Tips And Trends To Getting The Best Lighting Plan For Your HOME
November 30, 2020
Decorative Lighting trends come and go and I’m noticing the wonderful thing about trends is that we are all slowly finding our own unique voices amongst them, and making choices that reflect who we are and how we want to live.
Personally, I think that is the greatest trend for the future - decorative lighting that is quality made, creatively designed and will bring you joy for years to come.
But HOW do you work out what to focus on when choosing the rest of your home lighting? If trends aren't the be all and end all -
So, skipping the decorative fashion stuff, we’ll be focusing on trends in technology and lighting design solutions.…
and don’t forget you're possibly going to live with your choices for the next 20 years or until you sell up, or renovate.
OK so with that in mind….
the first tip is to get involved with the lighting selection and not leave it for the last minute so your only choice is cheap downlights....the next step is to review current trends and advances in lighting TECHNOLOGY and figure out if they add value to your life and your home.
Trend 1 - the quality of your light in your HOME
The massive influx of LED lighting over the past few years has resulted in some very disappointed people who were trying to do the right thing, but who were let down by the poor quality of light produced by many LED fittings.
Luckily the trend from manufacturers of LED light is to focus on QUALITY of light and not just energy saving. This means that designers like us (and home owners like you) have access to some truly beautiful light - we just have to know where to find it.
Light Quality comes down to four main things:
Colour Rendering (the ability of a light source to represent colours faithfully)
Consistency of White (that's the colour temperature - how warm or cool the light looks, and then how consistent that colour is across different lights)
Glare control (creating light without glare has always been a key focus for luminaire designers)
Efficiency - how much energy is used to create the light - and how much of the light created actually leaves the fitting and enters the room.
All quality manufacturers now provide this useful technical information with their fittings, explaining their performance within these parameters and more. With the right data at our fingertips, we can all look forward to a clearer, brighter future.
Trend 2 - Hiding or concealing Light in anything and everything at HOME
LED light comes in so many shapes and sizes now that it can be hidden in just about anything - and it's showing up everywhere! There are very few items left which can not be purchased with a light in them. Some applications are just plain crazy- but many, especially lighting within cabinetry which is activated by the opening and closing of doors and drawers (much like your fridge) is an exciting opportunity in home lighting.
The opportunities here are endless, and as the technology advances, they become more and more efficient, using less power and materials to create great results.
Trend 3 - NO MORE RECESSED LIGHTING, means fewer holes in your ceiling at HOME
With focus being placed on the thermal performance of the building envelope (sometimes known as "Passive Home Design"), moving away from recessed lighting is the next obvious step.
The fewer holes you make in your ceiling and insulation (because insulation over a downlight, is just a bad idea - it won't cause fires, but it will reduce the life of the light) the better your home will perform at the height of Summer and the depths of Winter - saving you more money than you can imagine.
Also, we usually end up with fewer lights going into a room when we move away from recessing downlights - the savings just keep rolling on with this trend, no wonder it's more and more popular!
Trend 4 - Layering your LIGHT to create different moods & clever automated lighting controls for your HOME
As lighting becomes more important to people in the design of their homes, layered lighting which allows you to create different moods at the flick of a switch is becoming more popular. The flexibility of the lighting solutions available now enables design which results in rooms that can have bright light for those times when you want to see every detail, task focused light - putting it only where you need it
- and subtle mood lighting for relaxing at the end of the day
all in the one space, and all at the touch of a button or fully automated with clever lighting controls available.
The world of lighting control has also leapt forward, and the flexibility now available is astonishing. The best way to evaluate what you need is to question the value it brings - is it something cool that you'll likely never use? or does it make your life easier?
It's a brave new world for home lighting - and it no longer costs an arm and a leg to bring great design, with cutting edge technology in to your home, just some research and the right approach to your lighting design.
If you take these trends into consideration - you'll end up with a home lit beautifully, sustainably and with vital functionality, that will shine for many many years to come.
Decorative feature fittings that add that bit of sparkle are also very important in your home, so always remember to choose the LIGHT you LOVE.
For advice and design services, contact Mint Lighting Design today to discuss your project.
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In Main Blog, Home Lighting Inspiration, Home Lighting Design Tags Home Lighting Design, home lighting, lighting designer, lighting, lighting plan, melbourne, Made in Melbourne, warm vs cool light, lighting tips, lighting trends, quality home lighting, LED Lighting, melbourne lighting, architectural lighting