Have you ever walked into a poorly lit living room and wondered how you ever made it to the sofa or chair without stumbling or falling over another piece of furniture? It’s happened to me several times and it wasn’t because I was a stumble bum. It was because there wasn’t enough natural light and the room was really poorly lit. Also, there was so much furniture in the space that I didn’t know which way to turn to get to the sofa safely.
Have you ever walked into a poorly lit living room and wondered how you ever made it to the sofa or chair without stumbling or falling over another piece of furniture? It’s happened to me several times and it wasn’t because I was a stumble bum. It was because there wasn’t enough natural light and the room was really poorly lit. Also, there was so much furniture in the space that I didn’t know which way to turn to get to the sofa safely.
Lighting is a key element in design and something that most people never think about until they’ve completely furnished a particular space and realized their budget wasn’t enough to purchase appropriate lighting. This is particularly evident in some of the newly built homes I been into where the lighting plan was clearly not well thought out. There were safety issues lurking in the dark and when pointed out, there was total agreement that they needed to be fixed with appropriate lighting.
Natural light or light from electrical fixtures illuminate all kinds of features and spaces in our homes. While the abundance of natural light can be a good thing, it can also create a few problems. Navigating through a room with very little natural light during the day can become a problem in the evening especially if there isn’t general or ambient lighting. Depending on the purpose of the space, lighting requirements must address this purpose. If you want to create that cozy or romantic mood in your living room or family room, it doesn’t mean the room has to be dark. Accent lighting can create that mood just nicely.
Depending on the way your home is situated – north, south, east or west facing - you may have an abundance or lack of natural light. For someone like me who loves growing indoor plants, the direction and amount of sunlight is really important for them to flourish and grow. However, too much natural light and the light can become blinding. So lighting needs can become a challenge when trying to control the quality and quantity of lighting in a room and this is where layers of lighting are necessary to address functionality of the space, size of the space, ceiling height, colour of lighting (warm versus cool), accent lighting, diffused lighting, cove lighting, pot lighting, art lighting and the list goes on. Lighting is used not only to illuminate space it can change the illusion of space too. The angle and colour of light can change the mood or emotion created within that space. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration the long term task or function of the space as well as the electrical energy consumption concerns before you go out to purchase and install lighting fixtures in your home. Keep in mind that light
coming from a fixture without reflective properties will only produce general coming from a fixture without reflective properties will only produce general ambient lighting (lighting is general and non directional) while lighting that creates a cone of light can be used to address task lighting needs. Generally speaking, bedroom lighting usually requires diffused lighting with several layers – bedside lighting and general lighting. Kitchens require both task and general diffused lighting and depending on the size and layout of the kitchen, several zones of lighting will be required. Bathrooms usually combine direct and general diffused lighting and depending on the size and layout of the bathroom, lighting levels may have to be increased for task lighting.
Oakville has some really great lighting stores that feature decorative lights (chandeliers) as well as accent lighting and lighting to address safety concerns (illuminate stairs). Check out lighting needs for outdoor and deck lighting too. Gerrie Lighting Studio; Concept Lighting; Lights On – 432 Kerr Street, Oakville (905-582-8170); The Deck Store; Best Lighting Products - 2390 Wyecroft Rd Oakville, Ontario L6L 6M8 905-847-8651. If you need a solution to a lighting problem in your home and you don’t know where to start, seek the advice and guidance of an accredited designer or decorator. Take advantage of their experience and knowledge before you spend hard earned money on lighting products that just look good but don’t fulfil a function.