Balancing effect of light and decoration

What you need to know:

  • Lighting and decoration are the assets define a house. They define the way the house appears to the people who live in it and visitors.

When we speak of lighting, we do not only have to focus on the artificial light but also the natural light because they both add beauty to the house.
When choosing the decoration and lights of your home, it is ideal to seek for help from an expert who will help you place them where they look better and balanced.
There is a very distinctive difference between the two though both give the room a preferred feeling or taste the person requires.
Mind the colour of the items in the house because anything can be a decoration. So carefully choose the colours of the furniture, frames, plants and vases. Lamp shades can also help to balance the two.

The balcony
Isabel Odida an interior designer at Miss Odida, says the balcony has more natural light during day so for this there will be no difficulty in having the decoration in any part of a person’s choice.
“The challenging part is during night because there are some places where you cannot place your decoration due to insufficient light because the night lamps or bulbs are the source of light and this cannot reach each and every corner,” says Odida.
She advises those who want their decoration to be seen in the night to place them where there is light but one should remember that the suitable decoration to be used on the balcony is natural plant decoration so. Therefore, the lights to be used should favoure the plant and also not be so bright.

Bedroom
This is a sensitive area and when choosing the lighting and decoration, you should consider the atmosphere you need for your bedroom.
In most cases the rustic colour can be appropriate for the bedroom because it creates a cosy atmosphere which is suitable for the bedroom, says Odida.
She advises people to have lampshades and bulbs that do not transmit a lot of light and also the decoration to be used should be dull and with less decoration.

Sitting room
This is the place where a lot of concentration is placed because it is where people spend most of their time and when visitors arrive, that is the first place they enter so emphasis on the lighting and decoration are placed there. Enid Bichetero a gardener, an interior and exterior designer, says do not put too much decoration in the house because this may make it seem so crowded and also make sure that there is enough natural light that gets into the room during day because it gives the room more life.

The kitchen
Bichetero says this area needs more light than decoration but a little decoration can be placed in form of cabinets or some other features.
“Decoration may be an optional aspect in the kitchen because the kitchen area is meant for cooking and other activities.
Having decoration may be destructive but if you feel the urge to decorate then go for it but bearing in mind that the lighting is more important.”

The floor and wall
This appears the way the person has intended it to since an individual decides on which colour his or her floor and wall should possess. So they should make sure that the colour of decoration they place on it should match the decoration they choose for the wall.
Odida recommends wall hangings, picture frames and wall paper although these should be able to bring out the beauty of both the natural and artificial light both during day and night. None of them should over shadow the other.
On a bright wall you can place something dull so that the colours and the light are balanced so as to prevent one from over shadowing the other.

The natural plants
This kind of decoration is quiet selective when it comes to lighting of the place because the plant itself may be affected by the light and also the lighting may not match the decoration because of the selective nature of the natural plants.
Bichetero says plants with out flowers should not have bright light as the light will dominate more and the colour of the leaves will not be distorted.
She adds that usually, when one chooses to use the plants to decorate their houses, there is always an effect they intend to attain and the green is the main aspect they look at so using a little dull light will give you the feel you need.

Expert advice
“If you are building a new home or doing major renovation work, plan and cater for the lighting at the same time as the plumbing. Most of us have to work with fixtures that are already there, but with a little strategic thinking it’s perfectly possible to get lighting that works for you,” says Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, BBCHomes.

Experts recommend lighting that sets a cosy ambiance in the bedroom such as dim lights.
Below, flowers need natural light when used as decor.