Lighting Design–Change the way you look at light

Lighting design is all too often overlooked by homeowners. Plenty of us think about the furniture that we will put in our new home, the colour scheme of the decor, and even the carpets we will have laid. Some of us will even consider which kind of lights we want. Sadly though the actual lights we choose tend to be ones that we have seen in magazines or on TV.

The downsides of this are twofold: one, we tend to end up fitting lights that are mass-produced and aesthetically dull; two, these lights do little to add any beauty to our homes and do nothing to accentuate the design of the home itself.

Choosing some downlights from your local light store and having them fitted to your ceiling is NOT lighting design. In fact it is no more lighting design than splashing paint on a canvas can be considered painting.

It’s quite bizarre when you come to think about it. For our wedding day (which for most is an event that happens on one only day of our lives) we take it for granted that professionals will need to be employed, whether it is for making the dress, baking the cake or planning the catering. Yet when it comes to something that affects us virtually every day of our lives we pay it no attention whatsoever.

Light is fundamental to existence – very little would exist without light – yet all too often we ignore the effects that bad lighting can have on our health and sense of wellbeing. Employing a lighting designer to improve the lighting in our homes need not be about showing off to the neighbours – choosing the correct lighting for a room is about helping us to get the most from that room.

Rooms in which practical work is done, for example kitchens and home offices, need to have lighting that is bright but unobtrusive – anyone who works from home and has tried to find the right lighting for their work area will be well accustomed to the challenges involved. Bedrooms and lounges on the other hand often benefit from lighting that is subdued and gentle. Sometimes a room will have more than one function and for these rooms the lighting will need to be flexible, perhaps incorporating some kind of dimming controls. A lounge for example could be used by one person for reading and at the same time be used by a partner for watching TV or listening to music. Achieving this kind of balance is the kind of challenge that all professional lighting designers should be well versed in.

Of course it’s not only the light that is given off that we must consider but also what the lights and lamps themselves actually look like. This is where it is well worth leaving the electrical shop alone and seeking out a few specialist lighting and look around some lighting showrooms. Many retailers have access to a much broader range of lighting manufacturers than the high street shops do. Some of these manufacturers are really pushing the boundaries of home lighting with some stunning innovative designs.

So whether you’re planning to build your dream home or simply buying your first property, don’t just think about the curtains and the carpets – make sure your home really is a home and not just a house you live in by paying ample attention to lighting design.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]