Home always is one’s top priority and it reflects one’s personality. So it is our most concerned area, so we should take atmost importance to see that it is well organized and well lit. If you’re lighting is not adequate then how ever you keep tidy and purchase best of furniture, your home will look dull and tasteless.
It has been seen that when it comes to decorate a new house or its improvement top most priority always goes to furniture’s, curtains, sofa sets, pictures and other decorated items and lightings takes the last priority . But it should be other way, because lighting will create or reduce your home beauty. You tend to use your funds towards other items and when lighting comes you have less funds and you tend to compromise with it.
But you must understand that it is the lighting which will brighten your home and add colour to your house and your interior decoration. It is unfortunate that lighting is always neglected.
To understand lighting you must understand some definition like lux, color rendering, flux, energy efficiency, and efficacy.
Flux: Flux means the light output given by a bare lamp. And the unit is Lumens.
Lux: Lux can be defined as the light output or flux in a particular direction per unit area. Unit of lux is candela.
Color rendering: Color rendering can be defined as the color you get compare to the natural colors that is sun light. In sun light you get the perfect color.
Energy efficiency: Now a day’s energy is most important, energy saved is energy produced. So energy efficiency can be defined as with less energy used or wattages you get maximum light output. That is why you see CFL’s (Compact florescent lamps) T5 lamps in the markets. Because most talked about is energy efficiency. Day by day cost of electricity is increasing and saving energy has prime importance to all and every country.
Let us take a case study about your drawing room.
Drawing room is the first place where a guest comes or the place you sit with your children and other family members and watch your favorite TV Soaps. So you must understand the importance of it in your life. So you should take most care in putting light. Lighting your drawing room should be seen not only in the angle of science, but also in the angle of an artist. Why I have said this because if you see only in the angle of science , you put formula of lighting designing then you get the numbers of lights required, but your drawing room is place of important , so also be seen in the eye of an artist. Lighting will differ according the moods. You may not always required bright light, but some times you may required only a spot light or reading light near your sofa.
What I intend to say is that lighting should not be seen as put formula and get result? Lighting differs in different times and different moods.
In drawing room one should use diffused lighting, some indirect lighting, some spot lighting with CFL or Miniature halogens (MR16) or a mixture of both. Some table lamps for studying purpose and some general lighting. for all purpose.
Diffused lighting will not give glare to eyes and gives smoothening touch. This is used for general purpose. But you have a party at home or you have got special guests then apart from general lighting you can also light your spot lights or high lighters to high light some of your decorative pictures or statues. Put indirect lighters ,up lighter to high your ceiling and get indirect lighting.
Suppose you have a dinner or cocktail party then the mood is different , that time you can put indirect lighting one or two spot lights to give an party or leisure ambience or atmosphere . Suppose you are in romantic mood and sitting with you wife you can create a romantic ambience by putting on jummes and one or two indirect lighting only to create romantic atmosphere.
You are not in good mood you can use indirect lighters only. Or you want to study then you can have only the table lamp lit for you study.
See why I have said that lighting should not be seen only the angle of science, because lighting will change as per your requirements or moods. Lighting should not be more it will irritate or give glare if lighting is not adequate then it will create dull effect. Lighting also will differ in different places to give different ambience. To give a warmth or welcome effect you can have warm day light. Like 2700 k(Kelvin) lamps , to give cool effect or give assurance you can have cool day lights 6500k (Kelvin) lamps. See light is a vast subject of its own. LIGHT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.
