Lighting Up Your Life
The Sun Herald
Sunday March 13, 1994
Even the most average sort of bloke appreciates the significance of the right sort of lighting. Before an important date arrives off go the neons and overhead lights and on come the lamps and candles.
Lighting can affect people's eyesight and ability to work, as well as their moods. A lot has been said and written about the detrimental effects of the wrong sort of neon lighting, while sunlight softly filtering into a room fills people with a warm glow and makes them feel sensuous and at ease.
Lighting is the single most important element in design because it can make or break a decor. Harsh lighting can be the ruin of the most luxuriously appointed home, while a simple coloured globe can make the most humble abode warm and welcoming.
Lighting is usually the last feature considered when decorating a house, but aesthetically it is the most important. In a technical sense, lighting should be part of the initial design plan as wiring should be installed in the construction stages.
Geraud De Bie, from ECC Lighting, says renovators often do not give enough attention to lighting. "People spend hours deciding on special finishes, carpets, soft furnishings and paints and then destroy the effect by using the wrong light," he said.
He points out that, unlike with painting and wallpapering, people usually select their lights only once and do not change them again. "Therefore it's important that the right selection is made the first time around."
It is advisable to visit a lighting showroom where there is a wide range of light fittings on display and where expert advice is available as it is increasingly becoming a technical and specialised area.
Good lighting showrooms will have a darkroom where individual lights can be viewed and compared for light output.
Lights can also add value to a home. Rather like good quality shoes, lights add the finishing touch and people of discernment will take notice.
Electrical lighting can be wonderful when the sun has gone down, but no matter how technologically advanced we are Mother Nature's lighting system can't be matched. During the day natural light is always preferable to artificial light.
A recent award-winning development designed to capture and direct natural light is the Sola-Tube. A tubular skylight, the Sola-Tube provides far more light, more evenly distributed in a dark room, than many conventional skylights, according to its manufacturers.
The Sola-Tube's compact size extends the range of places in which natural lighting can be introduced to help eliminate darkness. The Sola-Tube has been specifically designed to fit most roof types and can also be applied to cathedral ceilings.
A revolutionary reflector catches the sun's rays and directs pure light down a highly-polished mirror-finish aluminium tube through an attractive clear, opal, opaque or stained glass diffuser. It has also been designed to maximise light while minimising heat build-up.
Another new award-winning lighting device is the FanLight, by HPM Industries. On permanent display at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney the FanLight combines a ceiling exhaust fan and light in one.
Useful in bathrooms, laundries and kitchens the FanLight takes up no more space than a ceiling light. The FanLight can be wired for the fan and light to operate simultaneously or for them to operate independently.
With the advances in lighting and the enormous range available every home can make lighting a special feature.
© 1994 The Sun Herald