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Lighting Guide
By peace | January 17, 2007
The average-size room usually needs four or five light sources. In a room where light is “absorbed” by dark-coloured walls and upholstery, you may need more lamps or higher wattage bulbs. To achieve harmony in a room, the tops of table and floor lamps should be at the same level, and all shades should be similar in style and fabric. A table lamp should be no more than 1.5 times the height of the table. The diameter of the shade should be no wider than that of the tabletop. If you’re using a floror lamp for reading, place it slightly behind you either to the left or the right of your shoulder 20 inches to the left or right of the center of the book. The bottom of the lampshade should be above eye level; a lower one restricts the light that falls on the book. If you’re left-handed, place the light source to your right; if right-handed, position the light on your left side — this way your arms or hands won’t last cast shadows. Make TV viewing easier on the eyes — use a dimmed downlight or a tample lamp with a three-way bulb on its lowest setting. (Place lamps carefully so that they aren’t reflected in the TV screen).
Worried about choosing the right size of chandelier for your dining room? A good rule of thumb is that its diagonal in inches should equal the diagonal of the room in feet. Some decorators feel that when it comes to chandeliers it’s better to overscale than to underscale. For example, a large chandelier may give a small dining room or a narrow hall just the extra glamour that it needs.
Choose lampshades according to the effect you want to create. An opaque shade, which produces a strong pattern of up and down light, is more decorative than practical. If you want cheerful diffuse light that you can read by, select a shade of light-diffusing fabric, plastic, or paper. Lamp Plus have launched a new line of customizable lamp shades. You send them your picture, choose your print style and using high quality inks and printers, they put your image onto a Giclee lamp shade. Available as a table lamp or floor lamp. Flash demo available at http://www.lampsplus.com/ArtShade/. Avoid narrow-topped shades — the heat the confined bulbs beneath generate can cause premature deterioration of their fabric.
Mood Lighting
Install dimmers for flexible mood lighting. Bright lights stimulate activity; dim lights are more conducive to relaxation. Just follow the easy instructions on the dimmer switch package. To create a warm, intimate atmosphere, substitute small pools of light for general lighting. Pink bulbs warm up a room, making its light much more flattering than white light. Blue and green bulbs are cool, making a room seem more serene.
