How to design lighting in an interior
Lighting design - step by step
Designing an effective and impressive effective lighting of our interior is a complex process in which a number of factors must be taken into account. However, this does not mean that the placement and selection of light sources should always be entrusted to a specialist. Of course, interior designers can make any room - even those small, low and seemingly difficult to arrange - shine, but if you take into account certain factors, if you think about answering a number of questions related to the interior, you can certainly successfully plan the lighting of your living room or bedroom.
Below you will find a number of issues to consider in the design process, as well as basic concepts you should know if you want to optimally illuminate your insides.
1. Determination of room specifications
The first step in designing the lighting of a room should be to think about the specifics of the room. What will be the main function of the room in question? What materials and textures I want to use in it? What will be the logic, or geometry, of a given space?
It is impossible to design lighting well in an interior if we do not know, for example, what furniture will be in a given space and how it will be arranged. Arrange furniture differently in a small room and in a spacious living room.
2. Establish functional zones and hierarchy of elements in the room
Preservation of geometry in the interior adds to its functionality, and the consideration and separation of individual functional zones is the next step in the design process. The number of functional zones depends largely on the size of the room. A small bedroom will be used mainly for the rest of the household, but if our bedroom is larger or we are forced to fit into it, for example, a home office, this room will serve several functions.
The same is true when it comes to the hierarchy of elements in a room. Which furniture will be the main actors in our interior? Which elements we will want to emphasize, bring out, and which to hide?
As you can see, designing lighting requires a fairly clear vision of your interior and a fairly accurate concept of how to arrange it. Of course, it's not a matter of knowing exactly what couch will stand in your living room or what model of armchair will be in your bedroom, but you need to know what furnishings to include in the design, what their function will be and how they will be arranged in the space.
3. What perception of the interior I care about?
Light can work wonders in the interior. It can make a space conducive to work or relaxation, to be austere or friendly, sophisticated and elegant or minimalist. Interior lighting can also highlight its qualities or hide its flaws. Make a particular room appear taller or longer. Therefore, in the process of designing lighting, it is worth considering what perception of the interior I care about. What do I want to achieve with light, how a room should affect me, what mood should be in it. Remember that also light parameters such as color temperature affect the perception of the environment and how we feel in it.
If the room is small, it is worth choosing such light fixtures, that will allow you to add to its metric. Low interiors can be "drawn out" by directing the light beam in the right direction. A glamour or classic style living room requires a different drama than raw, minimalist interiors or elegant, bright apartments french chic. Think about the overall expression, character and atmosphere you want to bring to the interior and the lamps that can help you achieve the desired effect.
An important aspect is also to determine what contrast ratio we care about. Light can bring drama and theatrical effect to interiors, but not everyone may like the play of light and shadow. If you prefer a gentle diffusion you need other lamps than an interior with an atmosphere in the style of film noir or a minimalist, austere apartment or industrial loft.
4. What level of lighting should be used?
If you already know what functional zones will be in your interior, it is worth considering the selection of the appropriate intensity and power of light. The parameters to pay attention to when choosing light sources for our interior are:
- luminous flux, or luminous power (amount of light) emitted by a light source and expressed in lumens (lm). The more lumens a bulb has, the more light it emits.
- Lux - one Lux corresponds to one lumen per square meter. Lux takes into account the area over which the luminous flux spreads, rather than its intensity. This is especially important in the case of wall sconces or hanging or standing lamps directing the light beam downward.
- luminance - intensity of impression of light received by the human eye looking at light produced directly by a source or from reflection from a surface. Therefore, luminance can be defined as the luminous intensity or brightness attributed to a given surface on which it falls.
A well-lit interior is a component of many factors - space, functionality, arrangement or personal preference. However, certain values are adopted to determine the number of lumens per square meter, depending on the type of room you want to illuminate.
- Salon: 200-500 lm/m2 depending on the shape of the living room and arrangement
- Dining Room: 200-400 lm/m2
- Bedroom: 100-300 lm/m2 depending on wall colors, needs, amount of time spent in the bedroom, and whether there is a dressing table or reading/working area.
- Kitchen: 300-500 lm/m2 top lighting, worktop lighting about 600 , bulbs in hood about. 400-800 lm/m2
Corridor, hallway: 100-200 lm/m2
- Bathroom: 400-700 lm/m2, depending on the color of the walls, cosmetic procedures performed, size of the bathroom (about 600 lm/m2 near the mirror)
- An office, a place to work, study, read: 350-500 lm/m2
- Workshop, workshop: (places where precise activities are performed): 700-1200 lm/m2
- Utility rooms: 50-100 lm/m2
REMINDER :The same number of lumens does not mean the same power. How much light an LED bulb will emit depends not only on the number of lumens, but also on the type of lamp and the height at which it is mounted.
The same bulb placed in an open shade, a transparent glass shade, or a directional spotlight will provide more light than one installed in a plafond with a milky glass shade or a pendant lamp with a milky glass shade.
5. Consistent lighting composition?
Absolutely key principle, which should be adhered to if you want to develop a coherent composition of lighting, is the principle of taking into account in the project different types of light fixtures, which will play different and complementary roles in our interior.
- main lighting - provides general brightness in the room. Its role is usually played by ceiling fixtures - pendant lamps, ceiling luminaires in the form of spotlights on rails or light spots recessed into the ceiling.
- task lighting - provides light in areas designated for special tasks such as desk, kitchen countertop, dressing table, etc. The source of such working light is usually task LED lamps, wall sconces with a boom or movable shade, desk lamps, etc.
- accent and decorative lighting - highlights decor details and provides the right atmosphere. Thanks to it, we can highlight the qualities of the room and at the same time divert attention from its shortcomings. If we want to bring an intimate atmosphere and warmth to the interiors or to expose a work of art, decoration, sculpture or piece of furniture, this is the layer of light that will work best in this role. Luminaires that often act as a decorative or accent world are wall lamps and table lamps.
Hopefully, you already know how to get down to lighting design and what aspects to consider before you decide to choose specific lamps and light fixtures. If you have any doubts or questions, do not hesitate and contact our office customer service. We are happy to provide our customers with professional advice.
