Q: I like the look of track lighting, but how do I use them effectively to light up my home? Can I use them for mood lighting?
Q: I like the look of track lighting, but how do I use them effectively to light up my home? Can I use them for mood lighting?
A :To know how to light your home, here are some basics. There are three main types of lighting – task, mood or ambient, and general. General lighting is used to light a space overall, task lighting focuses illumination where you need it, and mood lighting creates ambience. A good lighting plan would have a combination of these three types. Track lighting can be used for both general lighting as well as mood lighting (when used with a dimmer switch), says April Kwan, regional interior design specialist at Ikea. With several spotlights along the track, and when placed above workspaces, they can provide good overall illumination in an area; the individual spotlights can also be directed to enhance features such as a wall with art or photos, so that the surface doesn’t look flat. “Plan lighting in a home by first defining the functions and activities of each space. Indicate where task lighting is needed. Then, indicate the mood and general lighting,” advises April.
Q: I like the idea of having mood lighting at home , do you have tips on where to place lamps ?
A : Every space needs three types of lighting. While two of them – general and task lighting, are more functional, it’s accent lighting that creates mood. Accent or mood lighting is what creates that “hotel room effect”, an inviting, super-relaxing ambience that just puts you at ease. You can recreate that at home too, with lamps that emit soft diffused warm light. “Once you are ready to create a mood, turn off the brighter light and switch on the softer mood lighting. Use lower wattage bulbs – incandescent bulbs work much better for mood lighting as they have a soothing, warm glow. A dimmer switch is also a great option,” says Anthony Desaram of Taylor B. Lighting Gallery. Depending on your furniture arrangement, you can use floor as well as table lamps for accent lighting. These are more versatile than wall-mounted scones, for example. It also adds variety to the composition of items in the room. Just ensure that the colour temperature of the bulbs used are similar so the overall illumination is consistent. Anthony also suggests placing lamps in unexpected places, such as within a bookshelf or inside an armoire cabinet, to create a unique and calming effect.
Q: I live in a HDB flat, and would love to get a pendant lamp for my dining table. As the ceiling is quite low, what kind of lamp should I get and ho w high should it be hung?
A : Pendant lamps are great choices for dining areas. As they come in many designs, they can also be used to express the decor theme you’re after. As a general rule of thumb, hang the light about 75cm from the tabletop; high enough not to obstruct your view of other diners, but low enough to light up your table, says Malathi Balaraman of Ikea Singapore. Another way is to have someone else assist you. Stand a distance away from the dining area and have them lower or raise the light to decide which height suits the space best. The size and shape of your table also matters. “If you have a large table, hang your light slightly higher so it casts more light. If you have a long, rectangular surface, you will likely need more than one hanging pendant lamp,” says Malathi. If you are using the dining table for studying or working, your light source should be bright enough to illuminate the whole surface well. As for aesthetics, the beauty of the pendant lamp lies in the slim profile it offers from the line of the electrical cable down to the shade. So when you choose a design, make sure that it’s not too tall. You don’t want it to appear as if it’s stuck to the ceiling!
Q: My apartment has windows only on one side of a deep floor plan, so the other rooms are dark even in daytime. How do I let sunlight into the centre of the home?
A :To brighten up the dark side of your home, you’ll have to knock away the walls standing in between. Check your apartment’s structural plans to see which walls are structural, which must not be touched. Otherwise, brick walls are needed only where plumbing is integrated or privacy is an issue, such as to seclude the bathrooms and bedrooms. Replacing the other non-essential walls with glass will brighten the home and visually enlarge the space. Dark, closed-in homes usually suffer from poor ventilation, too. Opening the interiors up to the light will make the rooms airier and healthier to live in. If a totally open floor plan isn’t your style, consider creating glass-walled rooms at the centre of the layout. In the living room shown above, the designer replaced the second bedroom with a glass “box” that the homeowners use as a study. The glass walls keep it visually integrated with the adjoining living room. Another bonus: the passageway running alongside the study – typically a dark “tunnel” – is now brighter and feels more open.
