ART OF ...........

ART OF LIGHTING YOUR HOME

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that”

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We all know it very well that lighting in the house gives it a lively and vibrant look, but here it is important to mention that lighting should be in accordance with the room décor and mood. Lights should be complimenting your room setting and must be in accordance with the theme of your entire home.

Needless to mention that good lighting assures a warm, inviting and functional atmosphere in your home. Hence selection of proper lighting is the key element in interior design as it enhances everything in a room – from the furniture, flooring, fittings to the finishes and textures. You should have a settle blend of dim and glowing lights in your room.

All interior designer and home decorators knew that lighting is an important aspect of interior design as it enhances the aesthetic appeal and creates the mood and ambiance of a living space. Lighting fixtures that illuminate a room creates a safe and comfortable environment besides adding style to the interior décor. However one must have dim light romantic corners in their home too to give a cozy feel and romantic aura.

If you are living in apartments then the building owners and managers have the potential to add value, reduce costs and enhance performance through the application of good lighting. It’s no secret that people are attracted to well-lighted public facilities, commercial shopping districts and parks as it gives safe and secure feelings.

Lighting design is an art as well as a science. Science part of it highlight, the amounts of illumination needed and certain aspects of the quality of light have been quantified. Where as an art part of is attached to the fact that light is an experience of the SENSES. It is not an INTELLECTUAL experience. Thus playing with your sensory stimuli will surely lead to an artistic creation.

We all know that lighting in a space is a positive force that can motivate people to be active, relaxed, productive, lively, depressed, fearful or overactive. It should make people important. It should create atmosphere pleasing to the occupants whether in an office, store, showroom or home. Comfort and convenience is what everyone is seeking in his/her environment and surroundings.

Needless to mention that lighting should provide visibility, character and mood as well as relate harmoniously to the space in which it is used. The complex and temporal nature of lighting is one of the least understood of its many variables.

Because of this complexity, lighting design can be one of the most creative areas of all of architecture which need our greatest attention at the time of constructing our house or at the time of setting the interior décor.

Here I will highlight few major areas that lighting will affect in our architectural designs.

Ø  Light should be considered as much a “building material” as steel or concrete.

Ø  Although such structural components are needed to enclose a space, it has no real existence for an individual until it is seen and it registers in his consciousness.

Ø  Light defines space;

Ø  Light surely reveals texture.

Ø  It helps in showing form.

Ø  Considered as a great indicator of scales.

Ø  It separates functions.

Ø  Helps in creating mood.

An architectural designer uses good lighting to make a building look and work the way it is intended at all hours of day and night. As lighting is dynamic. Change the lighting and the world around us changes. It can make or break a space both functionally and aesthetically.

There are three basic types of lighting that work together to light your home: General, Task and Accent. A good lighting plan combines all three types to light an area, according to function and style. General Lighting provides an area with overall illumination.

General Lighting provides an area with overall illumination. Also known as ambient lighting, general lighting radiates a comfortable level of brightness, enabling one to see and walk about safely. It can be accomplished with chandeliers, ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures, recessed or track lights, and with lanterns outside your home. A basic form of lighting that replaces sunlight, general lighting is fundamental to a lighting plan.

Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks such as reading, sewing, cooking, homework, hobbies, games, or balancing your checkbook. It can be provided by under cabinet, tape and track lighting, pendant lighting, and portable lamps. Task lighting should be free of distracting glare and shadows and should be bright enough to prevent eyestrain.

Accent Lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual interest. As part of a decorating scheme, it is used to spotlight paintings, houseplants, sculpture, and other prized possessions, or to highlight the texture of a wall, drapery or outdoor landscaping. Accent lighting requires at least three times as much light on the focal point as the general lighting around it. This usually is provided by track, under cabinet, tape, or wall-mounted fixtures.

Following are the various types of Light Fixtures that are commonly used in our homes:

·         Recessed Lighting.

·         Under-Cabinet Lighting.

·         Floor Lamps.

·         Table Lamp.

·         Desk Lamp.

·         Chandelier.

·         Home Jewelry

·         Wall Sconces.

·         Ceiling Lights.

·         Mid-Century Mobile

·         Track Lighting

·         Pendant Lighting

·         Going Global

·         Cove Lighting

·         Soffit Lighting

·         Something Old, Something New

·         Line of Light

In the last I would like to highlight few tips by which you can have more light in your home, it can be done by:

a.       Bring more mirrors in. Mirrors reflect light, so the more mirrors you have in a room, the more light will bounce from wall to wall!

b.      Color with light shades

c.       Rearrange and move furniture to create space.

d.      Get away with the heavy fabric curtains.

e.      Change the door.

f.        Select the right shades.

g.       Last but not the least add a skylight.

I believe that after going through this blog most of you must have realized the importance of light and lighting in your home and how to make the best use of your lighting fitting and fixtures. Do share your comments about this and other blogs on my blog page, as it will help me in enhancing my the quality of my blogs and will also come to know as what you like to read.

By: DecorLoot Team