I am renovating my bathroom and looking for lighting ideas. I don’t like the single stark overhead or twin wall lights I see everywhere. How do I get the soothing, skin-flattering kind of bathroom lighting I see in showflats and luxury hotels?

Sophie: The key to good bathroom lighting is balance. It has to be bright and clear enough to let you see the correct colours of the shirt and the eyeshadow you’re putting on in front of the mirror. It also should be gentle on your bleary eyes at 6am.

What’s in now is indirect lighting that bounces off the ceiling or adjacent walls to create a glow bright enough for you to see properly, yet doesn’t make you squint. Hide all lighting points behind tray ceilings and skirting, and under wall cabinets.

In this sleek bathroom (left) designed by Patty Mak, slim tubular architectural lights hidden inside a drop ceiling bounce light off the ceiling and wall over the vanity counter. This type of renovation can be done by any good carpenter – together with the bathroom cabinets you may be installing.