LET THEIR BE LIGHT
The secret? It’s all about the lighting. Here’s how to get it right.
Well, that was a total waste. That Robin’s Egg Blue you picked for your entryway now looks like the colour of that (really cheap) beach hotel room back in your spring break days.
It kind of makes you feel sick.
Not at all what you envisioned.
“People have to understand that the colour of an object won’t look the same 24 hours a day,” says lighting designer Joseph Rey-Bureau. “I just had bamboo flooring installed throughout my house, and during the day it looks totally different than it looks at night.”
If you intensively think about the topic of interior lighting you can get confused very quickly. If you deal intensively with the subject of lighting in the living room, you can also swirl your head. What does Kelvin, Lumen or Lux mean? Which are technical terms you should know and which ones are more specialized knowledge for lighting planners? We will give you a quick overview!!
But before you go further do you know what are the two types of lights? If your answer is no then I would request you to go to our previous blog “Light-The Source Of Life” to find out the answer & then come back to this blog to gain more knowledge about lighting.
“Kelvin, Lumens and Lux”
technical terms you come across when buying lamps.
- Lighting colour, measured in Kelvin.
- Brightness, measured in Lumens.
- Light intensity, measured in Lux.
Lighting colour, measured in Kelvin
The light generated by lamps has a colour of its own, the so-called light colour or colour temperature. The colour temperature is being measured in Kelvin (K). Colour temperatures (“light colours”) below 2800 K are considered to be extra warm white, from 2800 to 3300 K as warm white, from 3300 K to 5300 K as neutral white and over 5300 K as daylight white. So you can remember: The higher the colour temperature in Kelvin (K), the more white the light.
The natural phases of sunlight are “preprogrammed” like a code in our biorhythm.
They are firmly anchored in us and thus we’re also in a light mood that finds the light spectrum of the rising sun very pleasant (about 2800 – 3200 K). After that, around noon and during the early afternoon, we can help our bodies to stay productive by using a light colour in the area of approximately 3300 – 6000 K (depending on the lighting purpose). Late in the afternoon, after work and in the evening, our biorhythm defines a light colour of approx. 2700 – 3200 K as a feel-good light. Candlelight has a light colour of about 1500 K and gives the room a warm, extra romantic atmosphere.
So for the purchase of lamps, you should choose the light sources that support and reproduce these light moods manifested in us. In areas of the house where work is being done, more light is needed. Thus a light with higher Kelvin values is advised.
Brightness, measured in Lumens
Another important factor besides the light colour is the brightness. At the time of the light bulb, each of us knew how “bright” 60 watts were. The “Watt” unit reflects the consumption of a luminaire / lamp. On the EU energy efficiency label the energy consumption of the lamp is reflected per kilowatts per hour (kWh) and shows the user how much energy the respective light source consumes. The EU’s ban on inefficient lighting has changed a lot for the consumer.
With these two terms: Kelvin for light colour and Lumens for brightness your lighting purchase should go way smoother. In case of professional lighting planning, other terms also play a key role. The calculation of these light variables can be fairly complicated but it’s good to know the terms at least.
Light intensity, measured in Lux
The intensity with which a light source impinges on a surface (depending on the distance) is called the Light intensity (E).Lux is the measure of the brightness at a particular location. Since the calculation depends on several individual factors, this value is not to be found on luminaire packages and if so then usually only as a guideline (calculation on one meter distance).
Even though this term might not be understandable for the average consumer, with this value the interior designers can determine whether the light is sufficient e. g. to illuminate a desk the right way. For laboratories and public places precise guideline values are required in the interests of occupational health and safety. These guideline values are used to determine whether a workplace, paths or public spaces are perfectly illuminated. This ensures that employees don’t damage their eyes in the long term because the workplace is insufficiently illuminated.
- Incandescent: The warm, yellow-amber light of these bulbs will make reds, oranges, and yellows more vivid, while muting blues and greens.
- Fluorescents: This flat and cool light enriches blues and greens.
- Halogens: These white lights resemble natural light and make all colours look more vivid. Using halogens would make the shift from daylight to artificial light less jarring.
- Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs): CFLs can produce either a warm white, neutral, or bluish-white light.
- Light-emitting diodes (LEDs): You can buy warmer or cooler LEDs, and even “smart” LED bulbs whose colour you can control wirelessly.
LIGHTING EFFECTS
As we all know there are many types of light fittings and fixtures there in market! So, here are some lights, let’s check this out!!
DOWNLIGHTING: Down lighting is a very useful and most popular form of lighting in interiors – most central light sources or spotlights will be downlights. It does cast unflattering shadows (especially for people) so it needs to be counter-balanced with adequate ambient lighting.
UPLIGHTING: Uplighting is a much softer alternative to downlighting as it indirectly introduces light into a room by having it bounce off the ceiling and reflect back into the room.
WALL WASHING: Wall washing evenly illuminates a vertical surface in a soft way. Place the light at an adequate distance so that the beam reaches the entire surface.
WALL GRAZING: Wall grazing places a light intentionally close to the surface it’s to illuminate, effectively highlighting its texture.
SPOTLIGHTING: Spotlighting is used a lot in task and accent lighting to highlight a particular feature of a room.
PERIMETER LIGHTING: Perimeter lighting accentuates the dimensions of a room and expands its apparent size. Coving or cornice lighting is an effective way to do this and is used often by interior designers and architects.
Dos and Don’ts of Lighting!
DO’S OF LIGHTING
- DO, think of what your room will be used for and what furniture will be included in it – certain pieces will require specific lighting.
- DO, incorporate a dimmer system in your lighting design – it allows your lighting to be responsive.
- DO, consider the relationship between rooms when planning a lighting scheme – sharp changes from bright to dark can cause disorientation and eye fatigue.
- DO, place wall lights on shorter walls – this will balance out your room and take attention away from long walls.
- DO, pay attention to the lining of a shade – the thickness and colour of the lining will affect the light emitted.
- DO, think carefully about wattage – 60- or 75-watt bulbs are too bright for mood lighting. A 40-watt bulb is much more inviting.
- Do always conceal a bare light bulb with a diffuser.
DON’TS OF LIGHTING
- DON’T, stick to one central light source because it causes unflattering shadows – a layered scheme is essential.
- DON’T, scrimp on outlets – there’s nothing worse than having to use an unsightly extension cord.
- DON’T, leave wires on the show – this results in an untidy look that spoils the overall aesthetic of your interior.
Conclusion
Important: these are values defined by the requirements of visual tasks, activities and the type of space. This is supposed to be a guide on how high the light intensity should be. However, it is always important which requirements each person has personally.