MINT lighting designer Adele went to Guangzhou, CHINA for the Messe Frankfurt Light Fair earlier this month and shared her knowlege with over 100 Chinese designers and manufacturers everything she's learnt about creating the right emotional atmosphere in homes with light.
Read moreAmbience for Function or Function for Ambience?
The difference between lighting that is designed for your home and light which is installed purely for function (downlights) is the exquisite combination of beauty (ambience) and function that you can achieve with crafted light.
Read moreEasy Ways to Fix that Gloomy Room for Winter!
Of course, if you want beautiful pieces that add to your interior style as well, there are as many styles, shapes and designs for table and floor lamps as there are lighting shops. Some will be a beautiful piece of art in your home that makes a little light, others will have been designed to produce as much light as possible and have a dramatic impact on your room. The choice is ultimately yours.
Read more5 Lighting Trends for 2017
Decorative Lighting trends come and go - at the moment I'm reliably informed that natural materials - stone, marble and rare metals are appearing in catalogues everywhere.
Read moreMeet Jan Flook, Melbourne's Milan trained maker!
I decided to go it alone and pursued my love of all things recycled. I made some light fixtures that were a bit cheeky out of kitchen utensils and chopsticks and had an exhibition called 'Sleeping on the streets'. A piece was bought by someone and seen by the late great Geoffrey Mance (bless him too). He said come and make lights for me and I said .......err ok.
Read moreWhat do you want to see?....HOME LIGHTING
What do you want to SEE in your home? It's an important question, and one worth considering...
Read moreOh that Scandinavian Trend
When looking for the right decorative lights for this Scandi style, focus on lights that hide the globe completely, or at least shield it behind a texture glass. Scandi design is not about sparkle, it's about beautiful light, where and when you need it.
Read moreHow to Choose the Right Light - PART 1 SIMPLIFICATION
We think and talk, long and hard about light, and lighting design, to find the core elements that matter, and make them accessible. From our design process to the language we use, it is all considered for maximum simplicity and to make the wildly technical topic of light and lighting something that everyone can enjoy and discuss.
Read moreOliver and Ryan the Makers of SØKTAS
Northcote Studio
Back in late 2013 I received a call - urgent design needed for a unique curved studio structure in a back garden. Within 36 hours, we had resolved the design, the suppliers, brought the electrician up to speed and set this project up for success.
Late last year, I was able to visit this lovely couple with a camera in hand, and was delighted to see that my clients had taken all of the knowledge they'd gleaned in that 36 hours and used it to bring the rest of their lighting for their home renovation to completion under their own steam.
Read moreBrunswick Kitchen Renovation
Late 2013 I started working with the owner of this home in Melbourne to find a way to "clean up" the ceiling in the kitchen, reducing the number of lights while at the same time providing more light in a space which was notoriously dim. The existing lighting consisted of 36 x Halogen GU10 spotlights (which constantly blew) and 2 plain white pendants placed off center from the bench.
As a living space, it left a lot to be desired. Even with all of that light, it was dim, and didn't meet the needs of the family for both enjoying each others company and for the kids to do their homework on the kitchen table.
This before image shows the lighting pre-design - a total of 1840W in lighting alone!
We discussed not just lighting, but also the finishes in the room, to ensure that the renovation would have the greatest impact. We decided to paint the ceiling and move away from "directional" downlights and create an open, diffuse light with minimal fittings. One of the key design elements was the creation of a "sunrise" over the kitchen cabinetry to bring life to the room in the depths of Winter.
This is the result - at just 220W with everything on (the lighting has been designed to be both layered and dimmable to allow the family to create a wide range of moods in this living space)
Images courtesy of ItalStyle - the specified suppliers of the luminaires seen in this image. www.italstyle.com.au
This home now has a new lease on life - as do the family who live here - with vibrant soft light in their main living space and more to come in the main bathroom and lounge.