Whether you’re a homeowner who’s working with a professional for a home renovation, a DIYer who is updating that dated 80’s or 90’s decade home, or a designer who’s looking for a wide selection of lighting fixtures for an architectural project – all you need is a solid foundation on choosing the right lighting fixture for a space!
Determine the room type and space requirements. Ideally, a homey and well-lit living room for occupants can be achieved by dangling a central chandelier from a high ceiling, accompanied with recessed lighting or track lighting to highlight specific features such as artwork. For kitchen countertops, use of down pendants for overhead lighting and undercabinet lighting below combine good task illumination with desirable accent lighting. Bedrooms can make use of flush mounts with dimmers and side table lamps to provide transition from ambient daylighting to a cozy night-in.
Allocate the source of natural lighting. Factoring in the reflected natural sources of light such as the sun and sky into the lighting design plan leads to a passive, sustainable and cost-efficient space for the occupants. Complement natural with appropriate artificial light sources to promote human health and well-being.
Compute the lumens per watt required and specify the right bulb. To achieve higher efficacy, choose lighting bulbs that have higher luminous output with lesser wattage input. Metal halide lamp runs on an efficacy rating of 100 lumens/watt, making its light intensity appropriate for an outdoor lighting use than a localized task lighting. Also, instead of using a compact fluorescent lamp for down lighting which has 75 lumens/watt, choose a 90 lumens/watt mercury-free LED lamp as substitute for its higher efficiency, longer lamp life, reduced maintenance costs and no warm-up time.
