Lighting for different spaces
Why the fuss over lighting at the end of the day if one has good visibility in a space. Shouldn’t that suffice? No!
The usage of a room determines the amounts of light required in it.
For example, night clubs will always have dim lighting for both ambience and anonymity. Moving away from the hassle of daytime, people would like to have fun, let go and blend into the night.
In this two-part series, let us look at different spaces in our homes and the appropriate lighting for each.
Foyer/entrance hall; some home front doors don’t directly lead you into the living room space but instead into a small waiting area which is called a foyer or hallway.
In this space bright decorative lighting would be appropriate. The purpose for this lighting is not to provide light but beauty. This is usually presented in form of a glamorous or overstated chandelier. In this space you are allowed to be extreme.
Living Room; because this space is used by everybody in the home at one point in the day, general lighting will do. This room needs a centre pendulum or non-flashy chandelier is common. However, single people can afford to light this space with ambient lighting, which is kind of personal and creates different moods.
Kitchen; this is a busy space and a lot of detailed work goes on in this space therefore, necessitating Task lighting. This is lighting that is directed to a particular spot where a task is going to be performed like in kitchens. This is why spotlights are common in kitchens. You can turn them in any direction depending on what you are working on.
Study room; this is also another space in which Task lighting is applicable. This would be demonstrated in the form of study lamps on reading desks. For good reading vision or experiments direct lighting on the subject is necessary.
Five lighting types
According to electrical engineer Dennis Katalihwa, there are five most considered types of lighting; ambient lighting, accent lighting, decorative lighting, task lighting and general lighting.
-Gloria Kawuma is an interior designer.
