General tips on lighting your home
Many
people spend a great deal of money decorating and furnishing their homes to
create an atmosphere only to find that something
is missing. Good lighting will
complement and complete the effect you are seeking but remember that bright
lighting is not always good lighting.
A light source creates a pool of light but there is a second effect produced
when this light is reflected by surfaces.
It is this secondary effect which
cannot be reproduced in the shop where you buy your lights.
Consider where you
are to put the light and the surfaces under and around it. What effect will the
reflected light have?
Avoid hard contrasts which can be tiring to the eyes and, where possible, try to
combine different types
of lighting in the same room. Direct lighting for
reading or working, pools of light to highlight features such as
paintings or
objects and washes of light on walls all help to add atmosphere to a room whilst
remaining
functional. If a room has to perform several functions, consider
installing a dimmer. This will allow a higher light
level for working or reading
and a lower light level for relaxation. This can prove useful too for older eyes
which need more light.
Colour is most important, incandescent bulbs help create a cosy atmosphere in
living areas while
fluorescent lamps give a cooler, more efficient light for
utility rooms. A room painted in a dark colour will need
more light as much of
it will be absorbed, whilst lighter colours reflect light. You can add colour to
a room by
illuminating a coloured surface.
Avoid glare by placing the lights at a height which prevents the eye from seeing
the bulb directly.
Pendants should not be hung so high that the bulb is clearly
visible underneath.
Take care that lights placed over reflective surfaces such
as glass tables have a diffuser in them.
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Lighting Suggestions
Room by Room
Different
rooms have different functions, accordingly each room will have a different
lighting requirement.
The following guide will help you decide which light
sources you need for each room in your house.
| Lounge
 Avoid
using one central light which will create hard shadows and possibly glare.
Instead aim to use plenty of different light sources to create pools of
light, this will give a more interesting effect.
Let’s start with where you sit. An adjustable reading light beside or behind
your chair which can be switched whilst seated will prove invaluable. If it
can be adjusted for height, even better.
Two or three table lamps placed around the perimeter on tables, shelves or
furniture will give the room a more spacious feeling as the light radiates
inwards. These small pools of light also create interest.
Illuminate bookcases, pictures or objects of interest with picture lights or
halogen spot lights. This indirect lighting of a different colour will add
contrast.
Wall lights and pendants on a dimmer switch can raise the level of
illumination in the room without needing to adjust any of the other light
sources but beware of glare if they are mounted too high. Indirect light
from wall washers (light fittings designed to light the wall and ceiling
often made in ceramic or plaster) will create dramatic effects. Remember
that the light given from wall washers will be coloured by the surfaces on
which they are mounted. Floor lamps come in many guises and can be very
effective at adding general illumination to a dark area where it is not easy
to fit wall
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Kitchen  We
spend most of our time in the kitchen and it has multiple functions, many of
which require care to avoid accidents. A higher level of illumination is
required here.
Fluorescent tubes under wall mounted units cast an efficient light over work
surfaces and prevent shadows. They also ensure you are not blocking out the
very light in which you need to work.
A central light is also important in a kitchen to provide a general level of
illumination and, if you have the space, the use of halogen spot lights
mounted on the wall will help to add accent.
If you have glass fronted display cabinets in your kitchen the use of small
halogen lights specifically designed for the purpose will add interest.
If your ceiling is low or you want to avoid a central light, consider the
use of a number of downlights which create a glare free and pleasing effect
whilst remaining functional
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| Dining Room
 The
main light source here will be over the dining table. The use of a dimmer
will allow the table to be used for jobs such as sewing and yet give a low
mood light for dining.
Don’t hang a pendant so low that your diners have to peer round it, about
60cm above the table is about right. Better still fit a rise and fall
pendant.
If you like to dine by candle light, make sure the heat and smoke are far
enough away from the light fitting.
If you have a glass dining table, make sure the light is fitted with a
diffuser so that your diners are not looking at a reflection of the light
bulb. Long tables can be very effectively lit with a longer light fitting
suspended on two wires.
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| Bedroom
 This
is an area so often neglected. Consider the number of functions required of
a bedroom.
For dressing you may need a general illumination or, if your partner has to
rise at a different time, do you need a lower level pool of light which
won’t disturb them? A well positioned downlighter will help here.
Many people read in bed and with a double room, it is useful to have bedside
lights which are individually switched. Adjustable reading lamps are ideal
if you want to read while your partner sleeps. For convenience and safety
you should aim to have all of the bedroom lights controlled from the bed.
Dressing tables used for make-up will need more specific lighting and the
use of two slender table lamps either side of a mirror gives a good working
light without glare and will add to the cosy effect of the room.
Try to create pools of light to reduce any hard contrasts. Adding a table
lamp or illuminating pictures will be very effective.
|
| Study  A
general background illumination is important to avoid the hard contrast if
only a desk lamp is used. Indirect wall washers or a floor lamp will do
nicely.
