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Happy Friday everyone!
Today, we will be discussing the importance
of layering light in your home.
Whether the source is artificial or natural, light plays a major role in the aesthetic quality of a space, and it can have a large effect on the well-being of its occupants. The feeling of a space can also be dramatically altered by small adjustments to the type and quality of light within that space. In today's post, we will explore a few common residential spaces and discuss the quality of light in each one.
Before we begin, let's first define some characteristics of light and lighting sources that we will use throughout today's discussion:
Beam Spread (Beam Angle): Describes the cone shape of the downward light emitted by a lighting fixture.
Correlated Color Temperature: Measured in Kelvins (K). Describes the color output of the light source. The lower the number, the warmer the light. Here are some examples:
2500K-3000K: Often advertised as "warm white". Incandescent bulbs read 2700K.
3500K: Often advertised as "neutral white". Typically used in retail environments.
4100K: Often advertised as "cool white". Most offices are lit with this temperature.
Lumens: Measure of the light output (brightness) from a light source.
For each image, we will focus on three main criteria:
Ambient Light: The general purpose, usually overhead light in a space that has a wide beam spread. May not be the highest lumen source in the room. Typically turned on by a single switch near the primary entry to the space.
Task Light: Specialized light in areas where the user is performing a specific task. Higher lumen light sources are needed to prevent eye strain. A higher color temperature is commonly used to support productivity. This type of light is typically adjustable, and the technical details of the light tend to vary by room and task.
Accent Light: Used to highlight or draw attention to a certain area, object, or architectural element in the space. Often put on a dimmer switch. This type of lighting can range from functional and aesthetic application. Visual interest and aesthetic value is usually more important than light source performance.
Kitchen
Ambient Light: The recessed cans have a wide beam spread allowing every area of the kitchen to be lit. The color temperature is neutral and supplements the accent light sources in the space.
Task Light: The concealed undercabinet lights are a great way to add more light at the workspace (countertop) level. They have a higher lumen output in order to reduce eye strain while performing cooking and food prep tasks.
Accent Light: The two pendants hanging above the island tie the space together. There is also a functional example of accent light in the top most upper cabinet which is used to accent the pieces seen through the glass door. In both instances, the color temperature is warmer.
Photo: homebunch.com