A light Story
An 83-year-old Kilkenny lighting company steers its way into the future
When we consider lighting, most of us think about what will match the carpets or furniture. We don’t think about how lighting can transform and enhance our lives. When I help people to choose lighting, I try to get an insight into what they need for their space. I look at three Fs: Form, Function and Feeling. As consumers, we already look at the form and the function, but the right choice goes beyond that to the intangible: how does it make us feel?
Here in Ireland, we have lots of natural light during the summer but then we spend half the year under artificial light, so it’s important to get it right! Here are some tips to light the different areas of your home.
Kitchen
You’ll need to see the food you are preparing, but equally the kitchen needs to be a relaxing area as it is the most used room in the house. Central lighting will not light up the whole space and light from behind you will cast a shadow on whatever you are doing in front of you. Overhead spots or downlighters will give an overall light to your kitchen and putting these on a dimmer switch adds an extra layer of control. If you have an island or dining table, then overhead lighting serves as both task lighting and makes a feature of those areas.
Living Room
You can create different layers of light in your living room to create a relaxing and functional room. Central pendants along with floor lamps, table lamps and wall lights easily transform this room from work space to chill-out zone.
Bathroom
A practical point: bathroom lighting needs to be IP (ingress protection)-rated, especially if there is a shower. Moisture will damage light fittings so they need to be enclosed. However, this doesn’t mean you have to have a typical central globe; IP-rated downlighters can be used with decorative wall or ceiling lights.
Bedroom
You need to think about what you are doing in your bedroom. Is it a space to crash at the end of a long day or do you do homework or read in it for hours? Functionality is important: do you read and your partner doesn’t? Do you have a walk-in wardrobe or alcove that needs illumination? Extra lighting doesn’t always mean getting extra cables put in: a pendant can be hung away from the main ceiling rose or run up the wall and plugged in.