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Rooms with a view to stylish lighting
Lighting
Good lighting is critical to a successful room design.
"Avoid a harsh finish by using uplighters, downlighters and wall washers to reflect light on another surface and spread the light in a gentler and more flattering way"
Although specifics are not too important in the early stages, the positioning and types of light are – it’s annoying to realise that extra sockets for lamps are needed after the room has been decorated. Plan for success by following a few aide-memoire.
The mood and atmosphere you intend to create with your colour palette and design can be dramatically altered by the wrong type of light. Too much strong white light with a neutral, cream and beige scheme will appear stark or grey. Likewise, too little light with a more vibrant and rich scheme will muddy the colour tones and can be oppressive.
Lighting occasionally needs to be practical and bright, but avoid a harsh finish by using uplighters, downlighters and wall washers to reflect light on another surface and spread the light in a gentler and more flattering way.
Reposition existing overhead lights to more practical positions, using two or more overhead lights to help delineate different areas of a larger or multi-purpose room.
If your ceiling height precludes the use of interesting overhead fittings, remove them to make the ceiling appear higher with uninterrupted sightlines. Carefully position table, floor and wall lights to give a spread of subtly defined light.
Wall lights should be equally spaced horizontally between two points and vertically two thirds up the wall, but take into consideration the effect of other items in the room such as curtains and furniture before you finalise the lighting positions.
Allow all the lamps to be turned on/off or dimmed from a central point – a must where overhead lighting is rarely used – by fitting a 5 amp lamp socket circuit before decoration is undertaken. If possible sink sockets into the floor to avoid cables stretching from table to wall to avoid tragedies when swaggering to the fridge for that little refresher!
Jamie Hempsall is an interior designer who undertakes commissions throughout the country. For more information visit his website at www.jamiehempsall.com or call for an appointment on 01777 248463.
