How to best light up your room
2023-07-06
Lighting in a room is just as important for the overall impression and atmosphere as your choice of color on the walls, furniture and other interior design details. Here are some tips to guide you in creating the perfect lighting for any room.
When planning and choosing lighting for a room, there are a few things you should consider. One of the most important things to think about is what you do in the room, what the room is used for and what the light is needed for. In the living room, for example, the lighting should be functional, but also create a pleasant atmosphere. You may want to play a game or read, but you may also want atmospheric lighting for relaxing on the sofa, listening to music or enjoying a dinner with friends around the table.
A good place to start when considering lighting for any room is to aim for 5-7 different lighting points and you can start with the categories below to create a good mix.
General lighting
This is the lighting that will give a good general lighting in the room, like a ceiling lamp or pendant, for example.
Work lighting
This is the lighting that will make it easier to see better at a particular point in the room. This could be with a reading lamp by an armchair or sofa, a desk lamp or lighting over a kitchen counter.
Spotlights
Spotlights are lights directed on a specific object in the room, like a painting or shelf, and can be used to great advantage.
Atmospheric lighting
This lighting contributes to the mood and atmosphere in the room. You can use smaller, dimmable lamps for example, light strings or other forms of cosy lighting.
The feeling in a room has a lot to do with the interaction between light and shadow. To make your lighting work for you, you need to make sure that you have a good base lighting and then compliment this with carefully selected work lighting in the areas where specific activities will be carried out. You can then focus on adding additional atmospheric lighting to enhance the room.
Although spotlighting can be cosy when watching television, this can be tiring for your eyes when trying to read or carry out other activities. It is, therefore, important to get a balance between the spotlights and other general lighting in the room.
Reading lights
It is really important to have good lighting when you are reading. The best lighting for reading is a combination of general light and directional light. It is also important that the lighting can be raised or lowered accordingly to best suit your individual needs.
A lamp on the coffee table or sideboard can also be a good source of lighting when you read, but it is important to choose a lamp which casts the light outwards. You also need to get light onto the pages of the book, and this can be accomplished with a tall floor lamp. It is important to bear in mind that a lamp on the coffee table and a lamp over the dining table can have completely different glares.
Well-being and atmosphere
How you choose to structure the lighting in a room impacts the well-being and atmosphere of the room. The lights that you choose and where you decide to place them, play a great part in the character of your home. Good lighting helps to create a pleasant environment and enables you to see everything you need with ease. In other words, good lighting is not just about bright or efficient lighting, but about choosing the right glare-free colour and lighting that allows flexibility for different tasks.
Don’t forget that good lighting contributes to our general feeling of well-being. Good luck with your lighting!