Basic Lighting Rules 101
Few people are aware that properly lighting a room is an art. it takes time and involves more than just installing a few light fixtures overhead or throwing a few lamps into the mix. in fact, some people make their entire living off designing lighting systems for interior designers and homeowners. Here are some of the rules that many systems designers live by.
Questions to Ask
As a homeowner, it’s important to ask yourself how you want your space to look in the early morning or late evening hours. Do you want it to be properly lit, creating a warm, welcoming space or would you just prefer it be poorly lit and unattractive? Chances are, if you’re like most people than your question was closer to the first.
That being said, you’ll need to look at different aspects of the room. How much illumination do you want, will you be following the lighting formula or will you just be ‘winging it.’ How many fixtures do you want and where do they need to be placed to create maximum efficiency. Lastly, where is the light going when the fixtures have been turned on?
Light Quantity
Lighting in a room needs to be adequate for a number of reasons. a lack of proper light can make a room feel miserable or gloomy, dull and dreary. It’s also about aesthetics.
That being said, most people prefer to use the lighting formula. Take the length and width of the room, multiply to get the square footage and then times that by 1.5 to get the wattage for the room. The resulting number is how many watts of light you will need to properly light the space. this will also give you an idea of how many fixtures you’ll need for the space.
Quality versus Quantity of Lighting
Sometimes a budget can get in the way of properly lighting a space. When this is the case, most lighting designers prefer to work with quality over quantity. It’s better to have two high quality lamps than to have ten low quality recessed fixtures. this is because the homeowner can later add additional high quality light fixtures to the space, which saves them money over having to replace lower quality fixtures.
When lighting a space or purchasing fixtures, always opt for quality over quantity. this applies not only to the fixtures, but to the bulbs inside those light fixtures as well. choose high quality, eco-friendly and energy efficient bulbs over the cheaper bulbs, as they will last longer, save money and are friendlier on the environment.
Light Distribution
In short, fixtures need to be placed where they’re needed, period! this means placing lamps or installing wall sconces around a fireplace to help highlight the space and add to the overall wattage of the room. it also means placing fixtures so that their light is aimed into the dark areas of the room, thus efficiently lighting the entire space.
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