How to light your home – lighting tips from interior designers

We tend to use wall lights, shaded or obscured, and a downlight to the basin and the front of the face fitted with a non-glare shield. Low-level ... 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Awell-plannedlightingschemecantransformthewayyourhomelooks,feelsandfunctions.Thesefourinteriordesignexpertssharetheiradviceonlightingdesign,fromhowtoilluminateopen-planspacestousinglighttocreateacosymood.HowtolightdifferentareasofthehomeTomBartlettfoundedWaldoWorks,anarchitectureandinteriordesignstudioinLondon’sClerkenwell,nearly20yearsagoandisknownforhisuseofcolourandrefined,modernspaces.Here,heshareshislightingtipsfordifferentareasofthehomeWhenchoosingpendantlightingforaboveakitchenisland,makesureit’spointingdownontothesurfacesothatitfunctionsasatasklight.Also,lookattheproportionsoftheislandversusthelightfitting.Itendtoavoidmultiplependants(theStarbuckseffect):it’sbesttospendthemoneyonasingle,reallygoodone.Whenitcomestolightingaroundabathroommirror,aimforawarmhaloeffectratherthananythingclinical.Wetendtousewalllights,shadedorobscured,andadownlighttothebasinandthefrontofthefacefittedwithanon-glareshield.Low-levellightingisalsohelpful.Avoiddownlightsstraightontotheheadastheyshowuphairdye,rootsandbaldness.Downlightsaregreatforspecifics–art,achair,abasin–butnotforawholespace.Inasittingroom,forinstance,youneedlotsoflightsourcesandshadows,andagoodmixoflamps,tasklightsandglowshouldachievethat.Lampshadescanbeamystery:thesize,shape,height,colourandfittingallneedtobeconsidered.Takethelampwithyouanddecidewhattobuybytryingvariousshadesonit.Thecolourofthelampshadewillaffectthelight,sosticktowarmerfabrics.Howtolightopen-planspacesSincesettingupherarchitecturepractice,EsterBruzkusArchitektenin2002,EsterBruzkushasbecomeknownforinteriorsthatplayfullycontrastmaterialsandforms.Here,sheandherbusinesspartnerPeterGreenbergtalkusthroughlightingforopen-planspacesThemostimportantthingaboutlightingingeneralisthatitreinforcesthearchitecturalideaofaspacebutitalsoneedstocreatetherightatmosphere.Inanopen-planlivingroom,it’scrucialtomakeareaswithintheoverallspace,andhavedifferentpossibilitiesforwhenyou’reeating,watchingafilmorcooking.Don’tbetooevenwithlights–youwantdiversityandcontrast.Onewayofdoingthisisbyhavinglightatvaryingheights,suchastablelamps,floorlightingandlightingintegratedintotheceilingindifferentdirections.Consequentiallightcreatesambience.Forinstance,athome,wehaveanLEDstriplightonthefloorofthelivingroomareabehindthecurtain.Itsitsinacavityonthetopoftheheatinggrillbythewindow.Youcan’tseewherethelightcomesfrom,buttheeffectmakesthespacefeelbigger.Ifyouhaveanoutsideareaconnectedtoyourlivingspace,createanadditionalzonebyusingoutdoorlighting.Ifit’snotlitup,thenintheevening,youonlyseeyourownreflection.Withlighting,itbecomespartofthespace.HowtocreateatmospherewithlightingInteriorarchitectChristophePoyetandarchitectEmilHumbertsetupMonaco-basedstudioHumbertPoyet13yearsago.Thestudio’sworkrangesfromresidentialhomestorestaurants,andtheyalsohavetheirownlightingandfurniturecollection.HeretheyoffertheiradviceonhowtocreateplentyofatmospherewithlightsUsually,weuselighttocreateaveryintimateambienceorasenseofdrama.Forthelatter,youneedtothinkoflightasasculpturalobjectthatwillcatcheveryone’sattention.Also,astatementpiecedoesn’tnecessarilyhavetobebig–itjusthastobecentraltoaspace.It’sallaboutbalance,sotrypairingahugeceilinglightwithsomethingsleekandminimal,suchasadownlighteronthewalloralightfromacornicethathighlightsthearchitecture.Playwithscaletocreatethemoodyouwantinyourroom.Forinstance,inthelivingroom,youmighthaveonemainceilinglight,buttheadditionofafloorlampnexttoanarmchairwillevokeasenseofcosiness.Thinkaboutthecolourofthelightitself.WithLEDs,therearemanyvariations,fromwarmwhitetoamber.Byplayingwiththehues,youcancreateamooddependingonwhetherit’sforaworkspace,adiningroomorabedroom.Youcanhavethemostbeautifulfeaturelightintheworld,butifyouputthewrongbulbinside,itwon’tlookright.HowtosourcevintagelightingJamesThurstanWaterworthsetuphisinteriordesignstudioThurstantwoyearsago.Heisknownformixingantiqueswithcustompieces,andhere,shareshistipsonvintagelightingWhensourcingvintagelighting,onlineauctionhousesareagoodplacetostart.OneplatformworthalookisTheSaleroom–it’shometomultipleauctionhousesthatsellvintagepieces.Don’tbeputoffbuyingalightthat’srickety,orhaswiringthatdoesn’twork.Thisjustmeansyou’remorelikelytogetitforagoodprice.Anelectriciancanrewirealightinaveryshortperiodoftime,anditdoesn’tcostmuchatall.Fundamentally,lightingispractical,butitcanalsobejustasimportantasanartpiece.Iwouldn’thavetoomanyshowstoppersinaroom:ifyouhaveachandelier,it’sthefirstthingyou’llsee,soit’sbesttocomplementitwithmoresubduedpieces.Iliketomixlightingstyles,butalsotothinkabouttexture–wood,metal,ceramic,polished,handmade–andwhatthatbringstoaspace.Peopleunderestimatehowpowerfulalampshadecanbebutifyouuseavintagefabric,suchasapalelinenorcolourfulIkat,itaddsanextralayerofinterest.ThisarticlefirstappearedinELLEDecorationDecember2020Likethisarticle?Signuptoournewslettertogetmorearticleslikethisdeliveredstraighttoyourinbox.SIGNUP Thiscontentiscreatedandmaintainedbyathirdparty,andimportedontothispagetohelpusersprovidetheiremailaddresses.Youmaybeabletofindmoreinformationaboutthisandsimilarcontentatpiano.io Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow MoreFrom Decorating 15creativeChristmasdecoratingideas LauraJackson’stipsforastylishChristmas Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow Aflorist’stipsforstylishChristmasdecorations Experttipsforsourcingandfittingafireplace ThebestluxuryChristmaswrappingpaper 34ofthebestmodernrugstobuynow 4waysthatroofwindowscanimpactyourhome Createdfor FromELLEDecorationfor CreatedbyELLEDecorationfor VELUX Thecolouredbathroomsuiteiswellandtrulyback 20ofthebestbaublesforthisyear’stree GetreadyforChristmaswithhelpfromourexperts Decorating Thebestinteriordoorhandlesandknobs Expertadvice:howtocreatecontrast AlbionNordonhowtodesignforperiodhomes Expertadvice:howtosellyourhome Howtogifthomewarelikeaninteriordesigner Howfinearthasinfluencedinteriors