Have you ever walked into a room, be it a restaurant, shop, office, or home, and felt underwhelmed by the design and colour? The inside seems boring, uninteresting, and unmemorable. In many cases, the cause of this is due to the incorrect lighting that was used in the space.

More often than not, the lighting of the interiors is left to the last task and often just a last-minute plan instead of being an integral part of the success of the design project. Invariably, a lot of interiors are finished leaving the client slightly underwhelmed without knowing why.

Lighting can highlight not only the beauty of the room but the design, size, and mood. When a good lighting plan is used in conjunction with the spatial design, materials, furniture and finishes, fluid and harmonious design is achieved. Using different types of lighting can create the allusion of space by accenting the walls for instance.

Let us look firstly at how we measure the Lux factor in your space. The lux (symbol: lx) is the SI-derived unit of illuminance, measuring luminous flux per unit area. It is equal to one lumen per square metre. Photometry measures the light within a space. This is the light that hits or passes through a surface. It is how the intensity of light is determined.

“More and more, so it seems to me, light is the beautifier of the building.”

Frank Lloyd Wright – architect

A good interior designer should be able to change your interior for the better by just adjusting, adding, or minimising your existing lighting solution. Consulting an interior designer at the onset of your project will be vital to the success of the functionality and success of your design project.

Now let us look at types of lighting and the value they could add to your space namely, accent lighting, ambient lighting, and task lighting.

Accent lighting is created for a specific corner or section of the wall to highlight sculptures or other important design features. Accent lighting creates drama in the room and is usually much brighter than the rest of the lighting in the room. Accent lighting can be created by using downlighters, uplights, wall lights or spotlights. A recess in the wall or room could be backlit to ensure the lighting is not too intense for the viewer but ensures the item that needs to be lit, is highlighted well.

Ambient lighting or general lighting is used to illuminate the room in such a way that the participants feel comfortable and at ease. The intensity of the lighting will change according to the function of the room. For example, an office would have a lower intensity in contrast to that of a break-away space. Or a butler’s pantry will be brighter than the actual kitchen in order to suit the functionality of the space. Ensuring the ambient light is centred in the room will create a feeling of balance and even flow. This is essential to a good lighting plan in any interior design.

Lastly, Task lighting is installed in order for a specific task to be completed such as in a study, cooking or watching television. This kind of lighting can be created by using lighting sources such as freestanding lamps, recessed lighting, pendant lighting, or track lighting. LED light bulbs are used in these areas to minimise glare to the eyes or excessive shadows.

In South Africa, we are blessed to have long summers and an abundance of light let in through large windows, that allow natural light into our interiors, reducing our heat load and raising our vitamin D levels. Due to this, artificial light needs to be well planned to make sure there is not an excess of light in our spaces. Creating the right mix of natural light and artificial light will help you achieve the right balance of light.

In the last few years, there have been amazing developments in lighting, especially in the South African market. Check out these homegrown South African lighting designers:

Dokter and Misses
Floating Designs

Lighting companies will often offer a free consultation of your interior space along with your designer and test the lux of your room. They can offer the best solutions and products to best suit your projects function, style, design, and space. Check out some great lighting designers and suppliers in South Africa:

Lighting Warehouse
Eurolux
Radiant
Arora Lights
Live Copper

So why hire an interior designer? An interior designer will know how much light you will need and advise you. They will also have contacts with amazing lighting designers who they can consult with as to which solutions would work best in your space. They can save you money by designing the space correctly the first time, without expensive alterations having to be put in after your design is complete. After all, none of us wants an interior that seems a little dim.