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Lighten Up TIME TO
WHEN YOU’RE REDESIGNING A ROOM, IT’S EASY TO THINK OF COLOURS, FURNISHINGS AND FLOORING BUT EVEN IF YOU GET ALL OF THESE RIGHT, POOR LIGHTING CAN LET YOU DOWN, SAY CLARE BULLER AND CHARLOTTE FAWKES OF NORWICH-BASED DOVETAIL INTERIORS
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IGHTING IS A KEY ELEMENT OF A ROOM - it creates a mood and atmosphere, it changes the personality of the space and can make design features come alive or even help to zone areas in open plan living. Lighting should be thought about in a layering approach - general, task, mood - so plan ahead with your lighting scheme to get the best out of your room. Look at different heights of lighting from floor to ceiling, corner to corner, are there any architectural features that need highlighting, artworks that could be accentuated, dead areas that could be enhanced? What needs direct and indirect lighting? Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to change the light in your room that can help adapt a space from daytime to night, or add depth and interest to the space. • DIMMERS - An easy and inexpensive way to give you flexibility for different times of the day - family mealtimes need a different atmosphere and light level than an intimate dinner. • BULBS - Use warm white coloured bulbs in your lighting as bright white has too much blue and makes a room feel cold and stark.
FEBRUARY 2020
• UP-LIGHT - Soften dead corners by using a hidden up-light, maybe with a plant in front of it (just check for cobwebs first). • LAMPS - Don’t rely on a single pendant light - it’ll create one patch of light with dead areas around it. Floor lamps and table lamps change up the heights and help with the layering by creating pockets and pools of interesting light. • SIZE - Think about style and scale of the lights in the room - maybe a large statement light over the dining table or in a hallway? It can help pull together a colour scheme too. • FLOOR SOCKETS - Consider floor sockets if possible - in open plan living you won’t have trailing cables everywhere and this allows you to have lamps where you didn’t think possible. • BE EXPERIMENTAL - Under furniture, behind mirrors, fireplaces and recesses. COME IN and use our design service to discuss your lighting scheme and you’ll always have an atmosphere to enhance and complement whatever mood you’re in.
THE ALBA NY
• KITCHENS - Ceiling spots for day times and tasking (but avoid too many and the measles effect!) but have under cabinet lights for evening tasks and create a softer, quieter atmosphere.
• FIXTURES - Coordinate light fixtures but don’t match them all from the same range - this looks uninteresting and lacks character.
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