Interior Lighting Design - Everything You Need To Know

Perhaps you have heard that interior lighting design is a complex study that combines art and technology.

But, to simplify it, interior lighting design is actually solving the three problems of what to light, how to light, and what to light with.

Regarding lighting design, we are more commonly used, common is home lighting design. In order to clarify these three issues, we take the home lighting design as an example to explain. First of all,

What needs to light the space and how to design?

We believe that depends mainly on the function of the space. For example, the living room needs to be bright, the bedroom needs to be warm, the kitchen needs to be clean, the dining room needs warm light, and the study needs white light.

In the home interior lighting design, we usually divide the lighting into three levels: basic lighting, operational lighting, and accent lighting.

The space will first be carefully analyzed from the following aspects.

1. The functionality of the space: the difference between living room and bedroom lighting design?
2. Style and features: the space is decorated in a modern or minimalist style, which things need to be displayed prominently, such as murals or antiques?
3. Furniture placement and activity area: how about the placement of the home, what is the general color and material, where people will be active?
4. Hard and soft furnishing materials: what materials are used for walls and baseboards? (For example, glass tables and floor tiles tend to produce glare, while carpets do not)
5. Atmosphere needs: In a specific space, what kind of atmosphere do the owner and his family need to get?
6. Personal preference: Do the owner and his family have any special needs or hobbies?
7. How to make that space more open, softer light, more warm atmosphere?

Second,

How to light?

Of course, or to make full use of basic lighting, operational lighting and accent lighting, the three common forms of lighting.

1. The main role of basic lighting is to play the role of the entire space illuminated, some "corners" may not take into account, some special-purpose scenes, it is impossible to achieve good results. Its role is to allow people in the space to move easily and safely, to present the basic features of the space, to make the interior space look more open, and to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere.
2. Focus lighting is a separate area or thing with cloth lights, highlighting the thing. Its role is to attract the eye, so that visitors can easily pay attention to a certain area or thing. More common to hang paintings, potted plants and other artwork placed in the area of the focus of lighting.
3. Work lighting is better understood, mainly used to illuminate the work area. Two common is the kitchen and study, these two locations need relatively high illumination, and to avoid the appearance of shadows. For example, in the study of lighting design, writing, and reading area generally need to have sufficient and the right angle of diffuse light from the shoulder or side. For the kitchen lighting design, we usually need to arrange spotlights at the bottom of the cabinet at the top of the operating table, focusing on the operating table can be.
4. The location, angle and height of the lights need to pay extra attention to the above three types of lighting, we also need to mention the location, angle and height of the lights, which is particularly important in avoiding glare and light curtain reflection.

Third,

With what light, with what light source, and with what control method?

1. The choice of light source we are in choice of light source is the main consideration of the following issues.

• Light distribution needs, that is, how much illumination we need in the space, how many watts of light need to be matched.
• Color rendering (Ra), a simple understanding is the ability of light to restore the original color of things, the closer the value to 100 (the color rendering of sunlight Ra = 100), the stronger the ability to restore.
• Color temperature, which refers to the temperature of the light.
• Maintenance costs, such as LED lights, incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps have different advantages and disadvantages, the cost is also different, different ways of maintenance.

2. Choose light fixtures, their role is often more than just lighting, decorative effect is also very prominent.

• On the one hand, light fixtures are the basis for the installation of the light source and can be a secondary distribution of light from the light source, enhancing the accuracy of light.
• On the other hand, through different lampshade materials, lights can also achieve different degrees of shading of the light source to avoid uncomfortable dazzling light. The main reference factors for our choice of LED lights are: decoration style, environmental function, decorative effect, the purpose of operational lighting, etc.

From the point of view of light source configuration, fluorescent lamps are more suitable for places that need wide light distribution, while low-voltage halogen lamps and LED lamps are more suitable for places that need narrow light distribution.

In addition, when we choose lamps / light sources, but also take into full consideration the effectiveness of the lamps, installation height and other factors. The same chandelier, installed LED light source and installed incandescent light source, illumination and effect is completely different, also, the same chandelier, the length of the hanging line (affecting the height of the lamp from the work surface) on the illumination of the impact, is also very big.

3. How strong the brightness needed, illumination required to illuminate a space, mainly by the age of the user, the visual target of the reflectivity of these two factors.

Usually, the elderly need a higher brightness. According to statistics, the brightness required by 65-year-olds is twice that of 20-year-olds, and the former are more sensitive to glare.

Therefore, for the elderly room, and nursing home lights for the elderly to use more frequently, it is important to achieve adequate illumination and control glare.

4. The choice of an intelligent lighting control system has many advantages, for example, a key to control the lights in each space at home, home lights to achieve the timing of the switch, to achieve the light and shade of the LED lights arbitrary adjustment, can set the scenario mode and a key adjustable, remote control of lighting, etc.

Interior lighting design, light sources, lamps, design, installation ...... each of which requires us to understand, the application. Interior lighting design is a technology, but also an art, it is easy to say, but actually not easy. We expect everyone to find the right indoor lighting equipment for themselves.

Olafus Lighting is the best partner for your lighting needs.

Olafus Interior Lighting: LED Strip | Spotlight | Ceiling Light 

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More Resources

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