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Your average household light switch is hardly the most exciting of items, but  not so at Candyqueendesigns.co.uksells , which sells  a wide range of unusual light switches, printed with a variety of designs, and fitted with themed rotary knobs to give a striking and dimmable switch. Each switch is priced at £24.99, and you can even send in your own photographs for a switch personalised to suit you.

Fumbling for keys and locating the lock to your home can be a struggle during darker winter months – but this Solar Key Hole Light from Natural Collection can help. Charged by sunlight, it can be attached just above your key hole to allow you easy access whatever the hour of night. The Light comes with interchangeable covers (brass, white and chrome) and provides up to 720 operations.

You can’t put a price on someone who really knows their craft, which is how Norfolk Decorative Antiques comes up trumps every time. A chandelier expert that both restores and sells period lighting, it can repair and rewire chandeliers in any condition, carry out conversions from candle or gas to electric, provide a professional cleaning service; and supply candle lights to mimic real candle power. Prices start from £35 per hour plus vat for chandelier restoration. A truly wonderful service.

If you’ve jumped onto the trend for bold and colourful wallpaper, you’ll want to show it off to its best advantage. Colour co-ordinated soft furnishings undoubtedly help but, for a more thoughtful touch, these invisible light switches from Forbes & Lomax are an excellent buy. Made from a thick transparent acrylic face plate, these allow your wallpaper to show through and are available with a selection of different switches including Rocker Switches, Rotary and Button Dimmer controls. Prices start from £26.

Next time a light bulb blows, why not change it for an energy saving model from Lightbulbs-direct.com and its new Energy Saving Selector. It has over 200 different types of energy saving bulb to choose from with everything from standard light bulbs to halogen spot lights, candle bulbs to outdoor spotlights and more. Don’t know the technical spec of your bulb?

Find yourself turning those evening lights on earlier and earlier at the moment?

After the summer we’ve had, you’d be forgiven for feeling a little sun-deprived. But there is a way to be prepared next time a stretch of grey days gets you down, and that’s with this Sun Jar (£19.95) from Firebox. Equipped with a solar cell, battery and LED lights, this traditional-looking frosted glass container allows you collect sunlight. Just leave it by a window to collect energy; when darkness falls, it will provide you with a warm, ambient glow literally “stolen” from the sun. Next week: chasing rainbows.

Founded as a single specialist shop on Goodge Street in 1961, Ryness has since grown into a generalist electrical supplies company with a network of fifteen shops in central London. Excellent value and a first port of call for all your electric essentials, Ryness is currently having a summer clearance on a range of selected items. A good one to snap up before the weather gets hot (I remain ever optimistic), this 12,000 BTU portable air conditioning unit has been reduced from £350 to £175. Now that’s a bargain. Clearance ends 17th August 2007.

For the last word in all things relating to lighting, Light-My-House.co.uk offers a vast range of lamps to serve all possible purposes.

Browsing through the attractive collection of home and kitchenware at Un-usual.com, this Hommage modular Candelabra caught my eye as a fun idea for the kitchen table this summer.

Designer deals don’t get much juicier than at the Twentytwentyone summer sale (30th June to 30th July 2007), where there are discounts of up to 45 per cent off contemporary furniture and lighting from leading manufacturers including Vitra and Marimekko, and designers such as Alvar Aalto and Jasper Morrison. There’s a four-door Stripy Cabinet down from £1,595 to £877, a tripod floor lamp down from £385 to £250 (as pictured) and striking pieces such as this three-drawer Arctic sideboard from £612 to £398.

Following a rather unusual email I received this week from a lady searching for cheap and tartan (!) lampshades, I found the handy Frolic Lighting. A comprehensive site specialising in all manner of lamp, candles, shades and accessories, it also has excellent prices. Its special offers section sees hand-stencilled candle shades reduced from 27 to just 4 and many other sizeable discounts. There’s a huge choice of designs and styles to choose from - and yes, there’s even tartan.

With a well-deserved name for good quality, design-led lighting, furniture and homeware accessories, The Conran Shop more than makes the cut when it comes to summer sales. It is offering up to 75 per cent off over 1000 lines available to buy in store and online ,  with pieces such as this Balance Shelving unit reduced from £ 245 to £150.; its Strips Four Seat Sofa down from £2,385 to £1,015 and its Barcelona Chair from £1695 to £1,269. But quick, the sale ends 8th July.

You can’t put a price on someone who really knows their craft, which is how Norfolk Decorative Antiques comes up trumps every time. A chandelier expert that both restores and sells period lighting, it can repair and rewire chandeliers in any condition, carry out conversions from candle or gas to electric, provide a professional cleaning service; and supply candle lights to mimic real candle power. Prices start from £35 per hour plus vat for chandelier restoration. A truly wonderful service.

If you’ve jumped onto the trend for bold and colourful wallpaper, you’ll want to show it off to its best advantage. Colour co-ordinated soft furnishings undoubtably help but, for a more thoughtful touch, these invisible light switches from Forbes & Lomax are an excellent buy. Made from a thick transparent acrylic face plate, these allow your wallpaper to show through and are available with a selection of different switches including Rocker Switches, Rotary and Button Dimmer controls. Prices start from £26.