Showing posts with label Interior Lightning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interior Lightning. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Out of this World Interior Lighting Design

Unique Interior Lighting Design

As just another example that creative energy knows no boundaries are the incredible and unique light fixtures . Fiber optics combined with hand crafted, sculptural light fixtures. Crafted in London, this can be found all over the world

Softly draped pieces of glass created ethereal, delicate fixtures. The soft lighting created is almost secondary to the unique sculptures. These fixtures evoke images of fantasy or dream-like states, with influences of underwater or ghost-like movement.

Lona Ceiling Mount Light Fixture


The Lona ceiling mount fixture features petals of white bone china with a halogen capsule. The petals cascade in long flowing strings to resemble a rosebud formation. The ceiling reflection must have a magnificent effect of soft waves and angelic lighting.

The Marni Wall Panel

By contrast, the Marni Wall Panel appears with a fiery woven copper flora shape. Fiber optics are encased with a rich brushed copper surround that would create an ambience of fire. Other finishes are available upon request. This elegant panel would be at home as a wall divider or fireplace substitute. The beauty of these products is that the uses seem limitless.

The Lily Table


Straying from traditional lighting is the Lily Table. Individual ceramic forms are inset into a black frame creating shadow and spaces amidst the blooming optic filament. Covered by a glass top and brushed steel surround, this unusual piece could almost stand on its own.

Create a Truely Unique Interior with Designs

The unique fixtures have been featured in museums, hotels, theatres, and restaurants as well as personal residences. Each piece is custom created individually for its purpose, making each an individual work of art.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

How to Choose the Perfect Lighting for a Dining Room


The dining room is a place where homeowners oftentimes are at a dilemma on what style of lighting to choose from. So much attention to details had been put in by a lot of homeowners to their dining room lighting because they want it to be the center of attention. A dining room, no matter what the size is,becomes a center during dinner time for the family as well as guests so choosing the right fixture that becomes its jewelry is necessary. A dining room light should be functional and attractive at the same time. People are sometimes at odds whether to choose form over function or vice versa. Luckily, with so many options to choose from, one doesn't have to choose between the two for nowadays, they oftentimes go hand in hand.

How to Choose the Perfect Lighting for a Dining Room Table:

Size of the dining room.
One factor you should think of when choosing your dining room lighting is the size of the dining room. The size of the light fixture should be proportionate to the size of your dining room. A huge chandelier will look so odd and over imposing in a small dining room.

Size of the dining table.
This may go hand in hand with the criterion above, but at times, a huge dining room may have a small dining table at the center. Although choosing the dining room table should also be in proportionate to the room, but at times a small heirloom piece that you cannot do without may need to stay in the huge dining room, with other big furnishings in the room will look just right. However, if the table is too small, a huge chandelier over it doesn't look right. A small round table that can accommodate four chairs should have a small pendant or up to 5-light pendant provided that the overall size of the pendant is not huge. hang the pendant light lower than traditional chandelier light to cast light better. A chandelier should be hung 30 inches above the table.

Finish:
Choose a lighting fixture for your dining room that has the same finish with those used through out the house so that there is cohesiveness in the design. Match also the hardware used on door knobs, curtain rods, and cabinet hardware.

Style:
When choosing a dining room light fixture, consider the style. If you have a modern or contemporary home, a crystal chandelier in a Victorian style may not work, in the same manner that a track lighting may look out of place in a formal Victorian style dining room. Always match your home decor style with the dining room light fixture so that the styles do not clash with each other.

Ceiling lighting:
In a dining room, the light should be functional as well as attractive. Choose a light that can cast enough light so that the food and anything in it is visible. Also it should cast enough light so that you can see each other's faces as you have conversation around the dinner table. Either choosing a drop light or a shade chandelier, ensure that the light would be suitable for entertaining.

Mood lighting:
Although we choose to have lights that are functional and that can cast enough light to see the food on the table, mood lighting can also help with entertaining. Mood lighting may mean having the ability to adjust the brightness and darkness of the light. You may need a light bright enough during dinner time, but during intimate candlelight dinners you can adjust to lower down the light's brightness.

Task lighting:
Even though your dining room has a ceiling fixture like a chandelier or light pendant, it also helps to have additional task lamps. Place a couple of buffet table lamps on the serving table to highlight the food being served. Place one on each end.

