HOME LIGHTING

Where would we be without light? Our homes would remain dark from dusk to dawn, with the exception of candle, (Thanks to PHCN) lol. Good lighting can make the difference between a dull, bland room and one that is sparkling with life. Think about a lighting scheme before you start to decorate a room. Where is the furniture to go? You can install floor sockets underneath tables or free-standing furniture, avoiding ugly and dangerous trailing cords. How will you be using the room: is it primarily for use during the day or at night? For study or entertaining?

The most important element of good lighting is the quality of light; its colour, direction, and intensity. Your aim when lighting your home, should be to use light to enhance your surroundings, generate the correct lighting levels for the tasks performed, create the correct mood for each area, and above all appreciate the important contribution that lighting can make to your home. Lighting your home can be as simple or as complex as you would like. The choices for lighting the interior of your home are determined by the intended purpose of the lights and your personal tastes in style and decor. The primary function of interior lighting is to banish shadows in rooms of your home that do not get enough natural light coming in through windows. When choosing the type of light you wish to use, it is necessary to know what type of light is emitted from what lamps. This general purpose should be the practical guiding force for you when you are choosing your lighting. If all you want is to simply brighten a room, and the decorative look of the fixture is a non-issue, then a simple ceiling light.

However, we should always think of safety. While lighting our room, we should never make a mistake of “over-lighting” our room. Determining the correct light level is not an easy task Measure the area of your room in square metres and multiply this figure by; 25 for standard tungsten lighting, 15 for halogen lighting, or 19 for compact fluorescent lighting. (Consult your interior designer for a professional advice)

Personally, I always like sitting and enjoying the brighter parts of the room such as the window side or the balcony.  But have you ever walked into a bright room only to feel really uncomfortable with the pale flourescent lighting?  I usually like a room with warmer and natural lighting where people’s complexions are more natural. When you want to light your house, its nice when u make your lighting blend with the style of the furniture or painting of your room. Lighting should be use more has an enhancement not has a tool for decoration because nothing makes a room feel dated and unwelcoming like bad lighting.

Here are some tips to help you with your lighting

HALLWAY

You should pay special attention to the lighting in the hallway. Use spotlights to accent pictures, install a fitting that commands presence and provides good illumination. Downlighting is something people love or hate. I think it can be incredibly helpful and effective in some respects. in the evening, downlighters can help to create a soft overall glow that adds ambience. This is extra-useful in a reception or hall way, In situation whereby you have a long narrow dark corridor use recessed lighting in the walls to great effect, by creating a tunnel of light. Use a particular type of recessed light unit, (they are usually square or rectangular) that has a built in reflector

LIVING ROOM

The use of a dimmer is ideal for the living room, as you can create your own atmosphere for different times and events. The living room is where we spend most of our time and care should be taken when deciding what lighting to use. If your living room is small in length and you find you have two ceiling points, relatively close together, say within 2.5m of each other, you may consider changing the two points to one central point. If your walls are not papered but painted, consider using wall uplighters  (designed to throw all their light upwards only )to create feature and mood lighting.

DINNING ROOM

The dinning room is often the one room in the home, where you can hang a light fitting low over the dining table. The ideal height is approximately 90cm above the table. If you have a glass dining table do not use a fitting that has a naked bulb, as this will create a reflection. In decorating your dining, high consideration should be placed on the type of the table, a round table use a round fitting, for an oval or rectangular table, use a fitting to mirror the shape, or suspend three or four single pendants over the table to create an interesting focal point.

KITCHEN

Halogen recessed lights are particularly suited to the kitchen, as they provide a clean crisp white light without creating glare. Positioning is very important to achieve an overall level of illumination this is because the kitchen requires a higher level of illumination to avoid accidents

BEDROOM

The Bedroom requires different levels and types of light. Occasional bed side table lamps for a low level mood setting, a central overhead light source for general illumination, Spotlights trained at the wardrobe interiors, subject lighting around a make up mirror (The lighting has to be directed on you and not on the mirror. Halogen is an excellent light source for this application and it shows up true colours.) And bed side lighting suitable for reading.

BATHROOM

Bathroom lighting needs to be functional and well planned with safety in mind. Rather than have a Pull switch in the bathroom, why not have a three-gang wall mounted switch outside the bathroom entrance to control your ceiling, mirror and floor lighting.

STUDY

The Study requires a contrast of light, good overall general illumination, usually from overhead halogen lighting and a task lamp, table or floor mounted, to cast light on the work in progress. This is needed because you would most likely be working at the desk, in your own light. Considering your safety, If you have a computer screen try to ensure that the light you are providing does not reflect off the screen into your eyes.

All of the above information is intended as a guide only, it is strongly advised that you consult a professional before you carry it out in order to have a better understanding.