Archive for February, 2010
Bedrooms are our refuge from the world, a safe place to get away from the day’s hassles, a sanctuary for rest and romance. Bedroom lighting can go a long way toward creating this feeling of safe haven. The right lighting can even help our brains switch gears from dealing with a busy day to preparing for sleep.
The best bedroom lighting is heavy on soft, ambient light that creates a warm and cozy feeling while casting a flattering glow on you and your partner. This sort of lighting is best achieved with a few lamps with warm, low- to medium wattage bulbs placed around the room. If you have a flushed center ceiling light, consider switching it out for an indirectly-hung pendant light that can do a better job of bouncing fill light off of the walls and ceiling.
If you have a high or sloped ceiling, you can create more fill light by adding wall sconces to fill the dead space above the door line. This can also be achieved by hiding uplighting on top of tall pieces of furniture, such as an armoire, to bounce light off of the ceiling. Washing a closet door with downlighting is another way to bring in fill light and enliven dead space.
Task lighting is also an important consideration in a bedroom. Whether you read in bed or in a nearby chair, use a table lamp, a wall-mounted swing-arm lamp or a pendant lamp suspended above the nightstand, the guidelines are the same: opt for an opaque shade that directs light downward. The bottom of the shade should hit just above the shoulder — high enough to illuminate the work space and low enough to keep the light out of your (or your partner’s) eyes. Another option is to install adjustable recessed lights in the ceiling over the bed, with dimmer controls within easy reach of each side of the bed. Such directed, focused light allows you to read without disturbing your partner’s sleep.
The bathroom is yet another multi-purpose room with its own unique lighting requirements. In the morning, it needs to be bright and functional to help us wake up and get out the door. In the evening, it can take on a more spa-like atmosphere, allowing us a sanctuary for pampering ourselves and easing away the tensions of the day. Just like any other room, a bathroom should be lit in layers that can be adjusted appropriately. But the bathroom’s primary functions have special lighting requirements that should not be overlooked.
Task lighting in the bathroom is key. The sink and mirror should be lit in such a way that faces are lit evenly, without shadows, for makeup application or shaving. To accomplish this, more than one light is generally necessary. A row of bright bulbs above the mirror is a common method for vanity lighting. Even better is to flank the mirror on each side with a light box or a fixture mounted at eye level.
