The Power Of Good Lighting
Any space, however simple or sophisticated, can be enhanced and improved with good lighting.
Lighting affects the user’s experience of their environment. We react emotionally to light - its colour, quality, brightness and intensity. Well-designed lighting not only makes a space more useable and practical, but it can make a home feel like a warm, welcoming haven with a twist of glamour and luxury. Rather like good make-up, lighting can showcase the best features of a space whilst leaving in shadow the areas we may not wish to draw attention to.
In contemporary interiors, much of the lighting these days can be cleverly concealed in joinery, ceiling details and architectural features. Gone is the idea that a grid of downlights will do the job. LED light sources are getting ever smaller and therefore more discreet and easier to conceal. A minimalist interior can be beautifully lit at night even though few light sources are displayed as features and the whole space appears to rely mainly on natural light during the day.
In a more traditional or period setting, the key is to select timeless decorative lighting fixtures, such as lamps, wall lights and pendants, to provide the visual references to the scheme and then to enhance the overall effect with clever use of discreet, hidden lighting.
A beautiful chandelier or a trio of pendants over an island may look the part in the room but the light they give, on its own, may be a little flat and one dimensional. Adding additional layers of light and points of interest to the space, by adding accent lighting and lower-level light sources, will immediately add perspective, depth and atmosphere to the room.
A kitchen often needs to work for a multitude of scenarios, from candle lit kitchen suppers to baking and homework going on at the table or preparing and cooking food while chatting to family. Clever lighting and the ability to change the lighting levels, through the design of circuits with dimmers, allows the room to be transformed from cosy bistro to bright family activity hub, with everything in between also a possibility.
A renewed awareness for the environment which is permeating the world of design means that the tendency is likely to be towards buying quality products which are built to last and a return to the concept of repairing and restoring. It is possible and desirable to mix old with new – to love your second-hand retro pendant fittings and give them a face lift with modern bulbs and to mix them with quality, long lasting LED light sources which consume little energy and require little maintenance. It is all about having the best of both worlds – retaining what we like about the past while adding the modern features and tools which make life more comfortable and practical and which add an interesting twist to a traditional look.
Lighting should never be overlooked, and it often is. Ideally the lighting should form part of the whole design of the space. If, however, you have left it a little late and realised that the lighting in your home is not quite what you wish it to be, there are always tricks and tweaks which can improve the situation.
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