Lights, Design & Action

Today lighting up a space itself is a major task as nowaday light defines one’s style and mood. There is nothing better than natural light; one should go for its maximum use. But, because of its dynamic nature one have to go for artificial lighting which can be used in very playful manner.

Unless one sees and experiences nature and application of light in actual space, it is difficult to deal with it. 
For any built mass, both indoor and outdoor spaces get affected by natural as well as artificial light. It is important to play in combination of natural and artificial light. It determines functionality of both space and style and decor of environment it creates. In homes, a thoughtful selection of lighting schemes enhances the aesthetics of interiors as well as garden spaces.

How to plan lighting in your homes?

At first, there is a need of choosing a particular style and mood of whole interior scheme going up with one’s living style and then define a schematic design to all spaces of the house so as to avoid clutter of different spatial environments that lighting creates.
Initially, one should go for planned position of lighting points demarcated by a professional. Later on, one should go for selection of lighting types providing a specific effect to the designated space while enhancing the functional aspects.

Making one’s Living room more inviting:

• Living room is the core space of the house, the only place where more number of diversified activities take place. One can create drama and interest in the living space to make it more inviting with lighting schemes.
• General lighting should be there but for occasions provisions should be made to dim the general lighting which creates different moods according to one’s own choice with the help of decorative lighting fixtures.
• One should avoid tube lights and rather go for lighting types mentioned to have clean walls for highlighting decorative pieces.
• Main source of light should always spot the central sitting space then, in contrast or harmony one can highlight special decorative pieces like plants, paintings, show pieces, just to display best of the art work in the living room.

Bedroom Lighting:

• The most important light one needs in bedroom bedside lights which can be like mounted on wall (low heighten) should be used but best is to put table lamps aside to have an immediate approach if needed in the middle of the night.
• Other tasks can be completed with the help of down lighters which provide general lighting to the room with lower intensity.
• One can go for task lights if study table or dressing table is incorporated in bedroom.
• Also one can use decorative lights or highlighters for any decorative piece such as painting, wall hangings etc.
• Lights should be placed such that they don’t fall on one’s face while sitting or sleeping on bed.
• One should use warm colour tones with white lights which relax the eyes and give a warmer mood to the room.

Kitchen Lighting   

• First need is of general lighting which can be fulfilled with the help of central pendant light or 4-5 central hanging lights or down lighters mounted with ceiling to illuminate the circulation area. Central lights help to avoid one’s shadow on working area.
• One can flexibly use the pendant light by varying its height, like more the height lesser the intensity but larger area coverage and vice-versa. 
• Then comes Task lighting to highly illuminate one’s working slab tops, dish washing area etc. This can be done with the help of high intensity down lighters.
• One should take care that the cupboards are to be fully illuminated either with the help of illuminates inside the cupboard or by using general lighting.
• One should paint lighter on the walls of kitchen to reflect more light.

Lighting for dining area

• One should use task lighting in terms of hanging lights, pendants which can illuminate the table from top not from sides to avoid casting shadows on plates.
• Use dimmers for general lighting to highlight the dining area.

Types of lighting:

General lighting

• One should see General lighting needs to illuminate the overall space so that no corner could look dark.
• Also, one should try to balance all other lighting types with the general lighting scheme and all the rooms of the house should equally illuminate.

Decorative lighting

Lighting fixtures themselves can act as focal points for a room. Combination of glass, colour and light can change whole mood of the environment. Crystal chandeliers, fabric and metal in lamp posts can create interesting spaces for homes.

Task lighting

Generally Task light provides high illumination to a specific area to perform a specific task e.g. reading, sewing, etc. But this can be done on account of doing a little bit of homework , decide your furniture layout first and then go for table lamps and other options in task lighting.

Up lighters

These fixtures direct light upwards and are mainly used for the steps of staircase in homes.