Defining Experience:
What do architects or interior designers do? They design a space of course. And when designing a space, it is essential to keep in mind and clearly define the experience that is to be created. Should the space convey a sense of peace and tranquility so that the inhabitants can feel relax and rejuvenate after a long day of busy work life? Should the space create excitement so that people are enthusiastic visit or stay there? Or should the place help the users be calm and focused, to concentrate on their works and yield the most efficient results? If you look at successful shopping malls or workplaces where employees enjoy staying for overtime, you will find that the designer has incorporated these ideas and thus it attracts more people there.
To define such good experience just like designing proper layouts, use of appropriate furniture and accessories, lighting design also plays an integral part. The use of lighting can either enhance the aesthetic appeal of a room or cause the total opposite. Lighting influences our perceptions, experience and sensations and can completely transform the design of a room. Hence proper lighting is an important element of interior design.
The Functional Purpose:
Obviously, the main purpose of lighting is illuminating the room otherwise it is a waste of electricity. In our previous blog, we have discussed about the types of lighting where we have talked about Mood lighting and Accent Lighting. Such types would not be suitable to use in rooms like kitchen or the reading rooms. Similarly, Chandeliers are placed in foyers, entryways or hall rooms not only for their decorative looks but also because they are radiant and is an excellent source of illumination.
Playing with Colors:
Playing with lighting and colors of walls and floor in interior design is an interesting subject of its own. Use of lighting can enhance, dim, highlight or subside the colors in an area. For example, a west-facing room that has a warm glow from the evening sunlight, can look dull in the morning.
We all know that a Darker shade makes a room to appear smaller and cramped than its actual size, whereas a lighter shade does the opposite. Use of proper lighting can help enhance the feel of space in a room. For example, use of bright light along with scones, accent lightings, like track lights, in hall rooms can soften the color of the walls.
Similarly, use of Mood lightings like blue-enriched lighting can lead to improved alertness, performance, and sleep quality among office workers in comparison to lighting with a lower color temperature, according to study.
Directing your Focus:
We have discussed about the use of Task Lighting and Accent Lighting to set the focus of the people at a particular spot or thing. Some good examples are Track Lightings and Spotlights which can be used to highlight a photo, a mirror frame, architectural features, wall textures, a decorative piece, houseplants, or even outdoor landscaping.
No matter how well planned the layout of your home is or how luxurious your furniture is, without the use of proper lighting, it might not catch the focus of others. Lighting design helps to complement the already existing design and directs the attention of others towards it.
Illusion of Space:
The illusion of space is defined by light reflected off of the surfaces of the walls. Both natural and artificial light help to create the illusion of space. Use of Table lamps at the corners, wall sconces and chandeliers help brighten a room if natural lighting is not available and thus, help to create a visually larger space. Including large windows in office spaces and hall rooms are also a part of lighting design since it incorporates natural lighting to illuminate the spaces. Natural Lighting is always preferred over Artificial Lights as it accentuates the colors much better.
Conclusion:
The study of good use of lighting is gaining popularity as it has many applications from home or office space design to even lighting up an entire city in festive mood. Proper Lighting can create a comfortable environment and add elegance in interior decoration.
