Getting your head around what colour means in light can be tricky. It's even more confusing with LED lighting than any previous technologies because the choices now are so diverse! Unfortunately, even though there is a lot of good information available, it can be difficult to work out who's telling the right story. Sadly, there are still some people who are experts in their field making blanket comments about the quality of light from energy efficient LED based on poor colour selection that can be very off putting when you're trying to figure out what the right light is for you.
Read moreAustralian Home lighting regulations – Building Code of Australia (BCA) J6 compliance
All new Australian homes and renovations that require a planning permit must comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) code – and specifically with regard to lighting, the J6 section. Regulating maximum energy usage, the NCC BCA J6 (developed by the ABCB) means that all residences where a Building Permit has been issued must comply with the 5W/M2 requirement.
Read moreLighting Effects made EASY
We've uncovered five easy ways to describe how light behaves in a room. These five effect descriptions can be applied to any light fitting, and they form the core of the language we use to describe how light should behave in a room to craft the "right light"
Read moreHow and Where to Hang your Pendant Lighting at Home
So many images and TV shows show decorative lighting hanging right up close to the ceiling. At MINT, we say NO to that. Think of decorative lighting as jewellery for your home. You should love it - you'll be looking at it every day. Pendant lighting (and all other decorative lighting for that matter) should make you smile, bring the sparkle to your home and be the perfect accessory for your interior decoration and design.
Read moreLighting a Modern Fireplace in your Home
The questions when lighting a "living breathing" feature like a fire, are - do we light the fire surround? Add decorative features above the fire? create drama with texture? or allow the fire to take centre stage and hide all of the general lighting in the room away into the architecture?
Read moreModern Minimalism in Middle Park
This Middle Park period home has had a sleek expansive modern extension out the back…..it’s a family home that provides wide open spaces for everyone to come together and the clients didn’t want the lighting to detract from the architectural features – it was all about creating *invisible* light
Read moreLetting light out of the cupboard
Building light into joinery can also create a levitating effect, and really lift the feel of a room. Especially rooms with limited natural light. A smaller room can be visually expanded by having light hidden away into joinery and behind mirrors. A large room can actually be lit effectively by hiding light into the architecture and using the room as a luminaire. Completely hidden source, but brilliant bright room. Clever stuff indeed.
Read moreLighting Timber Ceilings
The most obvious solution to lighting a timber ceiling is to use uplight - you've invested time, money and passion into that design - show it off!! The warm light, and ambient brightness will improve your mood at home, and creates a dramatic effect.
Read moreTips to Lighting Wall Art
Lighting for artworks requires a little more attention that simply putting a downlight, or even a gimble downlight near it in the ceiling.
There is no one-size fits all solution – that said, we have a few nifty tricks to share with you that will work in 90% of situations – and we can leave the last 10% for art galleries who have both the budget and the reason to go the extra mile.
Read moreGet the Industrial Lighting LOOK in your Home
Oversize pendants are fantastic for creating a human scale in a large space, and usually, industrial style is used in large spaces to break them up and give them personality. So think BIG when choosing your pendants - and with all those hard surfaces, think fabric too - it'll help control the noise levels in your exposed brick/concrete room.
Read moreLIGHTING - in the Kitchen Cupboard
Installing light inside your cupboards is fantastic for functionality, and also means you need less light in the room overall because any “detail work” you do is task lit. Brilliant! If you plan for this early enough in your project, it’s also a very cheap, simple solution. Forget to plan for it however, and you might find it costs a bit more to get the cables to the right place. Never lose that favourite pair of shoes, or tin of soup again!
Read moreAUTHENTIC LIGHT LAUNCH
MINT Lighting launched Adele's first book - AUTHENTIC LIGHT - Made in Melbourne (you can buy a copy here now) to a crowd of over 60 designers and design lovers with live music and champagne. It was a fantastic night all round, and a wonderful display of the talented designers of Melbourne.
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