– Your Scottsdale AZ Home: How Lighting Choices in Your Home Can Make a Big Impact –
It’s not all about making things look pretty. I find myself saying this phrase to potential clients on a regular basis. Of course, I’m speaking about the work involved in being an interior designer.
Most people equate a beautiful interior with the objects placed within a space. However, the design process is more science than most people realize.
Years ago, when I first looked at all the classes in the curriculum for interior design at my chosen school, I was surprised at the number of classes with topics that were far more involved than simply putting fabrics together. And today’s curricula are even more technical with the awareness and need for sustainability as well as universal design or aging in place.
One particular class was not at all what I expected and it had to do with lighting. A whole semester!
One particular class was not at all what I expected and it had to do with lighting. A whole semester! I was loathe to understand how it could possibly take a whole semester to learn how to light a room. Yet, from that class, a whole world of creativity was brought to my attention and it began with understanding the anatomy of the human eye and how we “see” color.
Simply put…without light there is no color. So it stands to reason that introducing light into a space makes all the difference in what we see and the quality of that light can make or break the atmosphere or function of that space.
In general, we are familiar with fluorescent and incandescent lighting. Most people know that fluorescent lighting is “cool” and incandescent is “warm.” Incandescent lighting is much more favorable to skin tones but science has gotten even better at “renditions” of color in lighting and currently we are seeing the same kind of results with LED lighting. This is a great step, since LED is a more energy-efficient light source. Plus, LED and decorative lighting are now synonymous and all manner of LED lights are available to the consumer.
Here is test: The next time you go into a dressing room at your favorite retail store, take note of how you look and feel in that dressing room. It has everything to do with the lighting source and how it is set up can make or break a decision of whether we buy or not. This illustrates that there is a tremendous amount of psychology in our perceptions that tie into lighting sources in all of our environment.
One of the most fascinating experiences I had while studying was a trip my class took to Nela Park in Ohio. Nela Park is General Electrics’ Lighting Institute.During one session, simply by changing the lighting, they created a nightclub out of the cafeteria.
I won’t profess to be a lighting expert, despite my schooling, but would highly suggest that if you are planning a new home to enlist the services of a lighting designer. There are many specialties that tie into interior design and many designers focus their expertise in one such area as lighting. If you are interested in finding out more about lighting and it’s effect click here.
More Information:
Robyn Randall, ASID
Designs by Robyn LLC
Email
Website: www.DesignsByRobyn.com
Twitter: @RobynASID
