Light It Up!, by Michael Seven

Light it up!

Lighting has been called, “the jewellery of the room” for a reason. It’s highly decorative, creative and also functional. Nothing sets a mood like lighting. In fact, lighting is everything you need to set the stage to create real atmosphere. There is a reason candlelight dinners are romantic – holding hands across the table under glaring fluorescents just isn’t the same vibe, is it?

A prominent lighting expert I worked with taught me there is pin, pool, and wash lighting. One could also see it as task, ambient and decorative. Pin refers to a very directed beam of light, while pool is more broad, overhead LED lights or a chandelier which create pools of light, while a wash, could be a strip of LED light down a wall or across a ceiling.

I would wager that most readers get the basics, here are some things we’re doing that sometimes are not considered, yet add so much for a very small investment. Wash lighting, either an accent wall (stone, tile or contrasting colour), or up-lighting a vaulted ceiling adds real atmosphere for rooms. It highlights and creates a dramatic focal point.

Floor level lighting, either as an LED strip, or as directional single units, beautifully illuminate hallways, staircases and the bathroom to create subtle warmth yet is also a guide you’ll be grateful for in the wee hours when you don’t have to snap on the overheads.

In Costa Rica, we blend indoor with outdoor spaces, and considering a lighting plan for the pool area and landscape is very impactful and feels luxurious. Up-light adds interest to trees and wash light along the base of plantings. Don’t forget the pool deck, there are fantastic glowing globes and we’re creating concrete lights in organic shapes for outdoors, add another level of experience to a home.

About the Writer

Michael Seven lives part-time on the coast and on Georgian Bay, Canada. He’s a graphic, brand and interior designer, digital marketing strategist, writer and artist. Get in touch with him at michael.seven@gmail.com