Accent lighting:
Wall sconces can be used to brighten the wall and add accent by highlighting the artwork and wall paint color.


Choosing Your Home's Ceiling Light Fixtures


Whether you are building a new home or remodeling an existing one, picking out the right ceiling light fixtures for your home ranks among the most important decisions to be made. Ceiling fixtures can add value to the appearance of the house, or they can look like careless afterthoughts.

You always want the fixtures hanging from the ceiling or recessed into it to match the style and feel of the room. A giant chandelier is rarely a good choice for a child's bedroom. A bare bulb fixture will not impress guests as the enter a large foyer. So, taking the time to select the right ceiling light fixtures for each room is essential to good decorating.

If you have a large foyer or dining room, a tasteful chandelier that fits with the size of the room can be an excellent choice. Whether you go with a modern art deco type of fixture or a traditional chandelier with lots of cut crystal is determined by the character of the room and its furnishings. The style of the house itself may need to be factored into this decision.

For a smaller foyer, you may want to consider wall fixtures or pole lamps instead of a ceiling fixture. However, a nice well-lit foyer with an ornamental fixture that does not protrude a great deal from the ceiling can be a great addition, too. Your foyer lighting should telegraph the mood of your house to guests as soon as they step through the door.


Kitchen and dining areas should be lit with fixtures that will give maximum lighting to the guest area. A multiple bulb fixture is usually a safe bet. If you are concerned about making the room seem more intimate at special times, installing a dimmer can give you the needed flexibility. Go slowly about installing a lighted ceiling fan. Often these can be dust collectors and sometimes become noisy near the end of their life. If you are a fan of the fan, make sure you opt for quality.


Hallways need a fixture about every 8 to 10 feet if ceiling fixtures are the only source of light. Simple single-bulb fixtures will usually do the trick. Given the choice of fewer and bigger or more and smaller, try to go for more and smaller to get a more even light dispersion in a hallway.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Mood Lightning Basics




Lights bring life to every corner of the room. They may add a sensuous feel to the simple room or make it look like a perfect place for social meets. Mood lighting is the latest trend in home decoration. Before setting up the lighting of the place, you need to assess how much ambient lighting is there in a room. To review this, you need to first check the look of the room at different times of the day - morning, afternoon, evening and at night. While a room in the eastern side will have bright mornings, glaring afternoons, subdued evenings and dark night, the opposite is the case, with the one located at the western side. The latter will have dark mornings and brighter evenings.

Next in line, comes what kind of lighting can be given to the room. A dining space or a living room can be dealt with a central light from the ceiling, which will bring in diffuse light to the corners of the room, making it socially appealing. In case of the bedroom, you would want a relaxed, romantic and comfy ambience. In such a situation, the key to make the room quixotic and dreamy would be to indulge in dimmers and soft lights. A table lamp at the corner of the room or lamps with adjustable lights can add drama and intensity to the bedroom. Also, you can keep a few aromatic votives to intensify the ambience of the room.

Coming to children's room, the best bet would be to keep the lighting bright and vibrant, but take care not to make it too loud. This would help flow positive energies to the room. Match the lightning to the color theme of the room. For instance, for a pink room, the light chosen should emit subtle grace to the room but a blue room should have lighting that gives a cool impact to the ambience. For reading or sewing rooms, fluorescent lights are a good option to explore. They are bright and would therefore assist in reading fine prints or sewing purposes.

To create a lively atmosphere in the broad daylight and also supplement ambient lighting in the living room (where there is indirect lighting), the best bet would be to use strip lights behind a wall-to-wall valance over the windows. In case you are in a party mood, use more of halogens and red lights. These create just the right effect for the party mood. To accentuate the effect, use the white mini-lights in patio plants, large houseplants, and so on to make your party sparkle. In case the party is for the couple and requires romantic setting, use lots of candlelight and shimmer ones. Add mirror, crystals, diamond and other reflective surfaces to create an extra festive spar. To give a whimsical effect, use strand lights beneath a translucent table cloth

Swimming Pool & Garden Lightning

Swimming Pool Lightning:

Water presents a challenging and rewarding medium for lighting. Swimming pools, fountains, waterfalls magically come to life with lighting effects at night.

