminate flooring
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LVT flooring
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porcelain tiles
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stone flooring
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carpet
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vinyl flooring
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polished concrete-style finishes
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hybrid flooring products
Real wood flooring can look beautiful and age well, but it can be more expensive and may be more sensitive to moisture, movement and underfloor heating. It is often best suited to living rooms, bedrooms and areas where conditions are stable.
Engineered wood flooring is a very popular alternative. It has a real wood surface layer but is built in layers to improve stability. This can make it more suitable for modern homes, larger rooms and some underfloor heating installations, provided the product and system are compatible.
LVT, often known as luxury vinyl tile, has become extremely popular because it can be practical, durable and available in very realistic wood, stone and tile effects. It is often used in kitchens, hallways, utility rooms, bathrooms and family spaces where homeowners want a hard-wearing floor without the cost or maintenance of natural materials.
Patterns have also come back strongly. Herringbone flooring, parquet-style layouts and chevron patterns are no longer only associated with older period houses. They can look brilliant in modern extensions, large kitchen-diners and open-plan living spaces.
Herringbone works especially well where the room has enough space to show the pattern properly. In a large modern kitchen extension, a herringbone floor can add warmth, texture and character, helping the room feel more designed and less box-like.
Flooring cost varies widely depending on the material, subfloor preparation, pattern, fitting method and room size. Straight-laid laminate or LVT will usually be more cost-effective than real wood or intricate herringbone. Patterned floors usually cost more to install because they take longer, require more cutting and need careful setting out.
Subfloor preparation is also important. A poor subfloor can ruin even an expensive floor. Uneven surfaces, damp issues, movement, old adhesive, loose boards or unsuitable screeds need to be dealt with before the final finish is installed.
Underfloor heating is another major consideration, especially in large open-plan areas. It can free up wall space by reducing the need for radiators, and it can provide comfortable heat across larger floor areas. It works particularly well in extensions, kitchen-diners, bathrooms and ground-floor refurbishments.
However, underfloor heating must be designed properly. The floor build-up, insulation, heating output, controls, screed, floor finish and installation method all need to work together. Not every floor finish is suitable for every heating system, and not every older property is ready for underfloor heating without preparation.
IMPORTANT POINT: Flooring should not be chosen on appearance alone. Subfloor condition, underfloor heating compatibility, moisture, durability, installation cost, room size and long-term maintenance all affect whether a floor is the right choice.
Paint, wallpaper and finishes that set the mood of a room
Finishes are where a room gets its character.
Paint colours, wallpaper, trims, doors, handles, skirting boards, architraves, feature walls and decorative details can make the difference between a room that simply looks finished and a room that feels special.
Paint remains one of the most cost-effective ways to change a home. A fresh colour can make a room feel brighter, warmer, calmer, larger or more dramatic. Neutral colours can help spaces feel clean and flexible. Deeper colours can create warmth and character. Soft tones can make bedrooms more restful. Strong colours can bring energy to kitchens, hallways and living spaces.
Paint costs depend on the size of the room, wall condition, preparation, number of coats, paint quality and whether ceilings, woodwork and doors are included. The labour is often as important as the paint itself. Poor preparation, rushed filling or cheap materials can make even a good colour look disappointing.
Wallpaper has also made a strong comeback.
Many homeowners are now using wallpaper to create interest, warmth, luxury and personality. It is no longer just a traditional whole-room finish. It can be used carefully and confidently in selected areas.
Wallpaper works well for:
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feature walls
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staircases
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entrance halls
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bedrooms
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dining rooms
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cloakrooms
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children’s rooms
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living room chimney breast walls
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home offices
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boutique-style bathrooms where suitable
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alcoves and panelled areas
A wallpaper feature wall can set the mood of a room quickly. It can make a bedroom feel cosy, a dining room feel luxurious, a hallway feel memorable or a staircase feel like a proper design statement. Texture, pattern and colour can create a feeling that paint alone may not achieve.
Wallpaper can also help define areas in open-plan spaces. For example, a dining area, reading corner or home office zone can be given its own identity through a feature wall or statement finish.
Wallpaper costs vary widely. Simple papers can be affordable, while designer wallpaper, mural wallpaper and textured wallcoverings can be much more expensive. Installation cost also depends on wall preparation, pattern matching, wall height, staircases, corners and the quality of finish required.
Staircases and feature walls are often worth spending a little more on because they are high-impact areas. A beautifully wallpapered staircase or entrance hall can make the whole home feel more designed.
Finishes should be chosen with the lighting and flooring. A dark wallpaper may look stunning in a well-lit room but heavy in a poorly lit one.
A warm wood floor may change how a paint colour reads. Recessed lighting, wall lights and natural daylight can all alter how colours and textures appear.
The best rooms are usually designed as a whole. Lighting, flooring, paint, wallpaper, furniture and storage should all work together.
Homeowner next step
If you are planning a home improvement project, do not leave lighting, flooring and finishes until the end.
Think about how the room should feel, how it will be used, how much light it needs, what floor will suit your lifestyle, whether underfloor heating is needed, and whether paint or wallpaper can help create the right mood.
APN Home can help homeowners explore lighting, flooring and finishing options as part of wider home improvements, including extensions, loft conversions, kitchens, bathrooms, home offices, bedrooms, living spaces and whole-home upgrades.
Tell us about your lighting, flooring or finishing project and we can help point you towards the right next step.