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Illuminating
Ideas
 Light
is not simply defined as the quality of its presence but also
that of its absence.
Nothing has a greater impact
on color and harmony than lighting. Illumination affects us on
so many levels. It gives emotion. It influences the appearance,
tone and impression of a home. Lighting is often classified into
one of several categories such as task lighting for safety, ambient
lighting for ambience, or display lighting to showcase a treasured
possession.
Yet all too often, people decide to add a lighting scheme as
an afterthought when designing or redesigning a living space.
Planning ahead for illuminating your home will not only save
you time, money and effort, it will give you the freedom and
ability to give life to your haven of comfort. Read on to discover
more about the most common types of light bulbs, integrating
a lighting scheme into the interior design plan and putting the
pinch on energy costs.
WHICH BULB GOES WHERE?
Just as not all light fixtures
will work in a specific room, not all bulbs will work in a specific
light fixture or for a specific function. It is important to
know your bulbs and their different characteristics before using
them in your illuminating scheme to get the most out of your
lighting source and to avoid the dangers of using the wrong bulbs
in your fixtures.
Tungsten Bulbs
The earliest practical incandescent light, otherwise known as
"the electric light bulb", was invented by Thomas Edison
in 1879. Simply put, an electric current would pass through a
carbon filament and cause it to become hot and give off light.
A filament called tungsten replace carbon in 1907 because its
very high melting point allowed it to glow more brightly.
Today's tungsten bulbs emit a yellowish-white color which tends
to brighten warm colors and mute cool colors. Ideal for general
lighting especially in bedrooms, living rooms and dining areas,
tungstens give a feeling of warmth as part of the ambiance. Tungsten
bulbs may be long on fixture variety for great versatility, but
they are short on life span, 500 to 1,000 hours. Less efficient
than other types of bulbs and they use considerably more electricity.
Only about 6 percent of the electricity consumed by a tungsten
bulb is used to produce light; the rest generates heat, which
must then be dissipated safely.
Tungsten-Halogen Bulbs
One of the most common examples of a tungsten-halogen is one
you've probably never thought of. That group of small round lights
that tells you to go, slow down or stop you car is a tungsten-halogen
bulb. This is another source of incandescent light. Particularly
suited for accent lighting, this bulb contrasts well in an overall
warm, ambient setting. They have a small, bright, yellowish-white
source that casts crisp shadows, very useful for spotlighting
objects. Tungsten-halogens have a life span of about 4000 hours.
A low-voltage bulb, combined with the compactness of halogen
fixtures make tungsten-halogen bulbs ideal for indirect or background
lighting as well as task lighting.
MAKING THE MOST OF FLUORESCENTS
Designed specifically to produce
even lighting, fluorescents are commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms
and utility spaces. Modern compact fluorescents fit the same
fixtures as incandescent lights and are a good replacement because
of the quantity and quality of light. These economic bulbs have
a rated average life of 10,000 hours and give off very little
heat so they can be used in confined spaces. There are two color
types of fluorescents used in the US, cool white and warm white.
The cool white emits a bluish-white color which brightens green,
yellow and blue and mutes red tones. As for the warm white, it
emits a light amber color that brightens orange, yellow and red
skin tones and mutes red and blue.
There are hundreds of different
types of fluorescent bulbs, each for a specific application.
Daylight-simulation tubes emit a warm glow, giving the feeling
of daylight streaming in through an open window. The growth-enhancement
tube specifically encourages the growth of plants in artificial
environments by including specific parts of the light spectrum
beneficial to plant photosynthesis. There are even special tubes
for fish tanks that encourage coral growth by producing a blue
light that is high in energy and low in wavelength (nonometers).
Circular fluorescents are essentially decorative and excellent
for back-lighting. Most desktop scanners use certain tubes for
even illumination of the material to be scanned.
WHAT'S THE BRIGHT IDEA?
Before you can create a well-designed
lighting plan, you need to understand exactly how you intend
to use that space. Let's discuss plans for a sitting room. First
analyze its shape, size and uses. (A great tool for doing this
is the SeeMyDesign
Planner which asks questions and allows the answers
to be emailed back to you.) Is the room roughly square? Measure
its square feet and ceiling height. Does the room have windows?
If so, how many, what size and what direction do they face? What
about a fireplace?
Next, write down the contents
and main uses of the room. Does our sitting room have a comfy
oversized couch or leather recliners for lounging? What about
books, a stereo, a television, some sculpture, decorative lamps?
Do you plan to read, listen to music, watch TV, entertain guests,
and/or play games in this sitting room? How many occupants fit
comfortably in this room? By making such as list, it is possible
to identify a number of important factors that will affect the
way a room might be arranged and lit.
 Lastly,
draw a floor plan sketch of your room or use SeeMyDesign
Layout to create
one. This sketch has several uses. First, it will help you determine
where to place your furnishings. With this in mind, it's easier
to decide what kind of fixtures to use and where to put them.
See our grid on lighting
types for specific functions which gives in-depth
information about what lighting to use for different rooms and
applications. Second, the sketch lets you see the geometry of
the space. The lighting should relate to the activities and furniture
grouping of the room. Next, the sketch will help determine the
location of switches and outlets. Finally, the sketch will help
you estimate the cost of your lighting project.
ENERGIZE YOUR LIGHTS AND
YOUR POCKETBOOK
Here are some simple tips to
cut your lighting costs.
- Don't wait until incandescent
bulbs have burned out to replace them. Darkened bulbs may still
be working but they use the same amount of power as a new bulb
and give off less light.
- Clean globes, bulbs and fixtures
regularly as accumulated dust and dirt absorbs light.
- Using a low-wattage reflector
bulb is more energy efficient than using A-bulbs in directional
fixtures. Reflector bulbs direct the light where you want it
as opposed to A-bulbs trap light.
- A three-way socket in a reading
lamp is a good idea so that you can keep them on low when not
being used for a specific purpose.
- Generic brand bulbs may cost
less, but if they're not giving you a lumen output equivalent
to name brand bulbs, you really aren't saving money.
- It may sound simple but it is
a common mistake. Don't use a higher wattage bulb than necessary.
Try a 60-watt bulb in the hallway instead of the 75-watt bulb
you are using now. The difference may be small in brightness
but large on your electricity bill.
- Finally for safety, do not use
higher watt bulbs in confined areas or for fixtures that require
low watt bulbs. This is an extreme fire hazard. Read the fixture
instructions and contact the manufacturer for additional information.
REFERENCES
The Complete Home Lighting Book
James Davidson
1997
The Overlook Press |
Interior Lighting
Ortho Books
1991
Ortho Books |
The Art Of Lighting
Randall Whitehead
1998
Rockport Publishers, Inc |
A Portfolio Of Lighting Ideas
Cy DeCosse Incorporated
1996
Cy DeCosse Incorporated |
Special thanks to Gary Felt of Felt
Lighting Incorporated in Salt Lake City, UT. 801-484-8571
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