Swimmingpool Lighting

  • For effective swimming pool lighting, the lights are generally set below the water level, into the sides of the pool.
  • This should be done while the construction of the pool so as to keep the wiring away from water.
  • The lights should be placed to shimmer down the deep end of the pool.
  • Fountains are effectively lit by submerged narrow beam sources set near the base of each jet or falling on the flowing water casting a color and sparkle on it. Waterfall comes to life when lit from behind.
Garden Lightning:

Garden is a place where man interacts and is near to the Mother Nature even at the time when we are on the verge of destroying it.

Garden Lighting

  • Lighting should be planned according to desired landscape lighting effects as well as providing adequate light for walking, security etc.
  • All lights, wiring and metal work should be able to resist weather conditions for a prolonged period of time like dust, moisture and corrosion.
  • The lighting should illuminate select areas, should create striking effects and keeps what is to be concealed in shadows.
Thus, the way of lighting drastically changes the way of living and mood of the environment. So one must be very careful while planning the lights and choosing the fixtures as in the end, if worked carelessly, it can result into mis match of everything.


Reading Room & Bed Room Lightning


Reading Room Lightning:

The study is the most important room for the intellectuals, for students as this is the room where one builds his career. In the reading room, one should plan the lights very carefully as the intensity affects a lot on the eyes thus on the health.

  • In a study, the priority is to provide adequate illumination for reading and writing. For maximum pleasure of reading and for easier concentration, reading lamps must have a proper quality and quantity of illumination and be placed so that the light falls comfortably on the open page.
  • The complete room may be lit with powerful up lighters, down lighters, or the general lighting may be reduced to be supplemented with task lights as required. For the study it is necessary that task lights be supported with general illumination even if it is of low intensity to avoid eye strain.
  • Care should be taken where computers are placed; the task light should not produce glare or reflections on the screen. Task lights for writing should be positioned so as to avoid both glare and shadow.
  • If floor lamps are used as reading lights, then it should be 40"-49" from the floor to the bottom edge of the shade. The shade should be moderately illuminous to softly diffuse the light and eliminate glare, thus open top shades are preferred.
Bed Room Lightning:


Bedroom Lighting

The bedroom is a place where one can be totally oneself. It is the room where we spend the maximum amount of time - to sleep, relax and unwind, after a long tiring day and rejuvenate oneself for the tomorrow.

  • The lighting should be a soothing general illumination. If want to highlight some paintings or photographs, one can go for a task lighting in this area.
  • Up lighters look very beautiful, dimmers can be very useful to play with the intensity of the light as per mood.
  • Lights should be planned in such a way that it must create a light, romantic, relaxing environment. Table lamps or hanging lamp shades provides the room a very aesthetic look.

Bath room Lightning



Planning and designing is a tedious job. Today's bathroom wears a well dressed look, its design recognizing people's needs to begin and end their day in pleasant surroundings. It is after all an intimate personal place- perhaps the only room in the house where one can be totally private and get much needed peace.

1. For a relatively small room, the bath area can use a no. of different types of lighting.

2. General lighting is essential in a compact bath, a central ceiling may suffice.

3. Medium size and large size baths and especially those with sectioned areas for tub, shower and toilet will require several overhead fixtures.

4. The lights are general, recessed into the ceilings or those over a tub or a shower must be watertight and vapour proof. A minimum of 100W incandescent or 60W fluorescent lamp is sufficient.

5. The most critical lighting in a bath centers on the mirror area, this is the basic for good grooming. For shaving, make up applications hair care, light should be soft and diffused without glare or shadow.

6. Avoid lighting the mirror itself rather light of the person looking into the mirror. The most efficient to light up a person's face is to use three fixtures, one on either side of the mirror or one overhead. Side fixtures should be mounted 30" - 36" apart on the wall and install about 60" above the floor.

7. Incandescent fixtures should have a minimum of 75W bulb and fluorescent tubes on either side of 20W and one tube of 30W or two tubes of 15W overhead. Additional bath lighting for specific purposes may include plant lights to take the advantage of bath humidity for growing the flowers and ferns.

Dinning Room & Kitchen Lightning

The decor of dining room depends upon the culture of the family. A dining room can change the style of eating. So one should be careful while playing with the lights to make the environment relax and easy.

