Light attracts. In fact, lighting is integral when it comes to creating a comfortable, safe, and uniquely styled living environment. This post is dedicated to helping you light up your life with natural lighting ideas and organic lighting tips that will adding some “amazingness” to your everyday living space.
Lighting is in our DNA. For thousands of years, we’ve been using the same styles of lighting... Sconces used to be torches that were used to line dark hallways, and chandeliers had many small lights in the form of candles. Lamps were similar shapes and were lit with kerosene. And thankfully, modern lighting carries on the same homage to style and functionality, but with a much simpler electric light bulb. (Quick cheers to Mr. Edison!)
Different types of lighting for different needs
There are four types of lighting: ambient, task, decorative, & accent
Ambient is intended for exactly what it sounds like -- to illuminate a space. Task lighting offers brighter more concentrated light to carry out tasks such as cooking, applying makeup or working at a desk. Decorative lighting can come in many forms such as sconces, pendants and chandeliers. Accent lighting is meant to accentuate a space, such as up lights that shine on the side of a wall.
One fixture can serve several functions.
A dining room chandelier is decorative but also supplies ambient light to the dining room and task lighting to illuminate the table at mealtime.
A recessed can light can be task, ambient, or accent, depending on its location.
The best lighting schemes use several, if not all four, types of lighting, which entails taking a layered approach.
Consider how you will be using your rooms. Perhaps the dining room table will serve a dual purpose as an area to do weekly homeschooling with your kids or for scrapbooking during the weekend. If you work from home, the dining room may be a great place to host client meetings during the day.
With plenty of natural light, daytime meetings around the table likely won't require a lot of additional light. However, you'll want ambient and task light during the evening for dinner time at the table and late night Monopoly games.
Knowing the four types of lighting will help you to assess your own lighting needs for each space in your house. So let's take a look at the different rooms.
Designer tip: Consider the varying lighting needs in your dual purpose spaces to help eliminate the need for purchasing extra lighting fixtures later.
Room by room design guide to sustainable lighting
a functional kitchen requires ample lighting fixtures
No room is more critical for good lighting than the kitchen, and yet many homeowners overlook this space when it comes to shedding some light.
The International Residential Code (IRC) says that one overhead light is enough. No way, we say! (Unless you’re the brave soul who feels comfortable slicing your stir fry in the dark.)
Recessed Can Lighting in the Kitchen
Poorly lit kitchens are usually due to a misunderstanding of where recessed can lights need to be placed for effective task lighting on countertops. Most countertops measure 10 to 15 foot-candles (fc) with all lights blazing. However, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recommend a minimum light level on countertops of 50 fc.
In simple terms -- to deliver enough light, cans must be directly above the counters, eight to 12 inches out from upper cabinet faces. If they are placed farther out, the cook will block the light.
What to do? A quick and effective remedy is to install under-cabinet lighting. Look for energy saving LED strips or halogen fixtures that put out more than 500 lumens per foot.
In an effort to conserve energy and avoid too much glaring light, at JS2 Partners we design our kitchens with several series of overhead ambient lights on different switches. An inner set of lights is focused around the island and central areas of the kitchen, while the outer ring illuminates the countertops and traffic areas.
Kitchen Island Pendant Lighting
A lot goes on at the kitchen island. It's a gathering spot for laptops, card games, dinner prep, and more, having plenty of lighting over the kitchen island is a must. Decorative pendant lights can be combined with well-placed recessed cans to provide ample lighting for this multi-use space. In fact, it's not uncommon for large kitchens with taller ceilings to have 15 or 20 separate fixtures of different types of lights on separate circuits.
Natural Light in the Kitchen
And, of course, large windows and/or glass patio doors in a kitchen provide a connection to the outdoors while adding beautiful ambient daylight. Bottom line, a dim kitchen can lead to missing thumbs. More beams are better!
(Wondering how your kitchen lighting stacks up? There's a number of free light meter apps available to download on your smartphone.)
a well lit bathroom includes eco friendly natural light – here’s why
Not only does lots of natural light cut back on energy consumption, but daylight also helps set the body’s circadian rhythm, which gets you up and going in the morning. The more natural light in bathrooms, the better for your psyche!
Sconces to either side of the bathroom mirror (for each user) or LED backlit mirrors provide the best lighting for makeup and morning care routines.
Sconces allow for cross-lighting, which ensures there are no shadows, much like actors’ makeup mirrors.
Overhead lights alone cast shadows that aren’t helpful for grooming, but overheads are fine if used in addition to sconces. Plus, we love the dramatic look and feel of bathroom sconces.
