Getting Light Right
Fix the lighting and you will not only change the impression of a room, but also make it more comfortable. The best result is obtained by combining the use of light with the use of colour. First of all, you need to work out what the room is used for, which type of light needs to go where, and also what type of atmosphere you would prefer to create.
There are plenty of lighting tricks you can use for changing the feeling of a room.
If you, for instance, would like to open up the room and make it appear more spacious, you can paint the ceiling white and place uplights along the wall. These will make the ceiling seem higher. If you want a more intimate and cosy feeling, pick darker colour tones for your walls and light sources with a warmer light. Also, consider the colours and materials of the floor, walls and ceiling when deciding on which lighting is appropriate for your room. Darker surfaces take on more light and therefore need stronger lighting than brighter surfaces, which work well with less light. In any case, make sure to mix the type of lamps to vary your lighting, and experiment with using both warm and cold light sources to find out what works best both for the room and for you.
The number of lamps
To find the best lighting solutions, you need to determine what you want to illuminate before you decide on which fixtures and light sources are right for you. It is difficult to advise on exactly how many lamps you need for each room. It depends on the specific rooms, how you use them, as well as your personal preferences. To achieve optimal lighting however, you need to combine different types of lamps.
Establish where various activities are located in the room and place task lighting accordingly e.g. by the armchair (knitting and reading spot), the dining table (eating and social spot), the sofa (reading spot), and add warm lighting for ambience too, with additional table, floor and wall lamps. Furthermore, enhance artwork or other objects in your home with spotlights. It is worth aiming for dimmable light sources too, as it enables you to switch between functional and cosy lighting.
The use of cold or warm light sources
Spending time in a room with primarily cold lighting during the evening can in itself make you feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if you are having trouble reading when sitting on the sofa at night, the light might be too warm or the light level too low. Appropriate lighting temperatures matter a lot to our general feeling of wellbeing. The lower the number on the Kelvin scale, the warmer and more yellow the light appears. As the number goes up on the scale, the colour temperature gets bluer and colder.
Warm light is perceived as cosy and relaxing and therefore is great for overall ambient lighting, whereas cold light is clearer and promotes concentration, which works better for both spot and task lighting, where you need to focus on the job at hand or the object you have chosen to highlight. Which exact numbers on the Kelvin scale you need in particular situations is a matter of personal preference, however, a cooler light in the kitchen and bathroom, and other rooms like the garage, where we need to be able to see what we are doing is advisable. Furthermore, you need to mix and choose the appropriate light sources depending on which type of light you need from the different fixtures around your home. Also, it is best not to vary the light temperature too much in the same room, as it will create too much contrast.