Dining Room Lighting

  • One must keep the visual emphasis off the ceiling and walls and on the décor of food and guests.
  • Ceiling down lights should fall and focus primarily on dining room table surface.
  • Candles and fuel lamps in decorative holders can add special touch to any meal.
  • Buffet or service areas and chinaware/silverware/crockery displays deserve special lighting emphasis.
Kitchen Lightning:
Kitchen is a place where a lady spends her maximum time so it should have comfortable and fresh feeling. Today's kitchens are far removed from the dark dingy spaces one saw earlier.
Kitchin Lighting
  • General lighting for a kitchen should be well distributed, uniform and as shadow less as possible.
  • Fluorescent fixtures reduce the energy demands without sacrificing illumination.
  • Even if there is window in the kitchen, install down lighting over a sink for cloudy days or nights.
  • Special lighting for key work areas can be installed in the ceiling or in the upper cabinets.
  • Provide light for storage areas in pantry or wall cabinets overhead or shelf mounted brackets will do the job.

Living Room Lightning

The term lighting refers to the useful energy output of a system consisting of light sources, fixtures to support them in appropriate locations, wiring channels to activate the light sources and the convenient electrical controls. Here are the tips on how to maintain the lighting system in different rooms according to the ambience.

LIVING ROOM lighting

Living Room Lighting
  • Establish an adequate general illumination level to reduce the accent light, brightness, contrast.
  • Illuminate an entire wall with overhead fixtures to provide background for room furnishings.
  • Feature window areas with the cosmic lighting.
  • Indirect light like that under a pelmet or above a cabinet will supply soft uniform illumination.
  • Use dimmers to program lighting moods.
  • Play up with the architectural features like aala, niches, mantles etc.
  • Highlight artwork and plants with individual lighting arrangements.
  • Be sure that the floor, table and hanging fixtures have adequate shades to prevent glare.
  • Plan adequate lighting to handle a variety of family activities like rack for display.
  • Bar area could use incandescent light to play up sparkling glassware. Lighted shelves or fluorescent fixtures under the front edge of bar are effective.
Living Room Lighting

Understanding the Lightning System

Light can define space, substance and style. Outdoors, with the shifting sun and atmospheric conditions, light and the shadows change the appearance of things natural and man made. But in the indoors, the play of natural and artificial lighting largely determine both function and decoration.

Today lighting is considered to be a very important element of decorating scheme. The invention of the incandescent bulb in 1978 revolutionized lighting systems as it allowed light to be easily manipulated. Apart from exploiting natural light by using opaque or transparent glass walls, sky lights, large windows etc. for offices, architect work out the detailed light fittings which are conducive for a work environment. In homes, a careful selection of lights extends and enhances the aesthetics of interiors. Similarly for hotels, showrooms, museums, gardens, water bodies, individual lighting requirements are worked out. Artificial light falling from various angles and heights on different surfaces guide us to perceive various features and dimensions while creating a specific mood. With technological developments and the stress on precision lighting, a variety of lighting fixtures are readily available with options which offer manifold possibilities in terms of effect.

The choice of fitting according to the room , gets very difficult , one gets puzzled off as there are so many varieties in lights like the table lamps , spot lights , clamp lights , recessed / surface mounted lights , up lighters , halogens , incandescent bulb , pendants , fluorescent fixtures and lots of others. Once the basic idea of the space, mood, interior design, highlighting, function of work have been specified, one can then consider the basic types of lighting. Initially only the planned positions of lights need to be decided. Later, the selection of bulbs and the exact effect can be created. One should always keep in mind some of the basic rules while designing the light.

  • Every activity that takes place in the interior must have lights of the right kind, intensity and the right direction.
  • The eye prefers even lighting with the minimum of contrast between the brightness of the room surfaces and the lighting fixtures.
  • The eye works best when the work surface is more brightly lit then the surroundings.
  • The eye is stimulated by the contrast of tone and sparkle.
  • When room lighting change, color changes or disappear, thus objects become more or less important in the room.
  • There are three basic types of lighting which are categorized according to the intensity of the light used.
General lighting - It supplies an overall illumination in the area.

Task lighting - It supplies the required illumination for specific tasks such as reading, painting etc. It directs strong local illumination without high general illumination as required for activities carried in a particular area.

Accent lighting- It offers a decorative element to the area by highlighting the particular objects or features in the area. They are auxiliary to the general lighting and provide an added, and at times, dramatic dimensions to the scheme.

Spaces can be provided with one, two or all types of these lightings, depending upon the requirement. With different types of lighting in each room and dimmers to adjust the intensity of light, an ordinary space can be infused with much dramatic look to convey different moods to suit different times of the day.