Celebrated American author, James Thurber, once wrote, “There are two kinds of light — the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures.” This beautifully articulates the art of successful interior illumination. Proper lighting is what separates a warm, welcoming home from the cold, sterile environment of a commercial space. The latter is typically not desired in creating a warm interior, however, standard lighting fixtures installed by home contractors tend to create this austere atmosphere. Modify your home’s lighting by avoiding common interior lighting mistakes.
Mistake #1: One Lighting Source
Beautifully designed rooms utilize multiple lighting sources to create an atmosphere. Don’t be timid in mixing ambient, task and accent lighting when designing a room. Ambient light is general overhead lighting. Task lighting provides concentrated light for a specific purpose, such as a floor lamp by a chair, recessed down lights over kitchen counter, or mirror sconces for shaving. Accent lighting highlights artwork or architectural features.
Also take into consideration the amount of natural light a room receives. Does it have intense morning light or is it brightest in the late afternoon? Incorporating table lamps and wall sconces for brightly lit spaces will soften the bright light and installing large overhead chandelier or track lighting can brighten a dimly lit room.
Mistake #2: Recessed Down Lights As Main Lighting
Recessed down lights are most commonly used by builders. This is one of the most common lighting errors which design consultants see. The optics of these inexpensive can-lights allow a little more than half of the lumen output for lighting. This is a huge waste of almost half the wattage of a fixture. In addition to the poor energy use, the illumined area is a smaller radial amount onto a limited horizontal surface. The eye perceives light on vertical surfaces. Installing an overhead light which reflects onto wall surfaces allows for greater optimization of a fixture.
Mistake #3: Neglecting Dimmers
Each light source in a room should be controlled independently. This gives the ability to create drama or romance, depending on the mood. Dimmers reduce the voltage of a lamp, saving energy. For maximum efficiency, incandescent, halogen and LED lights should be dimmed. Multiple light switches may not appeal to certain homeowners, so more sophisticated methods, like programmable wallbox systems, have been created for single room control with preset settings. These wireless controls generate their own power and can be used from a laptop or smartphone.
Contact Marrokal Design for an in-home lighting consultation. Our designers have been providing San Diego homeowners with premier service since 1981. Call today.