The Power of Light: Using Lighting to Enrich Your Mood and Enhance Your Living Space
Lighting is often one of the most sorely overlooked aspects of interior design. Many amateur home designers spend hours agonising over what shade of paint to use, or what furniture to invest in, and often neglect the dramatic impact that well selected lighting can have on a living space. The power of lighting extends far beyond simple illumination. Depending on colour, intensity and even positioning, light can be used to create a variety of different moods, can be used to highlight (or to hide, if required!) and according to research, can even offer significant health benefits. When designing your living space, it is vitally important to give the decision of lighting choices the priority that it so rightly deserves. With the help of an expert lighting consultant, you can create a living space that enhances your home exponentially. In the meantime, here are a few tips to help get you started in the process of planning your lighting arrangement in the home; and some key things to consider when doing so.
The Effects of Light on Emotional Response
The positive effects of light on the emotions are fairly well documented, with many therapists now actively endorsing light therapy as a method of treating a variety of mental conditions, notably SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). However, the good news is that light can have a beneficial effect on anyone; and you can enjoy the advantages of a well-lit home and the positive effects it can have upon your mood. As a general rule, harsh, severe light tends to have a negative effect upon mood, and warmer shades contribute to sensations of relaxation and tranquillity, though interestingly, recent research suggests that blue lighting can promote happiness and increase confidence levels. Consider using lighting to highlight any features of your home that you feel particularly content with as well, for example, if you have a piece of artwork that engages you positively on an emotional level, use well positioned spotlights to enhance your painting and show it off to powerful effect.
Making Light the Star of the Show
Many key interior designers of the 21st century are now using light in a far more prominent way in their spaces, and indeed, in some cases, are actually deliberately making light the centre piece of their design concept. For real impact in your home, consider following their example. A dramatic focal point can be created with a well crafted chandelier style lighting feature, for example, or alternatively, utilise an eye-catching floor lamp to create an almost sculptural effect. If you are in doubt about whether to make light the main event in your space, or unsure about quite how to go about it, consider enlisting the help of a professional, who can examine your space and offer some creative suggestions on how to use light to create maximum aesthetic impact. Of course, as with any valuable piece of furniture within the house, make sure to check that you have the appropriate level of protection, should the worst happen.
Lighting Tricks to Enhance Your Living Space
There are many ‘tricks of the trade’ that can make an overwhelming difference to your home. Here are just a few:
- Invest in lighting, not objects. Sometimes, even a cheap vase or ornament can be made to look highly valuable, with the right lighting. Lighting can be used to bring out texture, surfaces and form in an object, and even to alter its colour.
- Use light to lead the eye around the room. View lighting as almost a ‘tour guide’ of your room. A guest will sub-consciously follow the line of light, which allows you to focus attention on the areas you are most proud of.
- Don’t stick with the ‘tried and tested’. Sometimes, the most powerful lighting effects are created by the unexpected. Consider, for example, the dramatic effect of using lighting under the stairs, to uplight a door, or to bounce light around a small, enclosed space.
- Use angled lights. Angled lights, which can be adjusted, provide you with the opportunity to change the ambience of your home, depending on your requirements.
With the help of an experienced lighting consultant, you can use lighting to create exactly the atmosphere that you want. It is, quite simply, one of the most powerful aspects of interior design; master the art of lighting and you will have a simply stunning living space that reflects your mood perfectly.
