Lighting The Way To Elegance
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday August 24, 1988
PLANNING effective lighting for your home is difficult and it helps to have some knowledge of how to achieve different effects for different situations.
The various lighting requirements can be described as task, accent, background, highlighting and fun lighting.
Basically, lighting should be gentle for relaxing, directed for highlighting and shadowless for safety. The real key to good home lighting is flexibility and it is often the case that lighting at a low level, as at table height, is more effective than at a high level because it is easier to move around to a desired position.
The direction and level of light is governed by the type of bulb and fitting, and whether the fitting is fixed or adjustable, where it is placed and how it is angled.
The following are the types of light fittings that can achieve different effects:
Downlights are direct lights which shine downwards and are either fixed to a ceiling or recessed into it. If placed correctly, they give a very efficient work light. Table lights with fabric or paper shades also can be described as downlights, but these usually form a pool of light rather than a direct task light.
Recessed lights are fixed into a ceiling. These generate heat and need space around them to keep them cool. If your ceiling does not have enough space to recess the normal fitting, eyeball or semi-recessed fittings are available.
Uplighters direct light upwards, creating pools of light on a ceiling, portions of the wall or any interesting feature you wish to highlight. Many wall fittings are in this category and, if well placed, give warmth and decoration to a room. Uplighters also can be placed effectively on a floor behind plants to light them and cast shadows of the leaves on to nearby walls
Wall washers are fittings which create wide beams of light which "wash" the whole, or part of the wall. They work best when highlighting a particular object, such as a painting, tapestry or interesting architectural feature. These are not to be confused with spotlights which do not have the same generous spread of light.
Pendants are any light fittings which hang from the ceiling, from bare bulbs to chandeliers. They nearly always provide general, rather than specific, light although, if hung over a work bench or dining table, they can be used as a task light. There are some available with a pulley system, so they can be raised or lowered to a desired height. If you have a pendant light fixed in a central position, you can move it elsewhere by looping the flex over a hook attached to the ceiling above the desired location.
Task lights describe any specific lights which enable you to do a special task requiring a strong concentrated light source. This requires the fitting to angle to any desired position and one that can be attached to either the wall, floor, desk or mounted on to a shelf by means of a clip or clamp.
Fluorescent lighting uses about five times less electricity than incandescent lighting, yet gives the same amount of light. Fluorescents also last longer and radiate a lot less heat. There is a wider range of colours available now and new designs for fittings are more imaginative and streamlined. They provide an excellent task light, particularly when concealed under top cupboards to light a bench top.
Neon or, to be more correct, "cold cathode lighting" is produced in about 25 different colours. These operate on very high voltage and require transformers. They are popular for special effects but, because of the high voltage, are easily broken and therefore should never be used in children's rooms.
Low-voltage lighting has become very popular and is widely used by architects and interior designers. The low-voltage bulbs use light very efficiently and last between 2,000 and 4,000 hours, which is more than twice the length of a conventional bulb.
© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald