Creating beautiful yet flexible lighting for the way we live today is about personalising your space and understanding how you want to use your home at different times of the day.
Good lighting not only enhances beautiful architecture and interiors, it also enhances the way we live in our homes giving us the flexibility to create the right atmosphere required for purpose at different times of the day.
Simple control systems allow the flick of a switch or push of a button to activate the light settings and room scenes. The atmosphere can be changed from a well-lit working busy family living space into a gently lit, intimate relaxing or entertaining space with one click.
This principle holds true all around the home. At the end of the day when you want to reclaim the house from family life to tranquil retreat, change the light settings and highlight the areas you want to see and not the bits you don’t. Just changing the light accents, beam widths. LED versus Tungsten light completely changes the atmosphere in a room.
The lighting does not have to be overt, well designed lighting sits as happily in a classic house as an ultra-modern “smart home”.
If you are investing in lighting it is important to get the lighting right, not only because it will transforms your home but also because once installed it will probably not be changed, so time spent at the early stages of your project in planning will pay off in dividends.
Projects where the lighting designer is appointed early to work with the electrical consultant leads to good dialogue between conceptual and technical elements.
Creating a perfectly composed lighting scheme requires a subtle well considered balance between lighting the lighting and lighting architectural details, objects and areas while retaining flexibility.
Decorative lighting such as wall lights and lamps invite the eye to look at them. They are beautiful pieces in their own right.
Recessed directional lighting on the other hand is designed not to be looked at but to guide the eye to other objects or areas, perhaps to pictures and mirrors, curtains, pieces of sculpture.
Recessed non-directional lighting with a narrow beam is very interesting just used in a row to light a wall or surface. The bigger the gap the more shadowy the result.
Wider pools of light can be created over coffee tables, sofa end tables, work surfaces and to great effect creating a rhythm of light down a corridor. This rhythm of light can be further enhanced by adding in floor flooder.
Floor flooders add a soft dimension particularly when used with low levels of light in the room, so particularly effective in dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and corridors and ofcourse for a contemporary look on stairs.
Lighting in subtle and safe hands can transform your project.
