Planning the lighting

You have to think about what kind of atmosphere could each family member want to have in each room. One needs different lighting in the living room, different in the bedroom, and still different in a room where you will work and need to stay concentrated.

Day rooms

The living room should be supplied with lighting that will best serve entertainment and relaxation. So, it should convey a cosy atmosphere for meetings with family and friends. If the light sources should be powered from different circuits, one could separately light the walls, and separately focus on details of the interior, like i. e the suspended ceiling or a plasterboard shelf. In such a way, one can easily pick the appropriate lighting for each activity. For the dining room remember that the table should be properly lit, and the lamp should be placed at a height that will not disturb the members of the family sitting at the table with too strong light. When creating an atmosphere for feasts at the television set, turn your attention to whether light, even dimmed, does not reflect off the screen. In such a room, lamps pointing upwards are a good choice.

One interesting design which we have met on one of our projects were three different-coloured lines of vanity lighting installed around the suspended ceiling. This gave a very interesting effect. It’s worth knowing that such lighting is very durable – it can stand up to 100000 hours of continuous operation. So it can be used in tough to reach places. It is available in many colours, i. e. white, yellow, red, green or blue, which enables one to create decorative lighting lines freely, changing the colours and atmosphere of a room within the blink of an eye. But we will not bore you with matters or programming…

Kitchens

A kitchen needs bright light, even if the room sports a large window. One prepares meals often after sundown, and the sink should also be lit properly. Remember to install lights, i. e. halogen bulbs, over each working surface. It’s a good idea to install sensors in tough to reach places, like deep cupboards or the pantry – this is especially useful during cooking, when our hands are often too dirty or too full to reach the light switch ourselves.

The kitchen usually also has elements that can be underlined – a porcelain tea set or crystal chalices lit beautifully by light will provide for a stunning decorative effect.

Bedrooms

The bedroom requires light from different circuits – one needs different light when putting on the nightshirt, and different light for reading before sleeping. That is why each light point should be independent from the general lighting. We should also plan in bright light at the bedside cabinet, where a member of the family (or rather – the lady of the house) – will do her morning make-up.

Also, don’t forget about romantic lighting – in the bedroom it is absolutely essential. For this purpose one can light interesting elements, or install a dimmer in the main ceiling lamp.

Bathrooms

The lighting has to be safe. You have to know that the intelligence of your house also covers that fact that light control equipment functions using circuitry that is powered by safe 24 V voltage, or utilises radio or infra red waves. Thus you can place a light switch by your bathtub or shower cubicle without fear of an electric shock.

The light has to be natural – clean and bright, but not too strong. Note the fact that light from lamps pointing downwards should not bounce off shiny glazed tiles, terracotta or mirrors. For this purpose one can use special light-dispersing rings.

Offices, work rooms

During intense work, i. e. at the computer, one doesn’t notice minute changes to the light level. The body reacts only when the light is visibly weaker. Even then, busy with work, we do not get up to turn on the light. Working in difficult light conditions is a burden to our eyes, even if we ourselves don’t consciously notice that it is too dark. That is why the installation of a light level sensor in your workplace is a good solution. It will make sure that the light level is constant. It works great on cloudy days, when it can quickly get dark or bright again.