Lighting

Decorative lighting for a room and a table: LED chandeliers and sconces, glass solar jars, and cotton, icicle and lantern string lights.

Warm or cool white?

Warm white, around 2700K, is the colour of candlelight and the one that makes a room and a meal look right. Cool white reads as task lighting and will make a dining table look clinical. If a product does not state the temperature, assume you cannot control it.

Mains, battery or solar?

Mains for anything permanent. Battery for a table or a mantel where no socket is near, accepting that you will replace cells. Solar only outdoors, with real sun on the panel — a solar jar in shade will not charge, which is the most common disappointment with them.

Are string lights safe to leave on?

LED strings draw very little power and run cool, so they are far safer left on than any filament lamp. Outdoor runs still need an outdoor-rated product — check it is stated as rainproof before leaving it out.