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Steve Bishop
Steve Bishop is a qualified electrician and a member of NAPIT. To see his qualifications click here.
As I've mentioned in Circuit Shorts many times before, the right lighting can transform any room, giving it a totally different atmosphere. The dullest of rooms can become theatre-like, the starkest of rooms can appear cosy ... you can see where I'm going with this. With a little strategic thinking, you can create your own lighting plan and make your space functional and right for you.
What type of lighting?
Before you create your own lighting plan, you should determine the kind of lighting you require:
Ambient lighting is the general illumination of a room. It differs from task lighting in that its purpose is to provide an even wash of light throughout a room as opposed to concentrated light for a specific purpose. Lamps, ceiling lights, wall lights and recessed lights can be used for this effect.
Task lighting is exactly what it says on the tin. It's there purely to serve a purpose, ie to increase the illuminance of a desk or reading area. However just because it has a job it doesn't mean it can't look attractive. Angled lamps, track lights and spotlights work well for this.
Accent lighting is an effective and simple way to highlight a room's specific features, artwork, paintings etc. Adjustable recessed lights, track lights and spotlights work best for this.
The term decorative lighting covers all the traditional kinds of lighting, floor lamps, table lamps, chandeliers etc. The actual light fitting is there to be seen so the appearance is important.
If you would like some ideas on the best lighting for making your small space look larger, please see our previous Circuit Shorts here.
Once you've made your choices as to the type of lighting and fittings would best sort your needs, it's time to start creating your plan ....
What you need
Grab the following:
a pencil and rubber;
a tape measure;
a ruler; and
graph paper for drawing to scale. Don't worry don't have any, click here for some we made earlier.
Draft your floor plan
Start by measuring your room and then rescale it and draw it onto the graph paper. Draw at the optimal scale of 1:50 so that every 1cm/inch of your floor plan represents 50cm/inches of the actual space. Mark any immovable objects such as chimneys and windows and then draw in your furniture.
Design your lighting plan
Add to your plan the different functions played out in each area of your room. Think of all the possible uses this space offers. Keep in mind that some rooms have multiple functions, even at different times of the day. Think about which areas you will want to highlight with accent lighting, ie architectural features you may want to display.
Draw in the light zones and fixtures
Now that you’ve set-up your floor plan, you can choose locations for each light source. Draw ‘light circles’ in areas that you would like to illuminate, avoiding too many overlapping and dark zones.
Make sure to place recessed lights approximately three feet away from the wall. Avoid creating shadows in any corner, as this will have the visual effect of lowering the ceiling. To determine how far apart to space your recessed lights, divide the height of the ceiling by two. If a room has an 8 foot ceiling, you should space your recessed lights approximately 4 feet apart. If the ceiling is 10 feet, you’ll want to put about 5 feet of space in between each fixture.
Click here for some ideas about lighting effects and our suggestions for symbols you might want to use.
What kind of switches?
Mark light switches in convenient locations on your floor plan and remember to pair them up with corresponding fixtures. Dimmer switches add mood and atmosphere by adjusting the light level to suit every occasion.
As most living rooms are multi-functional, if your space is limited, a great idea is to have a good hanging light above the dining table paired with a dimmer switch. Turn the dimmer up and the table becomes the ideal place for you to read the paper or for the kids to do their homework. Turn the dimmer down, open a bottle of Prosecco, whack on some Michael Bublé and it becomes a relaxed and romantic dining experience once the kids are in bed....
All done!
Your lighting plan is complete! Now you need to find your light fittings. Remember that light fittings with LED lamps will save you much more money in the long run. See our previous Circuit Shorts about the benefits of LEDs here.
If you would like some advice on creating your lighting plan or if you would like to make an appointment for a free quotation on any of the services we provide (click herefor more details about the electrical services we can provide for you) then please contact me.
Next month: Create the right mood in your bathroom with our lighting ideas.
