Creating a Space You Love Living In: A Homeowner’s Approach to Designer Lighting with Mulberry Manor
The lighting in a home does more than light the room. It shapes how a space feels to come home to, from the first coffee of the morning to the quiet hour before bed. Choosing it for your own home is personal, and often a little daunting, especially when you’re picking pieces you’ll live with every day.
Kate Dunn of Mulberry Manor has built a loyal following by sharing her love of home, design and everyday living, always with a warm, down-to-earth approach. For our latest collaboration, Kate brought a curated selection of Lighterior lighting into her Sunshine Coast home, including the Artist 40 Pendant Light alongside a collection of our wall lights.
We spoke with Kate about choosing lighting for her own home: what drew her to each piece, how she brought them together across the house, and the difference they’ve made to the way her home feels to live in.
For anyone new to Mulberry Manor, can you tell us a little about yourself and how your love of home and interiors started?
Mulberry Manor began as a creative outlet when we first shared our acreage home a few years ago. Since then, we’ve built and sold two homes, and I document the whole process, from the design and build through to the final styling layers. My love of interiors started early. My parents let me reimagine my bedroom whenever inspiration struck, and I’ve loved it ever since.
Tell us about your Sunshine Coast home. What did you want it to feel like to live in, and how would you describe its style now?
Our home is a new build on the Sunshine Coast, shared with our adult son and two 10-year-old beagles. The brief was understated coastal contemporary: a pared-back, light-filled home where a few considered hero elements could take centre stage. The monolithic kitchen island anchors the home, and everything else was designed to sit quietly around it.
Your background is in the building and construction industry. Has that shaped how you approach decorating your own home?
After more than 20 years in construction, I think about a home from the framework up. Lighting has been the biggest shift for me. I used to believe more lighting was better, but I now aim to be more restrained, investing in fewer, more sculptural or statement pieces that give a space its character.
"I used to believe more lighting was better, but I now aim to be more restrained, investing in fewer, more sculptural or statement pieces..."
What role did you want lighting to play in your home? Was it about creating a certain mood, adding personality or something else?
Lighting was all about atmosphere. Our palette sits on the cooler side, so I relied on lighting to introduce warmth and soften the space. It’s what shifts the home from crisp and airy by day to cosy and intimate by night.
How did you go about choosing the lighting pieces? Was there anything you were looking for, or wanted to avoid?
I was drawn to simple silhouettes that would counterbalance the clean, linear home. I was deliberate about avoiding a ceiling saturated with downlights and to be honest we hardly use anything but our feature lighting at night. It really does create a vibe.
Artist 40 Pendant Light
The Artist 40 Pendant Lights hang above the kitchen island. What drew you to them, and how do they change the feel of the space?
The Artist 40 Pendants have a quiet sophistication that I love. They complement the scale and statement of the island and cabinetry rather than competing with it. They act as the finishing layer, framing the island and casting a warm, sculptural glow that completes the kitchen.
You’ve used a variety of wall lights throughout the home, from the Orb Ledge to the Orb Dome Mirror and Bode Round. How did you approach mixing different styles while keeping the home feeling connected?
The connecting thread is form. Orbs, domes and soft curves repeat throughout the home with our lighting, from the Orb Ledge lights on the front façade and the Orb Dome Mirrors in the entry, to the Bode Rounds in the ensuite. Keeping the silhouettes consistent and the finishes restrained let each room have its own moment while the home still reads as one cohesive narrative. The curves also offer a beautiful counterpoint to the home’s otherwise straight lines.
Left: Orb Dome Mirror Wall Light. Right: Shadow Long Wall Light
Left: Orb Ledge Wall Light. Right: Bode Round Wall Light.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who wants to make their home feel more special but doesn’t know where to start with lighting?
Think of lighting as a design element, not just a necessity. Start with one statement piece in the space you live in most, then layer around it with intention. Restraint is key: a few beautifully considered fixtures will elevate a home far more than a grid of downlights ever could.
