Lighting

Lighting in Interiors – Lighting plays a huge role in Interiors and our daily lives. Just like we need water, air and food to survive, we need light to function efficiently.

So I’m going to explain about the importance of light, both natural and artificial. I’ll explain the different types of lighting, light sources, distribution and light fittings.

Natural Lighting – is the light from daylight where the main source for this is the sun. It enhances the spatial character of a room showing detail into relief drawing the eye to warm sunny spots and shrouding corners in cool shadows by its different types of lighting. Natural lighting always changes at different times of the day and different seasons of the year giving variations of tones, intensity and color. The different types of this kind of lighting is the ways that it can be used:

a. Direct Light– when light is of plentiful and comes directly through a glass window,

b. Diffused Light – when light is filtered and limited on entering and comes through blinds, shears or films creating dappled patterns in the room,

c. Reflected Light – is when light would bounce of other surfaces such as mirrors and reflective glass.

The natural light in a home makes the home a more lively place bringing nature close to home and makes people feel comfortable, healthy and happy.

Artificial Lighting -  is any source of light that is not natural. It is a practical means of illuminating a room uniformly and it is in no way a substitution of daylight, although with modern lighting systems, sources and fittings, it is possible to filter, direct and modulate light to provide essential contrast and variety. There are various types of artificial lighting and the 5 main types are:

a. General or Background – when the whole room is illuminated with a single light or chandelier at the centre of the room,

b. Ambient Lighting – provides light to cover across the room as a whole,

c. Work or Task Light – is used to read or work with,

d. Accent Light – is used to highlight certain aspects in the room that needs attention being drawn to,  such as plants, flowers, arts and sculptures or anything at all, 

e. Occasional and Kinetic Lighting – is when accessory lights are used to create a certain atmosphere in the room and kinetic light is the most romantic form of lighting, lit by candles, oil lamps and firelight/places.

Artificial lighting is used to create various atmospheres in a room and requires certain fixtures to provide soft, relaxing, general light. Some of the different fixtures in lighting are:

1. Ceiling Mounted Lights
              i.  Low-voltage track fittings
              ii. Strip light

2. Suspended or Pendant Lights

3. Wall Lights
              i.  Wall up-light
              ii.  Wall light

4. Ceiling Recessed Lights
              i. Recessed down-light
              ii. Eyeball down-light
              iii. Semi-recessed down-light

5. Portable Lighting
              i. Table lamps
              ii. Stand lamps
              iii. Spotlight with clamp-on fitting
              iv. Picture Light

Quality of light is another main role in creating the different atmospheres in a room and the different types of bulbs vary in creating the quality and effect on how the room will seem. Choosing the right lighting for the interior is very critical as some lighting may change colors of curtain fabrics, upholstery and wall finishes.

The different types of bulbs include 3 main types:

1. Tungsten -  the most commonly used domestic bulb generally with screw-in or bayonet attachments. It has a filament that glows a warm yellow color and its intensity depends on the wattage. The bulb has a shorter life span and is more expensive than fluorescent tubes but they emit very good quality of light. They are mostly used with table lamps and hanging fixtures.

2. Halogen – is a much clearer and whiter light than the tungsten and has the least perceptible effect on color. It is a combination of halogen gas and a tungsten filament. Low voltage halogen fittings were originally designed for commercial use and can be recessed or mounted on tracks in a domestic context but should be used with care.

3. Fluorescent – have a long life, low energy use and a tubular shape. They are  less costly and mainly used in a boxed housing that diffuses light over a large area but they create a very unpleasant artificial green tinge. They are viewed unhealthy and their main use is in for industrial and commercial purposes.

And this brings to the end of my explanation on lighting and its role in interiors. On a final note, artificial and natural lighting are both important in interiors because the aspects of the interior at different times of the day regulates under both of these, where at daytime natural light plays the role and at night time artificial lighting would play the role. The importance of light depends on how, where and when it is used.