Guest Post: The Key to Lighting Your Home with Style by Elisabeth Strasser

Bio: Elisabeth is a freelance writer and experienced in the field of interior design. She is currently remodelling her home and likes to experiment with lighting.

The Key to Lighting Your Home with Style

Have you ever walked into a room and felt uncomfortable, but you couldn’t discern why? Maybe you literally felt put into the spotlight, because of the brightness in the room. Or perhaps a chill ran down your spine, as you entered a darkened room.

How you illuminate your home can influence the feel and mood of the space around you. Getting the lighting right is very important for your well-being. Just as your furniture arrangement tells something about you, lighting can also reflect your character. So, why not personalise your home further and let your guests sense your personality and style.

Choose below which era or style you think suits you best and get tips on the way you need to illuminate your home!

Victorian

Victorian style is all about chandeliers and ceiling lanterns. Spread the vibe of the era with antique looking lamps and select them with care. Watch out for the little ornamental details that were popular during this period. Be careful to dim the light a bit to fit the era. Electricity had not yet entered all households and houses were still illuminated by oil lamps and candlelight. If you like romantic candlelight, this is the right style for you!

Gothic

Gothic is also very much about chandeliers and lanterns. Sweeping, curved scrolls on chandeliers and other Gothic ornaments on lanterns create the eerie feel of the era. Dimming your light for the atmosphere of candlelight will complete the picture. But be careful, if you’ve already gathered dark furniture for your Gothic style home then you don’t need to dim the light as much as you would think, since the dark furniture will already darken the space around you.

Modern

The latest technology and futuristic style should be seen in your modern home. Lamps that turn on and off by touching them wherever you want or by clapping your hands add a futuristic touch. Why not try and create modern elegance with silver and chrome lights? Depending on which kind of modern furniture you already have in your home, select glass or wood-effect lamp shades to really bring out your modern side.

Minimalistic

Minimalistic style is all about using the smallest space possible. The smaller the lamp or pendant is, the better. A bonus for the Minimalists out there is eco-friendly lamps to save energy. Similar to the modern style, silver and white lamp shades look best in the minimalistic home. LED lights are also a popular space saving solution. Put the spaces you love in the spotlight with table and floor lamps.

Art Deco

Lavish and glamorous are two words that best describe Art Deco. Add some sparkle to your home with crystal-beaded chandeliers and elegant ceiling lights. Aesthetically pleasing curved lamps for your living and bedroom will give your home that Art Deco touch.

1950 Vintage

As the name suggests, any vintage lamps and pendants are perfect for this style. Just as in the 1950’s, your type of lighting should be bright and colourful. Lamps in all shades of colours will fit perfectly with your vintage furniture. Flower patterns on lamp shades and Clara ceiling lights will add to the 1950’s flair.

Found the right style for you? Then check this style guide out for more details!

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Deltalight

Deltalight is a great high end residential and commercial lighting supplier. They offer an incredible array of different types of lighting, beautifully designed for every type of setting. They supply us with a 'Lighting Bible' - a full collection of their products, every new season, and we almost struggle to keep up with the amount of new products they release every year. Their prices fit in the high-end spectrum of the market but the vast choice and the quality of the finish is definitely worth the money.

From their Website:

Deltalight is a global company and we are recognised as being one of the worlds' largest and most prestigious architectural lighting manufactures. We have been operating worldwide since 1992 and in the UK since 1997.
With our architectonic approach to contemporary and innovative lighting creations, Deltalight has quickly established a name for itself in the world market and we have grown to be a trendsetter and market leader. We work with individuals, architects and design professionals alike on projects both large and small.
Deltalight UK has a Head Office in Surrey and a Design Studio in London's bustling Waterloo. The studio offers an interface between the innovation, concepts and momentum between Deltalight and the design community. The studio is a forum to discuss projects and lighting specification; showing products from the Lighting Bible and offering complimentary lighting design and technical assistance, with the capacity to provide lighting calculations and project visualisation.

Deltalight UK has a team of knowledgable lighting specialists that operate throughout the UK.

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LED - The Future of Lighting

Since 1879, the year when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, technology has been rapidly progressing. Now scientists believe that LED lighting is the next generation of lighting technology. LED lights work on the principle of using semiconductors to produce light energy, providing cost effective and eco-friendly lighting choice.

Light-emitting diodes have been around for years. Traditionally, they have been used as indicators on electrical devices, such as standby lights on TVs. Nowadays, even though LED Lights represent area of ongoing research and development, they have already become popular among many architects and designers.

 Do they work to save money?

It is suggested that LEDs can last for up to 100,000 hours (12 years), compared with the 1,000 hours (42 days) of traditional incandescent light bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps' (CFLs) 15,000 hours (2 years).

The technology is also much more energy-efficient, LED lights use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs; therefore you will see a significant reduction in your electricity bills. It has been estimated that for every 60W incandescent bulb you replace, you will save up to £17 per year with an equivalent LED light bulb.

The long lifespan and low energy use make LEDs economically attractive because even though the fittings cost more, the running and maintenance bills are lower.

   

What colors are available?

LED lights are available in a range of colors such as, white, blue, green, yellow, orange, amber and red.
White LED light is commonly described by its color temperature and measured in Kelvins. The warm white LED light (2700K) closely resembles incandescent light and has a slight tone of yellow or orange, which is mainly used in residential design. The natural white LED (3000K) gives a much brighter white light and is commonly used in offices, workshops and other work environments. The cool white LED light (4000K) has a hint of bluish tone to it and it is commonly used in manufacturing industries where bright light is required.

Does Lumen matter?

A lumen is a measurement of light directly relevant to human beings. The lumen scale describes the amount of light, or brightness, that the human eye perceives. An average 100-watt incandescent bulb, for example, produces about 1,600 lumens.

LEDs, which are bright enough to replace incandescent for household use, produce the same number of lumens as standard 40- or 60-watt bulbs and typically only use 9 to 12 watts. The U.S. Department of Energy advises that consumers who want to replace a 60-watt bulb should look for an LED that produces close to 800 lumens; for a 40-watt bulb, look for 450 lumens.

  

Cons and Pros of LED lighting for home use…

Pros

- Lasts up to 10 times longer than incandescent or fluorescent

- Generates little heat

- Does not contain any mercury or toxic material

- Uses less energy, saves money on utility bills

Cons

- Not cheap

- New products are being updated and launched rapidly; there is a chance that your new purchase will become out of trend quite quick

All in all, at Ardesia Design we are big fans of LED lights and think that they're going to be around for years to come and will eventually replace all halogen bulbs. The colours and types of LED's available today are so numerous, making the product very versatile and effective in a number of applications. With the number of new LED suppliers we found at Fuori Salone Milan this year at the Euroluce show, we are unlikely to ever have to use the same light twice!

LED Lights We Like…

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