Lighting is an incredibly important but often overlooked part of a building. It not only affects how well we can see but also how good it feels to be in a space. Although we may not be conscious of it, we are attuned to the sun's light, which cues our bodies to when we should wake up and when we should go to sleep. Ideally, a home will receive abundant natural light through windows and glazed doors. But how does one best light those parts of a home which do not receive daylight or light the home during the hours of the day when the sun doesn't shine?
David Warfel is a lighting designer and founder of the lighting design company "Light Can Help You". He has written extensively on the subject in Fine Homebuilding, The Pretty Good House and other publications. In The Pretty Good House book, David lists three principles of good lighting, which are illustrated in the four drawings below. Each drawing shows common but not so good lighting practices on the left and good lighting practices on the right.
Principle #1: Light What You Want To See
In a kitchen, light the countertop rather than the floor. In a living room, light the book that you want to see with a floor lamp, or light the art that you want to see with a downlight. The brightest spots in the room should be the most important things to see.
Principle #2: Be A Glare Hunter
Think of glare as a bright spot in the wrong place - your eyes. When choosing recessed lights for the ceiling, choose ones that are truly recessed so that you see the object lighted, not the glare from the light itself. Avoid disc or wafer lights which are easy to install but create a point of glare. When choosing decorative fixtures and lamps, look for shielded and shaded sources. If you can see the lightbulb, then you should choose a different fixture.
Principle #3: Make Change Easier
The best light is natural light; the worse is fixed white light that never changes. We need different light for different tasks, moods and times of day. Provide flexibility in each room by using different types of fixtures and putting them on individual dimmers so that you can get just the right for any situation.
David Warfel is a lighting designer and founder of the lighting design company "Light Can Help You". He has written extensively on the subject in Fine Homebuilding, The Pretty Good House and other publications. In The Pretty Good House book, David lists three principles of good lighting, which are illustrated in the four drawings below. Each drawing shows common but not so good lighting practices on the left and good lighting practices on the right.
Principle #1: Light What You Want To See
In a kitchen, light the countertop rather than the floor. In a living room, light the book that you want to see with a floor lamp, or light the art that you want to see with a downlight. The brightest spots in the room should be the most important things to see.
Principle #2: Be A Glare Hunter
Think of glare as a bright spot in the wrong place - your eyes. When choosing recessed lights for the ceiling, choose ones that are truly recessed so that you see the object lighted, not the glare from the light itself. Avoid disc or wafer lights which are easy to install but create a point of glare. When choosing decorative fixtures and lamps, look for shielded and shaded sources. If you can see the lightbulb, then you should choose a different fixture.
Principle #3: Make Change Easier
The best light is natural light; the worse is fixed white light that never changes. We need different light for different tasks, moods and times of day. Provide flexibility in each room by using different types of fixtures and putting them on individual dimmers so that you can get just the right for any situation.
There is a wealth of additional information on lighting design on the Light Can Help You Website: https://lightcanhelpyou.com/ and on David Warfel's blog, the Language of Light: https://languageoflight.blog/
The photo at the top of the page was taken from the Light Can Help You website. The drawings above come from Fine Homebuilding and were done by David Moore.
The photo at the top of the page was taken from the Light Can Help You website. The drawings above come from Fine Homebuilding and were done by David Moore.
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