The power of good lighting
DESIGNER MACHAN ENEVER OF HAWKSBEE LIGHTING CONSULTANCY REVEALS ALL
Good lighting is all about quality over quantity. If you’re clever with the details, and you understand the space and the finishes, you can make any room feel light and bright. Pay attention to the colour of the lights, how it renders the textures, surfaces and tones around it.
A space doesn’t have to be overly lit – it just needs to feel comfortable. In fact, you probably need less lighting than you think. Where you’re located within an apartment building is important – there are always going to be spaces within your home that have less natural light than others.
The main challenges for apartment lighting are function and flexibility. In a bathroom, for example, you’ll need task lighting over the vanity, and ambient lighting for the bath or shower. Many apartment bathrooms don’t get natural daylight, so you might use concealed LEDS to counter harsh shadows caused by downlights – and I would always advise wall lights either side of your mirror to mitigate the ‘Halloween effect’.
We had a challenge on our hands with our St James apartment project because the interior design was dark, moody and intimate. The existing entrance hall, which had no natural daylight, had about 25 downlights in the ceiling alone – and it didn’t actually make the space feel any brighter. We projected light up to the ceiling to lift the space, and added in layers of concealed LED details, low-level elements, downlights and even spotlights where we needed them to highlight artwork – and when the client is entertaining, they can play with these layers to create a chilled atmosphere.