I am going to take a confident guess here that most of us have a "pretty" thing we display in our home that we like to show off. It may be a beautiful art piece or a collection of some sort. Let's say it's a lustrous handmade glass sculpture from Chile. Say you have taken the initiative to have a designer recreate your living space, and you want this sculpture to be a focal point. Your room is complete and the sculpture sits prominently on it's own pedestal. The only problem is....it doesn't stand out!
Your newly designed room is missing a really important element: proper lighting.
You could have the most elegant dining room or modern living room, but it really will not 'shine' if it's not showcased adequately. In this particular case, what is needed is some sort of spotlight, be it shining downward on the piece, or upward from a light source on the floor.
Lighting can proverbially 'make or break' your room. And really, it should not be obvious - it should be almost invisible. It's like the hidden helper that makes your space really inviting and warm. It should be so well done...no one even notices it's there.
Have you ever been in a restaurant where the fixture hangs down over your table and the light bulb is glaring right above you and your date? Wow -- that is not good design, and especially annoying.
The same concept applies here. You don't want your guests to walk in and react, whoa, look at that light. You want them to enjoy the shining, beautiful sculpture BECAUSE of the ACCENT LIGHTING that bathes it.
Your newly designed room is missing a really important element: proper lighting.
You could have the most elegant dining room or modern living room, but it really will not 'shine' if it's not showcased adequately. In this particular case, what is needed is some sort of spotlight, be it shining downward on the piece, or upward from a light source on the floor.
Lighting can proverbially 'make or break' your room. And really, it should not be obvious - it should be almost invisible. It's like the hidden helper that makes your space really inviting and warm. It should be so well done...no one even notices it's there.
Have you ever been in a restaurant where the fixture hangs down over your table and the light bulb is glaring right above you and your date? Wow -- that is not good design, and especially annoying.
The same concept applies here. You don't want your guests to walk in and react, whoa, look at that light. You want them to enjoy the shining, beautiful sculpture BECAUSE of the ACCENT LIGHTING that bathes it.
And it is worth a bundle to mention that the light should be able to be easily controlled and use a full-spectrum, energy-efficient bulb. (Helps give the "warm fuzzies," helps keep down your energy bill, and helps the environment.)
I'd like to visit the other three types of lighting in my upcoming posts just because I believe it is THE most important part of your completed interior.
I challenge you this week, when you visit residential homes and restaurants to notice how you feel when you enter the room(s.) Do you notice the art, furniture, ceiling, architecture, and plants, or does the lighting distract you? Look further and observe the types of lighting. What is the function of the light? Is it purely decorative? What purpose does it serve? You'll start to realize that some rooms make you want to leave, not stay.
My job is to make your guests want to stay. Or at least until you want them to leave. LOL
Hope your week shines!
SL,
SublimeDesignInteriors
