Lighting is one of the most powerful tools in interior styling. It shapes the mood of a room, highlights materials and creates the atmosphere that makes a house feel like home. Interior designer Monica Cetti shares her approach to decorating with light - and why atmosphere always comes before brightness.
For Copenhagen-based interior designer and stylist Monica Cetti, lighting is never an afterthought. It's one of the very first elements she considers when shaping a space.
Rather than seeing light as something purely functional, Monica approaches it as an integral part of the interior - one that influences how colours appear, how materials are experienced and, ultimately, how a home makes us feel. Whether she's styling a quiet reading corner or an open living space, her goal is always the same: to create atmosphere through thoughtful layers of light.
- Monica Cetti
Before decorating with lighting, Monica always thinks in layers. Rather than relying on a single light source, she combines different types of light to create depth, flexibility and atmosphere.
Ambient light:
The foundation that creates an overall sense of brightness.
Task light:
Focused lighting that supports everyday activities.
Accent light:
Lighting that adds depth, contrast and atmosphere.
Decorative light:
The pieces that bring personality and become part of the interior itself.
There's no single formula for creating a beautifully lit home. Instead, Monica relies on a set of guiding principles that help her shape spaces around the way people live, move and feel. They're not rules, but ideas she returns to in every project: “When decorating with lighting, I often return to the same principles. They help me create spaces that feel balanced, inviting and adaptable throughout the day,” she explains.
Just as an interior becomes richer through a mix of textures and materials, it gains depth through multiple layers of light. A pendant above the dining table, a floor lamp by the sofa and a table lamp on a sideboard each serve a purpose. Together, they create a room that feels balanced rather than simply bright.
Lighting has the ability to define how we use a space.
Instead of lighting an entire room evenly, Monica creates smaller destinations within it - a reading corner, a dining area or a quiet place to unwind. The result is a home that feels both functional and inviting.
A beautiful lamp does more than provide light. For Monica, lighting should be chosen with the same care as furniture, art or the objects we surround ourselves with every day.
The right lamp becomes part of the room's identity - almost like a sculptural piece that adds character, whether it's switched on or off. She encourages choosing pieces that deserve to be seen and become part of the overall composition.
As daylight changes, Monica layers different light sources to support the way we live throughout the day - from focused mornings and busy afternoons to calm, relaxing evenings.
By combining multiple light sources, she creates interiors that adapt naturally to different moments. The goal isn't simply to add more light, but to create an atmosphere that feels warm, welcoming and comfortable to live in.
Every home is different, but the way we experience it is always shaped by light. By thinking beyond brightness and designing with atmosphere in mind, lighting becomes more than a practical necessity - it becomes part of the feeling of home.
- Monica Cetti
