As we all settle into the cooler, darker days of Fall, there is a natural urge to nest and ‘cosy-up’ our homes. One of the most rewarding ways to make a huge impact in a space is to re-think your lighting. Changing a single source of light can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of a space – without changing any of the furniture.
I personally am a huge fan of non-direct, bounced light. Rather than strong overhead lights in a space, the atmosphere is softer and more controlled when using smaller lights around the periphery of a room. Another really important element in controlling your atmosphere is to have lights at a variety of heights — floor level, reading height, and ceiling level all produce different effects.
Bouncing light off a wall or ceiling produces a beautiful effect that illuminates without glaring. Staying away from bare, open bulbs softens the light, as well as making sure the light temperature of your bulbs is warm will also help make the space feel cosy.
Luckily, there are so many options of beautiful lights out there to help create exactly the type of ambience that you are looking for. Here are some solutions and suggestions for common issues.
Adding individual light sources to tables can be a romantic way of bringing attention to certain areas without illuminating the whole room. And with rechargeable LEDs becoming more and more prevalent, there are a number of wonderful options available. Davide Groppi Tetatete is one of our favourites. As well as Ingo Maurer’s digital take on candlelight with My New Flame. Menu’s Carrie light is also a transportable and rechargeable light that can go anywhere with you!
We often see spaces that don’t have adequate lighting for really seeing (which is, after all the whole point of lights!) and so sometimes you need fixtures that will flood the space with light. The Toio by Achille Castiglioni for FLOS is a wonderful light that is powerful enough to illuminate while remaining flexible and providing bounced light off the ceiling.
Another great option is the Parentesi which can adapt as necessary to fill a whole space with light, or come down to reading level. This fixture is a nice one to play with Philips Hue bulbs to create different colours and feelings depending on the day!
Sometimes what a space is looking for is some texture. Lights can be clean and sterile, but they can also provide drama and depth to a space. The team at Apparatus lighting are masters of creating fixtures with drama and je ne sais quoi. The Horsehair sconce is a great example of a fixture that functions both as a lighting element and as a sculptural piece.
Lindsey Adelman produces pieces that are sculptural and delicate, lending a decorative, jewellery-like quality to a space. Her Cherry Bomb series is especially evocative.
Bocci has always used glass in unique and exciting ways. The 28 Table series remains one of my all-time favourites for its soft, diffused light, pops of colour, and ability to control.
A really fun and affordable light is the Mayday by Constantin Grcic for FLOS. With a long cord and a hook, it can be casually placed just about anywhere!
FLOS has also recently re-issued Mario Bellini’s Chiara light. This sculptural piece reflects the environment around it while providing a soft bounced light from within.
I could go on and on as there are just so many exciting options out there (ANDLight, Louis Poulsen, RBW, Gubi, &Tradition, Tom Dixon, oh my!) that I haven’t even touched on. If any of this has got you excited about changing things up, please get in touch to talk to one of our design consultants who would love to help you illuminate your space.