The Power of Lighting

Light it up: Light, whether it be natural or artificial, as we know, has a profound effect upon the clarity, ambience and success of an interior scheme. We talk about the powerful effects of lighting and consider the different lighting sources available for today’s interiors.

The power of Lighting:

Natural light, for a time in the mid-20th century, was essentially seen as a hindrance to the success of architectural design and use. It was thought that artificial lighting (that supplied by electricity) was a far superior way to control an interior environment, however in the 1980’s, Sick Building Syndrome (or SBS) was acknowledged as a condition that affected many workplace employees, particularly those who worked in buildings constructed from the 1970’s to the early 1990’s.

SBS is caused by time spent in a certain building which often has a lack of natural light, opening windows and with little or no air conditioning. Symptoms could be such things as headaches and dizziness, fatigue and poor concentration. It is therefore imperative that we acknowledge how natural light has such a profound effect on not only the use of a building, but also the health and well-being of its occupants.

However, natural light, particularly in residential buildings will not be enough to sustain a successful interior. Whether this is artificial light to support a certain task, to highlight certain areas or to provide a much richer overall spread of light, it is the job of an interior designer to use light in its truest and most appropriate form.

Over the past few years, it is light (or more accurately, lamps) that have seen great change within both the residential and commercial sectors, purely from an aesthetic point of view. It is now not just about the light fitting (pendants, spot lights, sconces etc) that are considered when choosing appropriate fittings for our designs, but it is also the lamp that sits inside it that has become an important aspect of fulfilling our design intentions.

From the humble incandescent lamp, to the somewhat incongruous energy-saving lamp, we are starting to see real consideration for the look and style of new lamps. The forerunner of this new wave of design-led products is that of Plumen, “creators of the world’s first designer low energy” lamp (Plumen, 2015).

With the new, comes a return of the old.  The now ‘retro’ Edison lamps are being seen in many aspects of our design culture; from homes, to bars, restaurants and libraries, these lamps are a return to our industrial heritage yet still has a strong element of design-led aesthetic. The design collective ‘Scott, Rich & Victoria’ have created their own adaptation of a filament bulb to give a white, rather than a warm light (below, far right.)

The importance of effective utilisation of natural and artificial light is so important to the success of our interiors and now with the evolution of design-led products, it is now more important than ever to combine good light with good style.