lighting
Turn a mirrored recess into a ‘window’ Internal bathrooms don’t have to be the dark, unloved bunkers of the home. Here, the designers have used the space above a concealed cistern to create an alcove, which they’ve lined with mirrored glass and illuminated with a spotlight. Obscure the reflection with a vase or ornament and it will look for all the world as if you have a window
Focus on a feature Kitchen wall lights don’t have to be used as task lighting for food preparation. Here, it’s soft accent lighting they’re providing on the feature wall behind the dining table. Unlike with task lighting, areas of shadow don’t need to be avoided – in fact, the contrast of light and shade is part of the appeal, adding variation as part of a lighting scheme. It’s achieved here with shades that direct the beam upwards as well as downwards.
Go straight on Square shades wash light onto the worksurface in this kitchen. Here again, their symmetry echoes that of the cabinetry below, and the two pairs mirror each other precisely, with the extractor positioned centrally in the same alignment, giving the whole an effect that’s smart and unfussy. When you’re buying, bear in mind that the wall lights need to illuminate the entire depth of the worktop to create effective task lighting, not just the back.
Boost your bedhead Just imagine this calming bedroom after dark… What a welcoming glow you’d get, drawing you towards those pillows. It looks pretty good in daylight, too – with an LED strip behind the bed highlighting the shape of the wall space. Here, a half wall has been constructed to add presence to the divan bed, provide a little shelf and also to house new electrics… including that LED strip at the back of the half wall. If you’re thinking of doing something similar, be sure to choose recessed LED strips so as to have a flush finish to your shelf.
Uplift an attic Rooms in the eaves of a house will often have an interesting architectural shape. Rather than try to minimise the effect of the slopes in this space, the designer has instead highlighted them. On the lower part of the ceiling, beams have been kept natural, while paintwork is pale, for a traditional look.
Cast a glow Just one of the details that gives this clean-lined, modern kitchen such a welcoming feel is the soft glow beneath the worktop seating area. White LED lighting comes in various tones, from cool to warm illumination. Rather than give a futuristic lift to sharp edges, as can be the case with brighter LEDs in contemporary kitchens, this gentle warm white glow just adds depth and atmosphere.
Tackle task lighting You need a different kind of light – task lighting – for fine-detail activities such as putting on make-up or shaving. Use multiple layers of light around bathroom mirrors to avoid unflattering shadows on faces. “Too much light overhead and you will have shadows under the eyes; too much face-facing light and the experience is uncomfortable,” explains Ben Rousseau of Rousseau Design. “For a bigger bathroom, I would recommend backlighting a mirror with an LED strip as this gives wow factor and adds more glamour to the space,” suggests Storey. If your bathroom is too modern or small for wall lights, a mirror with integrated lighting works just as well, particularly in a small cloakroom.
Paint with light Lighting control on its own doesn’t create great lighting, but it is one of the key elements of a magical scheme. Establish how you plan to use a space and how you want to identify and light your focal points and then you can create lighting scenes that illuminate the space exactly as you want it. You can then recall those scenes with easy-to-use keypads, your smartphone or a tablet. Consequently, it’s possible to be so much more creative with light. For example, a mellow glow at dado level is what gives this living room its wow factor.
Dim LEDs smoothly It can be tricky to control LED lighting with conventional dimmers; typical problems include flickering and erratic performance at low dimming levels. The best lighting control systems offer a whole range of dimming protocols (the language that the LED, the drivers and the lighting control system understand). Using components that all speak the same language gives simple, hassle-free dimming.
Make it look as if you’re in when you’re out A lighting control system can be programmed to play back a realistic pattern of light when you’re not there, making your home more secure. Simple timers can look rather unrealistic if all the same lights turn on at the same time every day. With some more intelligence, a lighting control system in ‘holiday mode’ can make the house look realistically occupied
Turn off your lights from your bed Having a simple keypad or remote by the bed is great for controlling your master suite, but it can be programmed to do a lot more. Imagine a ‘goodnight’ button on the bedside keypad that turns off the lights across the house apart from a few low-level LEDs on the landing. Because each circuit can be controlled individually, you can determine exactly what you want each programmed area to do.
Lighting is so important in any garden, but it plays an even bigger role in a tropical-style space. Good lighting will add a sense of theatre, highlighting the bold, architectural leaf shapes and enhancing the mood. Uplighting certain trees or areas of a pathway will make the garden more inviting, too, as well as showcasing the luxuriant foliage. You can now have a remote control handset, which can be operated even from indoors – great when you want to suddenly wow your dinner guests without them seeing you press a light switch on the wall.
