Interior Design 11 Lighting Slide 2 Lighting 101 Good lighting,
in a home or business, is one of those things that's invisible - if
it's done well. You only notice the lighting of a room if it's too
bright or too dim, not if it's just right. Whether its florescent
or incandescent lighting being used, the occupants of a room
shouldnt notice-- they'll notice only that the room feels
comfortable, and that they want to come back again. Slide 3
Consider Function Task Lighting- Illumination in certain areas of
the room is needed for specific tasks, such as reading, writing or
playing a musical instrument. Ambient Lighting- Sufficient overall
illumination is needed so people can simply see where they're going
and so they don't trip over that great furniture that you have
carefully placed in the room. Slide 4 Consider Function How can we
separate the function of the lighting from the function of the
room? ANSWER: The two should work together. Slide 5 Example If the
function of a home study is to provide a place for reading, working
on the computer, and sitting at a desk, you want to have lighting
that will help with those functions; you'd want some kind of soft
ambient lighting, with reading lamps strategically placed. Slide 6
Consider Mood There's much more to lighting a room than just
determining whether you have enough light for your sewing project-
lighting can also influence the mood of a space or room Slide 7
Consider Mood: General Illumination General illumination can
strongly influence the mood of a room: A brightly lit room projects
a positive, upbeat mood. A darker room is more intimate and
romantic. One mistake many people make in lighting their homes is
to have only one extreme or the other: so much light that you need
sunglasses, or just a dim candle. Slide 8 Consider Mood: Lighting
Fixtures Lighting fixtures themselves express a mood: Fixtures can
be traditional, contemporary, lavish and ornate, some are starkly
simple. As with the furniture you select, the style of the lighting
fixtures should be suitable in mood to the rest of the decor. Slide
9 Consider Mood: Accenting Light Accents of light in specific parts
of a room can be added for no functional reason, but simply because
they will add a dramatic touch. For example, you might shine light
up through the foliage of a tropical plant, producing an
interesting interplay of lights and shadows. Lighting a piece of
art is also an important light accent that can add to the mood of a
room. Slide 10 Consider Harmony Just as with colour, choosing
lighting that compliments and interacts with each element of the
room is importantthe types of lighting should work together. Slide
11 Lamps When discussing lighting in interior design, it is
important to note the following: a desk lamp, a chandelier, track
lighting, etc are referred to as fixtures Lamps in interior design
are referring to the light bulbs used in the fixtures Slide 12
Types of Lamps Incandescent lamps are the ones that you're most
accustomed to seeing used in residential lighting and have really
only one major advantage over fluorescent lamps: the light they
produce has a warm cast that is soft, natural, and flattering to
skin tones. A few disadvantages of incandescent lighting compared
to fluorescent lamps: they are hotter, burn out faster, and use
much more electricity for the same brightness. Slide 13 Types of
Lamps When choosing an incandescent lamp, the most important thing
to consider is the wattage, the colour and the shape. Wattages of
your incandescent bulbs control the brightness of the light. The
more variety you have in wattage, the more you'll be able to set
the brightness of the room with precision. Colours of bulbs as many
manufacturers now produce ones that are tinted or frosted in orange
or pink, which make skin tones more appealing. Shapes can be found
a large variety, including globes and flame tips, which are created
to look like the flame on a candle and are used primarily in
candelabras. Slide 14 Types of Lamps Florescent lamps have three
important advantages over other lamps they produce cool light they
don't produce heat. they are long-lasting, burning for up to ten
times as long as incandescent lamps. they are much more
cost-effective because they produce three to four times as much
light for each unit of electricity. The disadvantage to fluorescent
lamps is that they produce a light with a green-blue cast that is
unflattering and harsh. Slide 15 New Options Due to their
ultra-efficiency, florescent bulbs are being manufactured to be
more residentially friendlyeven fitting into fixtures not usually
used outside of the home. Slide 16 Types of Lamps Halogen bulbs are
a new form of incandescent lightthey use similar mechanics of
regular incandescent bulbs but with a different filament and the
used of halogen gas that actually keeps the bulb burning longer.
The disadvantage of a halogen bulb is that it burns hotter than
normal bulbs, which means that even touching it with the oils of
your hands could cause the glass to break. Halogen light also is
brighter than the typical incandescent lamps.
