Light up your Homes
Lighting is a fundamental element in interiors. We need light for many purposes starting from our health to making our lives function better. Although light fixtures never take center stage in home décor as we pay more attention to furniture, colors, flooring, gadgets, wall décor, etc.
Proper lighting makes it easier to enjoy our homes by creating the right ambiance for every room. Knowing which type of light to choose and where to place it makes a significant difference in your home’s overall appeal. It’s also one of the least expensive ways to help your home come alive.
Let us know a few tricks to help us light up our homes:
1. Creating Lighting plan:
A lighting layout will help you accommodate your light fixture requirements considering activity in each room, key features in a room, number of lights, etc. Points to be considered are style, scale, wattage and color temperature for each room. This early planning helps us make a wise decision than rushing at the last minute.
2. Spread the light:
We should not depend on a single source of light by placing it in the center of the room which is a common practice, as this would throw light in the middle of the floor. We need to spread the light and also use multiple sources of lights so that it divides the focus in the entire room and also help achieve different moods in the room.
3. Light the task:
Consider the task that would take place in the room; hence lighting needs to be given importance too. Cooking, E.g., requires more concentrated lighting; therefore, we mostly see incandescent downlights on ceiling and recess lighting in the cabinets. For the bedroom, we prefer downlights with dimmer provision so that the atmosphere can be changed and add warmth to the room. Good task lighting fixture choices are well-positioned recessed lights, track lighting, pendants, table or floor lamps, and under-cabinet lighting strips.
4. Accent lighting:
Accent lights make your precious objects, paintings, sculptures stand out. These lights are 3 times more bright than the rest of the general lighting. It should be positioned at a 30-degree angle to prevent glares and hot spots.
5. Choosing the Bulb:
As we have mentioned on the importance of task for lightning, similarly we need to pay attention while choosing bulbs for the area. Every space has a different specification, like how bright do you need your space (watts), a color temperature suitable, energy efficiency is the main criteria and also considering the purpose whether it is for overall use or focal statement.
6. Emphasize room height:
One of the common tricks to add height to the room it to place tall thin furniture’s, high shelves and for lightning try to hang pendant lights from the ceiling. It draws one's eye up and down emphasizing room height. It also works with tall floor lamps which gives more space and highlights the verticals in the room.
7. Dimmer:
Dimmers are the best inventions, they help you set different scenes. Every light switch should have a dimmer, it gives you a sense of control over the ambiance and allows you to adjust for day or night, as well as specific tasks. Dimmers are generally inexpensive, and easy to install.
8. Wattage / Lumen / IP:
The Wattage of the light is the amount of energy it takes to produce a certain amount of light. The higher the wattage, the brighter the light, but also the more power it uses.
A lumen is the amount of light a specific lamp gives off. If replacing a standard 150 Watt light bulb which gives off around 2600 Lumens, using a 42 Watt CFL or a 25 Watt LED is about the equivalent, it lowers the needed power of the light by over a quarter of the required power to produce the same light.
The 'IP' Code - it rates the inherent degree of 'sealing protection' of a device against intrusion from foreign bodies (e.g., fingers, tools, wires, insects, dust, etc.) and forms of water exposure (e.g., condensation, droplets, direct spray, full submersion, etc.) The first digit of the IP code indicates the degree that persons are protected against contact with moving parts (other than smooth rotating shafts, etc.) and the degree that equipment is protected against solid foreign bodies intruding into an enclosure. The second digit indicates the degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against the harmful entry of various forms of moisture (e.g., dripping, spraying, submersion, etc.)
9. Work Together:
Lightning needs to be thought along with the theme of the space, color schemes, material finishes, etc. Too many different styles can create a lot of confusion and usage of excess lights. Neutral, lighter tones will open up space and make it appear larger; statement pops of color (e.g., through lampshades) will add interest, while darker hues add a touch of luxury and coziness. Keep it simple and consistent.
10. Conclusion:
A common advice is always to try and use daylight as much as possible, it conserves a lot of energy and uses lights only when it is utmost necessary. Go Green Save Green.
