6 reasons why lighting should be at the top of your design priority list.
6 reasons why lighting should be at the top of your design priority list.
You design the interior? Start with light! Lighting should be the first thing you focus on when designing the interior of a house, apartment or individual room. Pendant lamps, standing lamps and wall lamps because it is the most important element of the arrangement and the best weapon in the hands of any designer. Many people are unaware of how much can be achieved with light, and once the plaster has been laid and the walls painted, it turns out that a few cables here and there would be useful... Often it is then too late to make any changes, and investors feel bad about money and time. What makes light so important and why it is from lighting design that you should start your interior design adventure? Below you'll find 6 reasons why lighting design should be at the top of your design list.
1. Bad light can spoil even the best interior
You can spend crores - buy the most beautiful furniture, the most expensive wallpaper, a magnificent sofa and stylish cushions, and in the end... bury the whole project with poor lighting. The most common mistake made by people who design their interiors and are not involved in design on a daily basis is to paying too much attention to the main light, relying entirely on central lighting, while the secret to a well-lit interior is diverse light sources arranged at different levels.
Opt for a single pendant or ceiling lamp, then plan the placement of wall sconces, floor lamps and table lamps. If you do this already at the stage of planning the electrics, your interior will repay you with a unique atmosphere and you will be able to easily admire the pieces of equipment that will be placed in it.
2. Lighting makes the zones in the interior fulfill their primary role
Every interior - nay, every square meter of the interior - should have a specific role, even if that role is seemingly unimportant and is rest, communication between rooms or... coat removal. Note that in a well-planned space there are no forgotten corners and "black holes" - places that are not part of a well-defined zone.
In some rooms such zones are more. The living room can have a seating and dining area and a reading nook. In the bedroom you can designate a place to work, place a dressing table, where you will prepare to go out every day or a closet. Each of these activities requires a certain light, and well-chosen lighting will not only allow us to better highlight the various zones, but, above all, make it comfortable to use them, make them functional, and thus properly used.
When designing a house or apartment, consider the lifestyle of the household members. Together, consider how you will use the space, what you will do in each room. This will allow you to design the electrics in a way that in the future, will give your space meaning and functionality.
3. Light directly affects the perception of colors, textures and decorations
We all know that how we perceive colors depends both on our organ of sight and on light, because it is light - that is, specific lengths of electromagnetic waves that make us see the world in different colors.
We also all know that a given color of paint on the wall looks completely different in daylight and differently in artificial light. The same goes for the color of the wallpaper, the texture of the materials, and even the stucco or graphics with which we decorate the walls. Light can change so much in our perception of the interior that it is definitely better to have it under control!
Directed spot light will allow you to expose decorations, unique pieces of equipment or works of art. If you have plans to introduce such elements into the interior, you must already at the stage of planning the installation, take into account the number of spots, spotlights or picture tubes needed.
4. Light creates the mood
One of the primary functions of lighting is to create an atmosphere in an interior. It is the type of lighting and number of light points have an impact on whether you relax peacefully in your living room after a hard day's work, whether you calm down before bed, soothe your senses, put yourself in a romantic mood.
It is often said that the mind needs a shadow to think. Dimmed light promotes concentration and focus. So make sure that in your interior you can create an atmosphere suitable for both relaxation and work.
This is another reason why you should not forget to introduce multiple, diverse sources of light into your interior, because they - wall lamps, table lamps and floor lamps - when the central light is turned off, they will be responsible for the atmosphere at dinner, the mood at the party, or relaxing in front of the TV.
5. Light like a good primer - can successfully hide minor flaws
Well-designed interior lighting will not only allow you to highlight what is beautiful in it, but also hide and level out minor flaws. Optical impressions - and these can be quietly created with light - greatly affect the perception of the interior.
Light directed upward, toward the ceiling, makes the room appear taller. Highlighting a narrower wall will make the interior appear wider. Lighting a spacious living room with wall sconces will make it seem smaller and cozier. When designing lighting, think about what features of the interior you want to emphasize and what to hide. You will certainly find that there are such light tricks that will help you achieve the desired effect.
6. Cables, sockets, installations and... feel
We've probably mentioned this before, but this advice can't be repeated too many times. Before you put up the plaster and paint, apply the wallpaper, lay the floors and fix the ceiling moldings... make sure that you have designed the electrical installation well, that the cables have been routed where you will need them, the switches are in place, and there are enough outlets in each room.
Let's agree, no one looks good in the harsh light of an incandescent bulb! Varied lighting will not only create an atmosphere conducive to relaxation and conversations until the morning, but also make everyone - both household members and guests - look better, younger, more mysterious. When choosing the main lighting, as well as table lamps and wall lamps, bet on shades and lampshades that diffuse and soften the light, and thus make everyone look more favorable in it.
We hope you already know why it is so important to carefully design the lighting in the interior even before any finishing work begins. With light, you can achieve so much within yourself that it would be a shame not to take advantage of this potential. Remember that good design is more than half the battle, and the right light can not only become the crowning glory of the space you designed, but also its main character and greatest decoration.
