Interior Design and Decorating Lighting Planning in your Home - General Considerations Continued
General Considerations for Planning Lighting
When lighting a room from the ceiling due to the ceiling's reflectance the room appears larger.
Conversely when lit from the floor or table lamps the room will feel more intimate.
Wall reflectance in large rooms is usually unimportant because of the rooms very size the walls will always seem distant however in a smaller room wall lighting is significant as it will appear to increase the size of the room, depending on the colour, or bring the walls in closer by causing focus on them.
Candles and Candelabra provide little light but the naked flame creates warmth and a romantic mood.
Why does directed light create mood more than overall or ambient light? Because it allows focus as well as illumination. With these two tools, features that evoke mood can be enhanced or reduced in their appearance.
Tricks include:
Concealed lighting. E.g. Behind pelmets to shine down drapes, lights fixed under tables eg side tables, lights fixed under permanent furniture eg cabinetry, or lights fixed under a couch, easy chair or coffee table.
Candles and Candelabra
These give little light but the mood is created by the focus on the candle and its holder as well as the warmth of a naked flame. Ideal for creating a romantic feeling in a bedroom or dining room.
To summarize, there are numerous factors to consider when selecting interior lighting. The interior decoration of a room, the furniture placement, the function and activities to be performed in the space as well as budgetary and aesthetic issues.
As long as you approach the task in a methodical manner, it should all be straightforward. Write down all the influencing factors, needs and wants for each room, use your plan and then set about creating the lighting for each space.
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