Top Lighting Tips

Lighting is much more than choosing a lamp and plugging it in!

There are several factors we should firstly consider:

- Why is lighting required?
- Where is light required in the room?
- What style should I choose?
- How can I co-ordinate the lights from room to room?
- What safety features should I think about?

Let's look at each one in turn:

PURPOSE

Lighting can be broken down into the following categories:

- General lighting
- Task lighting
- Accent or Display lighting
- Safety lighting

General lighting gives an overall light in the room. It's required for general movement within the room and would include natural light and central pendant lights.

Task lighting is as its name implies, it's required for undertaking a task such as reading, knitting, playing games and completing homework.

Accent or Display lighting adds interest to a particular item or feature in the room. It may include a picture light or lighting within a display cabinet or on a shelf.

Safety lighting is as the name implies, it's required to provide safety such as with under-cupboard strip lighting in a kitchen to help see better when using sharp utensils.

When you start to think about lighting in a room, it's a good idea to make a list of all the activities that are going to be undertaken within the space and then you can assess what type of lighting will be required.

LIGHT LEVELS

Once you've decided what type of lighting is required you can assess the level or strength of lighting required.

For example, task lighting would need a strong light but general lighting may only require soft lighting. Rem,ember that you can alter lighting through the selected bulb and also through a dimmer switch.

When you assess light levels you should also look for any dark spots in a room or property. Which areas are gloomy and how can you best light them?

It's also imperative when selling a property to adequately light the front aspect so that potential buyers can clearly identify the property from the roadside and easily find the front door.

STYLE

Lighting products fall into the following categories:

- Central pendant light
- Wall light
- Table lamp
- Floor lamp
- Safety light

Once you've decided the purpose and light levels you're in a position to determine the most suitable style. For example, task lighting would be a strong light and could be accommodated within a desk table lamp. You then know that a socket is required for a desk lamp near to the desk.

There are so many lighting options around today that the selection is truly breathtaking.

Rather than looking at the selection as a whole and being in total awe or confusion, break down the options into appropriate material types. For example, a country cottage would be more suited to natural wood and fabric lamp shades whereas a contemporary pad would be more suited to chrome and crystal.

This is also a top tip when co-ordinating lighting within a total property - focus on matching material and shapes. For example: a contemporary property may feature lighting that focuses on square crystal drops.

SAFETY FEATURES

Quite often we forget or dismiss the boring safety features of lighting but it's so important for a designer home as well as keeping you safe and sound.

Safety lighting ensure that our property and our lifestyle come together in a workable solution that also looks fabulous.

Most of us are already aware of safety lighting, for example: specialist bathroom sealed units because mixing electricity with water is not the safest of activities.

Safety includes many elements around the home and in any corporate environment, for example: lighting staircases to prevent falls and slippage, lighting front doors to make it easier and quicker when searching for keys, highlighting Fire Exits to make a quick getaway, and providing additional lighting when chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

Once you've assess all of these aspects, from the purpose to the light levels and from the style to the safety features, you should have a cohesive and co-ordinated lighting design that not only showcases the property's features but is also a workable and enjoyable space to be in.

Of course, we're always here to help out if you get a little stuck or overwhelmed.

Call us today to see how we can help you.
Gwendoline
Creative Director
GA Interiors

Tel: 07841 519802
E-Mail: gwendoline@ga-interiors.co.uk

Website: http://www.ga-interiors.co.uk/
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SMALL Changes, LOW Cost, BIG Impact

Is it same old, same old in your home? Are you fed up with the way your home looks and want to ring the changes for Autumn?

Here are my TOP 3 TIPS for SMALL CHANGES, LOW COST and BIG IMPACT in your home:

TIP 1: MOVE FURNITURE

We get up, go to work, come home and sit in our favourtie chair. We haven't moved the chair so what we see is the same today as it was yesterday.

Moving furniture around is always great for re-energising your home and you as an individual.

Not only does it give you a different perspective on life and what you see, when you sit back down in your favourite chair, but it also gives the room a lift.

When re-arranging furniture, try to create a social seating position of either a 'U' or an 'L'shape. This is a harmonious seating position that encourages conversation and interaction.

TIP 2: MOVE ACCESSORIES

The saying goes, "If you do the same thing, you'll get the same result." Likewise, if you look at the same thing in the same way each day then your brain loses interest.

Moving accessories around is a great way to change your view, re-active your brain and re-energise your home.

You could do something as simple as change the way you style your cushions on the sofa or re-organise a shelf so the items are displayed differently. Perhaps you'd prefer to move your pictures around in a room - in my lounge, I have picture hooks on a picture rail for precisely this reason.

TIP 3: ALTER LIGHTING

As winter draws in, the blankets come out and we huddle inside the depths of our homes, lighting plays an important part in keeping us feeling snug and warm.

This type of lighting is called 'mood', 'atmospheric' or 'ambient' lighting. It's purpose is to add a glow to the room that actually sends subliminal messages to the brain giving us a sense of cosiness and a feeling of being nurtured.

You can create this type of lighting with dimmer switches and 'soft glow' bulbs but, for me, it's all about candles. My fire hearth is full of varying sizes and styles of candles, all with the same colour scheme of red and cream. As Christmas draws nearer, more and more candles appear in my home until it sparkles and shines like Oxford Street.


Have fun, re-energise your home and look at the world a little differently tomorrow.
For further help and advice, why not CONTACT US TODAY:

GWENDOLINE
GA INTERIORS
CREATIVE INTERIOR DESIGNER

tel: 07841 519802
e-mail: gwendoline@ga-interiors.co.uk

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