New Delhi: Gone are the days when lights were used only to illuminate the house. Today lights play a key role in visuals and in interior decoration of spaces. Cool coloured lights make one feel alert and conscious, whereas warm lights are relaxing and rest instigating. Prachi Laud, Founding partner & CEO, Light Doctor shares some of the ideas to help you plan how to light up your rooms:
1. Consider room height
While choosing suspended light fixtures like pendants and chandeliers, it’s important to know your room height. Try not to stall out with a light that hangs excessively low or excessively high. As a standard guideline, the base of a light should hang around 12 to 24 inches underneath a standard 9-foot roof. Make sure the suspended lights not interfering the walkways and circulation spaces.
2. Lighting for your dining area
While hanging a light over a dining table or above a breakfast counter, 30-36 inches is the suggested distance from the base of the light to the top of the table surface. In general, a smaller light can be moved lower and a bigger light can be moved higher. Be creative, a unique pendant or sculptural chandelier can make your dining area look artistic.
3. Plan it out
Consider your lighting layout during the initial design phase. For instance, in case you are opting for false ceiling and you wish to add a chandelier, you must plan and add required support frames to avoid breakage in finishing stage. Similarly, the electrical cabling and the location of plug socket need to be planned in advance as per your lighting preferences.
4. Layering lighting
Try not to confine lighting only to downlights. Good lighting is all about layering of lighting: Ambient, Accent and task lighting. Ambient lighting is the first layer of lighting, it helps us in providing lighting for various surfaces like walls, floor and more. It helps us in performing our basic day to day activities such as circulation, dusting, cleaning among others. Accent lighting gives the uniqueness to the space. You can add visual accents by adding decorative light fixtures like wall sconces, table lamps, floor lamps and chandelier. Task lights help in performing various tasks easily. Light above your vanity mirror, a desk lamp for your study table or a linear light added above your cooking worktops are some of the examples for task lighting.
5. Know your glow
The light installation ought not to be your solitary thought — the kind of light is similarly significant. Nowadays, LED bulb comes in a range of warm, cool shades and even in multiple colour hues. Much like the shade of your walls, the kind of shine you need is generally an individual choice. Warm coloured LED lights are preferred in living rooms, balconies and bedrooms, whereas cooler coloured LED lights are preferred in kitchen and storerooms.
Good lighting is important for your home. Lighting affects mood, health and general well-being, so choose the correct lighting arrangement for your home and don’t take lighting lightly!