For the desk lamp look for one which is adjustable for height and will reach
over the area where you are working. It is most important to avoid working
in shadows. If you have a computer try and light the wall behind it to avoid
tiring your eyes when looking at the screen. Make sure the lights in the
room do not reflect off the screen into your eyes.
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| Children's Room
 A
good central ceiling light is useful to provide a general illumination and a
bedside or wall mounted reading lamp is recommended.
Night lights for children’s rooms give peace of mind and cost very little to
run.
Older kids will want to have fun lighting and there are many effective
novelty lights but always be safety conscious and choose lights which are
suitable for the age of the child
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The
information here is intended as a guide and contains several generalisations for
illustrative purposes. For more technical information refer to an electrician
and specific product data.
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Bathroom Lighting Great care needs to be taken
when choosing bathroom lighting as the regulations are strict concerning the
type of light you can use.
The bathroom mirror deserves some special attention and a diffused glass light
either side will give good general illuminations where it is needed. The
alternative is a halogen downlight from the ceiling or fluorescent strip light
over the mirror.
For general illumination in the rest of the bathroom either use downlights for
their refreshing halogen colour or a high output flush ceiling fitting to suit
the decor.
Portable lights are not permitted in a bathroom so for mood lighting use ceiling
mounted directional spotlights aimed away from the bath and at interesting
features.
Lights designed specifically for showers are available and must be carefully
fitted according to their instructions.
The following information
is a guide to help you understand what fittings can be placed where. This is not
an installation guide and reference should be made to the IEE Wiring's
Regulations (16th Edition) or a qualified electrician.
Firstly it is important to understand the rating by which bathroom and some
outdoor lights are classified.
IP rating stands for ‘Ingress Protection’ and is
always followed by two characters.
The first character specifies the degree of
protection against particles or solid objects.
Starting with 0 for no protection
it runs up to a maximum or 6 which is total protection against ingress of dust.
Of more interest here is the second digit that states the degree of protection
from ingress of moisture.
This ranges from 0 for no protection to 8 for a light
which may be totally submerged in water up to a specified depth.
The ratings that interest us are IPx4 (x is used in this case because there is
no requirement in the regulations
for a level of dust protection). Lights sold
as IPx4 will have been tested for protection against water splashing from any
direction.
The
information here is intended as a guide and contains several generalisations for
illustrative purposes.
For more technical information refer to an electrician
and specific product data.
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Lightbulb types
word about efficiency...
 There
has always been some confusion about how much
light you get from the different types of light bulb and how much energy
they consume. The new breed of compact fluorescent (or ‘low energy’) lamps
will only use around 11 watts of power to generate the same light as a
normal 60 watt light bulb and they last up to eight times longer. There is
no doubt at all that they save you money over the life of the lamp. A
halogen bulb uses about half the energy of a conventional light bulb to
generate the same amount of light.
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Incandescent
light sources
(conventional filament bulbs)  These
are the conventional bulbs which we all recognise and their chief advantage
is the colour of light they emit. Colours of objects are generally more
accurate with this type of light bulb and they impart a warm feeling to a
room. The disadvantage is that they are inefficient by modern standards and
have a relatively short life (around 1000 hours). Incandescent lamps come in
a variety of shapes and sizes and have a number of different fittings:
Bayonet cap (BC), Small Bayonet cap (SBC), Edison screw (ES or E27) and
Small Edison Screw (SES or E14). The Edison screw types are becoming more
popular in the UK. Several different coatings are also available with the
following properties: Pearl is an all over frosting which diffuses the light
and is best used in a light fitting with shades. Clear bulbs are more
attractive when used in fittings where the bulb is visible or a sparkle is
required such as crystal chandeliers
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Halogen light
sources
(filament
bulbs containing halogen gas)  Halogen
bulbs produce a very attractive light which closely resembles sunlight. They
are more efficient than incandescent bulbs using only half the energy to
produce the same light output and last twice as long.
Generally they are small lamps which generate a lot of heat so they can only
be used in light fittings designed to cope with the higher temperatures.
There are two main types of halogen lamp available in the domestic market:
Low voltage. These lamps operate on 12V which means a transformer has to be
fitted either in the light fitting itself or remotely. The advantages of the
lower power are that the safer voltage enables manufacturers to produce
interesting and slim designs without the need to protect against danger from
higher voltages. Transformers can be either electronic or ‘wire wound’. The
newer electronic transformers are more energy efficient and smaller but more
expensive than the conventional wire wound type. Electronic transformers can
be damaged by voltage ‘spikes’ in the mains supply (sometimes referred to as
‘dirty mains’). These spikes can be caused by fluorescent lights, older
motors, fridges, lift shaft motors etc. If persistent problems occur the use
of mains voltage lighting is recommended.
Mains voltage. This relatively new breed of lamps offers the light colour
advantage of halogen without the need to house a transformer. The reflector
type bulbs are known as GU10 or GZ10 and the latest small envelope
non-reflector halogens are known as G9.
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