The adjacent en suite bathroom pod has been beautifully designed in frosted glass. ‘It flows over the floor with a 10mm shadow gap,’ says Donald. ‘I also wanted the glass to cut through the ceiling, rather than just slot in.’ To achieve this effect, he created recessed lighting that illuminates three sides.
If guests are coming in the evening, switch on lamps but avoid unflattering overhead lighting. Turn on fairy lights and light candles, too, then get some music playing. It will get you grooving through the final jobs and if anyone shows up early, it will help smooth over any awkward silences.
Comparing watts and lumens One thing to bear in mind if you’re looking at buying LEDs is the conversion from watts to lumens. Lumens are a measure of the brightness of the light emitted from the bulb, and therefore a good indication of the way a light will appear. The wattage system is based on power consumption, so while it was true that a 50 watt bulb would be brighter than a 30 watt bulb, an LED bulb will produce the equivalent lumens for far fewer watts, so don’t be put off by the lower wattage.
You’ll want good, strong ambient light for general ablutions, shadow-free, high-quality light around the mirror for shaving and make-up application, and careful use of accent lights to add interest and drama. This bathroom can be brightly lit or illuminated solely by the five accent lights in the windowsill for dramatic evening bathing.
Light up your space Good lighting is crucial in a small kitchen. Even if your room benefits from masses of natural daylight thanks to large windows, glass doors and skylights, it’s important it still feels illuminated after dark. Plan an efficient lighting scheme from the outset, including task lights targeted over working zones, where chopping and cooking require as much illumination as possible. Don’t forget ambient lighting, too, where ceiling pendants and wall washers – and even multicoloured plinth lighting – will add a sense of mood and atmosphere to this multifunctional space.
3-4k lumens to match natural light
Heightens room. See article about LED installation..
Lighting is an integral part of the design, and Lesňák created a wide range of lighting options, including halogen mood lights and LED strip lights.
Find your total wattage. Here's a handy formula to figure out how much light your room needs: Multiply the length of the room by the width to find the total area. Multiply the area by 1.5; this is the total wattage you'll need to light the room. For example: If your room is 17 feet wide and 20 feet long, the total area is 340 square feet. Multiply 340 by 1.5, and you'll get 510, so you'll need 510 watts of total light to efficiently light your room.
If you're looking for a way to add some playful color to a casual room, this is for you. The sitting area has been transformed into a joyful gathering spot with the addition of paper lanterns hung in the corner. Take note: There's enough blue going on that the lantern choice of green and white is right on.
The tall ceiling in this Miami children's room is also a perfect place for round paper lantern fixtures. By staggering the heights and using a variety of colors and sizes, one can achieve a look that's reminiscent of a playful bunch of balloons.
Add to ideabook by John Maniscalco Architecture This narrow hall in a Breckenridge, Colorado, vacation home is lined with a succession of paper lanterns. The look reminds me of reflected moonlight on the water, which is imagery that's not far from Noguchi's original inspiration: bobbing fishing boat lanterns on the river.
One influence of his installations on home design is the use of cove lighting as the primary means of illuminating a room and shaping a space. This bedroom's L-shaped wall and ceiling detached from the larger room carefully frames the bed, but they also allow for lighting that gives the sensation of floating within an even larger space.
A detail of the corner shows that beyond the lights above and behind the L-shaped piece, there is a cove cut along where the ceiling meets the side wall. This detail dematerializes the wall plane, making it appear as if it slides past the ceiling. Like Turrell's artwork, light reshapes the space and makes us reconsider how we see.
CMYK Lamp, by Dennis Parren, third-place winner Dennis Parren’s colorful lamp explores the mysteries of light and color. The lamp is made up of LED lights that cast an array of lines and shadows in cyan, magenta and yellow onto its surroundings. Photo courtesy of the German Design Council
LED cove ceiling lights lead the eye to the living room from the hall. The sectional's open arrangement extends the expansive, loft-like feel. Built-in seating and concealed underbench storage make for a sleek mudroom.
LED accent lighting
open ceiling, recessed lighting ..
Lighting. Soffits go hand in hand with cove lighting. The more lighting options in a room (direct, indirect, cove lighting, dimmable lighting) the more you can adjust the light levels to your particular needs. Soffits allow you to add more lighting options without one plane of the ceiling getting too busy.
LED strip lighting recessed into the back wall of the front bedroom is a good way to add lighting up high on the sloped ceiling, and is energy-efficient, too.
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