Light design: furnishing with light
Have you ever heard of light design? In the environments in which we live, lighting plays a leading role in providing us with peace and well-being. Yes, you can and must furnish with light, not only in public spaces, but also in our homes where we spend most of our intimate daily life. Where to place lamps, indoor chandeliers, wall lights and spotlights in the living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom? And how to choose the artificial light sources that allow us to obtain the most pleasant atmosphere for our needs? In this article we try to give useful information to answer these questions. It's not just about taste when the theme is interior lighting. In fact, to feel good at home you need the right light.
Lighting: all the secrets of light design
What is lighting technology? The word that brings together and takes up the notions of “lighting” and “technique” has the same meaning as the English expression “light design”. In fact, literally the Anglo-Saxon phrase can be translated as "design of light" or "project of light". Translating the meaning of light design into our language in a literal way perhaps makes us understand more about what it is. Choosing how to illuminate a space is an activity that requires making decisions on different aspects. The factors involved, the evaluations and the associated activities constitute the field of lighting design. So, if you are wondering how to choose the lighting in your home , you need to take into consideration some factors:
the arrangement of artificial light sources;
sources of natural light;
the types of lamps to choose from;
the color temperature;
the light intensity.
How to decorate with light: interior lighting
In summary, to understand how to furnish with lighting and create the desired atmosphere in the rooms of the house, it is necessary to identify the light points. It is necessary to choose whether to use LED, halogen, fluorescent or magnetic induction bulbs: there are several possibilities that also affect energy consumption. Finally, the characteristics of each artificial light source must be considered. Let's delve a little more into these topics: you need enough specific information to orient yourself in the vast assortment of pendant lamps, LEDs, and indoor chandeliers on the market.
The light points of the house and natural light
The arrangement of the light points in the house is important to prevent parts of the rooms from being poorly lit, dark, not functional to daily activities. But what is meant by light points, when the center of attention is the space in which we live? The definition of a light point in the house sounds something like this: it is a place where there is an electrical socket, a switch, a connection to the network and a lamp. It therefore coincides with all those structures that allow access to artificial indoor lighting.
The placement of light points, therefore of sockets, switches, lamps and indoor chandeliers, must be correctly associated with the surfaces that let in natural light: windows, skylights, dormers. Rooms with better exposure are ideal for study, work and all daily activities. Bedrooms, on the other hand, may not get a lot of natural light. In this case, it is important to compensate for sub-optimal lighting with suitable modern or classic indoor lamps and chandeliers. We can provide both soft light that is soft for moments of tranquility, and a more decisive indoor lighting for reading in bed.
A warm, soft diffused light such as the LIPPS series by Trizo21 is perfect for this application due to the dimming feature.
Lighting design and which lamps to choose?
To carry out a good lighting design and to place the light points correctly, it is necessary to have an idea, at least approximate, of the distribution of the furniture. In fact, indoor lighting must facilitate our daily life. For example, when entering a room it is convenient to have the switch on the wall on the right next to the door. In the bedroom, it is important that an abatjour is available on the bedside table, but also the central light switch.
Once the light points have been arranged in a functional way in the house, the game gets tough: which lamps to choose to make a bingo and get a perfect interior design lighting? It all depends on the wishes. For soft light there are some possible alternatives. For indirect indoor lighting, there are others. Other possibilities still apply if there is a need for robust direct light.
Diffused and indirect lighting
For an atmosphere of subdued and uniform brightness, recessed ceiling spotlights, ceiling lamps and LED strips are valid solutions.
A partially indirect light such as the Alfi from Estiluz serves this purpose well.
If there is a need for indirect light, the light beam must be projected up or down. Lamps that diffuse a single light beam or several light beams can be used.
Targeted light
Where a well-aimed direct light is required, pendant lamps and spotlights with concentrated and directional light do a very welcome job and give satisfaction.
How to choose the color temperature?
And here we are at a fundamental aspect for choosing indoor chandeliers, pendant lamps or spotlights and wall lights: how to choose the color temperature. This is an important feature of light that affects the type of illumination obtained. In fact, the color temperature is associated with the hue of the light. It is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Depending on its value, we will have a warm, neutral or cold light.
Hot, neutral and cold light
To have warm lighting, that is in shades of yellow, it is good to choose LED lamps, or any other type, with a color temperature between 2700 K and 3500 K.
The color temperature of neutral light varies between 3500K and 5300K.
Cold light is not the most suitable for domestic environments. It highlights every detail and is usually used in offices, laboratories or hospital environments. Its color temperature exceeds 5300 K.
What is the right light intensity for a room?
We used to choose bulbs for indoor chandeliers and table or floor lamps based on power, measured and indicated in watts ( W ). This is no longer the case. Today the fact that the lighting in the living room is more or less "exuberant" depends on the light intensity . The lumens are therefore the unit of measurement to be controlled. Depending on the effect we want to achieve, it is possible to make a comparison with the good and old watts of yesteryear. For example, strong interior lighting from a 150 watt light bulb is achieved with a lamp that has a light intensity of around 2000 lumens. Therefore, to know what the right light intensity is for a room, it is good to have this reference in mind.
Design lighting: LED lamps and modern chandeliers
To ensure the harmony of the light points, we turn our attention to LED, halogen or fluorescent lamps, and to particular chandeliers to obtain design lighting . The products on the market satisfy the most disparate tastes: from those who are enthusiastic about minimal and adore essential and geometric structures, to people who love refined details and decorations of shabby chic and ethnic. Modern and classic chandeliers, wall lamps and table or floor lamps with fluorescent or LED bulbs reduce consumption and are friends of the wallet, guaranteeing a “low sodium” bill: not very salty. The benefits for the environment go hand in hand with the savings.
Floor lamps, lamps that wink from the table, pendant lamps
Floor lamps are an element of great style in the living room. Placed next to the sofa or an armchair, they make reading and moments of conversation and tranquility more enjoyable. The table lamps are ideal for the console that allows you to do smart working in the living room, but above all for the desks of children and teenagers.
A tall, overhanging floor lamp such as the LIGHTOREAD by Parachilna can double as a functional light for activities away from and at the desk.
Finally, the suspension lamps can be interpreted by particular chandeliers in classic shapes or modern ones right down to the most hidden atom. The most classic of the choices is the chandelier, for the living room, kitchen, bedroom and children's rooms.
Classic chandeliers for the living room and modern pendant lamps
The classic chandeliers for the living room are in crystal, glass or wrought iron. Curved, sinuous lines follow. They take up the figures of the floral decorations. They foresee the insertion of different bulbs, they remind a little of the ancient candelabra and the opening of a bud. Modern pendant lamps, on the other hand, have a completely different soul. In fact, modern chandeliers are characterized by geometric figures, abstract shapes, defined chromatic choices: from the contrast of black and white to the boldness of the brightest shades.
Pictured below, a modern chandelier - the DROP by 101 Copenhagen
