Trends in lighting change. When you assess a space to update it, changing the lighting fixtures can have a huge impact but is often overlooked.
In today’s kitchens for example, we’ve gotten away from the old fluorescent rectangles and are trending toward pendants that hang down over an island or work area. Under-the-counter lighting is another option.
Another lighting trend is to put a chandelier in a bathroom, particularly in a master bath. This adds a touch of elegance and whimsy and makes the bathroom a little more intriguing.
Occasionally there’s use for colored lighting but mainly for ambience. Use an uplight behind a plant, change the color according to the seasons, or bring attention to a particular color. You can also add room color with candles.
In most cases, individuals use a combination of two or three types of lighting. This creates the most flexibility for the use of the space, and dimmer switches allow the level of light to be easily adjusted.
Design tip: The type of bulbs you use matter and have an impact. The trend is toward bulbs that have longer life and also provide a truer, whiter light. Even in fluorescents, there are bulbs that replicate daylight. They are a little more expensive, but use them wherever possible because they give a more natural light, which is more invigorating, causes less stress on the eyes, and makes people look better.
Stay tuned in our next post where we discuss lightening from four different perspectives.
To learn more about the critical design elements, pick up a copy of “The Styleprint Design System” available for purchase here. Also, be sure to explore our site, www.styleprintdesignsystem.com for additional free resources.
