DID YOU KNOW THAT LIGHTING CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR SPACE?
You better believe it! Lana learnt the hard way by choosing cool white downlights in her home, making it feel stark and overlit, a bit like a doctor’s surgery. Great if you want to perform surgery in your hallway… not so great for a cosy homely feel.
There are three main types of lighting and it’s really important to consider all of them when you’re planning the lighting for your home. A great lighting plan supports the function of each room, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s widely known that there are three major types of lighting to consider, but what’s not widely known is that each form of lighting has a Three Birds spirit animal. #truestory
AMBIENT (‘BONNIE’) LIGHTING
This is the overall light source for a room and this family of lighting includes downlights, pendants, chandeliers, wall sconces and floor lamps. Yes, I know that downlights aren’t that sexy, but ignore them at your peril. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying that failing to appreciate the importance of ambient lighting could actually MAKE OR BREAK how your home ends up feeling. Install too few downlights and you’ll be forever cursing as you search for your favourite top in a dimly lit corner of your walk-in-robe. Install too many downlights and your home might end up feeling like a supermarket, especially if you choose cool white globes!
TASK (‘ERIN’) LIGHTING
This is lighting for specific tasks, such as chopping food in the kitchen, reading in a bedroom or working in a home office. Like Erin, task lighting gets down to the business of doing business. So be very clear on what you want achieve in each space, then light it accordingly. This may mean installing a wall sconce in a reading nook, placing soft lighting at face level around a bathroom mirror and placing small lights in cupboards or wardrobes.
ACCENT (‘LANA’) LIGHTING
This is where the drama comes from. Accent lighting can be used to highlight things around your home that you want to draw attention to. An example of this might be spotlights above a piece of art or lighting in cabinetry to illuminate the decorative objects on display. Lana, on the other hand, doesn’t need any lighting to get everyone’s attention. #walkingtalkingdancinglightbulb.
Finding the perfect combo for your room is crucial. Too little and you’ll be getting ready in the dark, too much and you’ll feel like you’re in a surgeon’s office.
Once we’ve decided what types of lighting we want to use, how many lights we’ll need and where we want them to go, we draw them up on our Electrical Plan, just like this…
HOW ONE BATHROOM GOT LIT
We whipped this one up in PowerPoint (it doesn’t need to be fancy!) to share with our sparky for one of our bathroom projects Your plan should be a simple floor plan of the room with a key and symbols for lights, powerpoints and switches (and any other electrical items).
We chose:
Downlights - Buyer beware, not all downlights are created equal! We chose 4 ‘LEDlux’ downlights and spaced them evenly on the bathroom ceiling. We love using these downlights because they’re colour-changing, meaning you can flick a switch inside the light and choose between warm white, cool white and daylight. If you ask your sparky nicely they should be happy to let you see each colour in situ in your bathroom before making the big decision. They’re also dimmable which is handy if you love to relax in a warm bath without being blinded by the lights.
Wall sconces - These sexy beasts are made from natural alabaster stone so each light is totally unique… which makes us love them even more. They’re called the ‘Times’ LED wall sconce, if you’re looking for some for your own bathroom. We paired two side-by-side for extra glowy goodness. These lights can also be dimmed - turn them up when you need a little extra task lighting to apply your makeup or dim them down in the evening and they look like pieces of art on the wall.
Natural light - never underestimate the impact of natural light in a bathroom. Wherever possible, we like our bathrooms to have windows for airflow and skylights to flood the room with light.
BRIGHT IDEAS
💡 Depending on the climate where you live, you might like to incorporate underfloor heating, heated towel rails and heat lamps to keep your bathroom warm and toasty. Don’t forget to include those in your Electrical Plan too.
💡 Remember that a bathroom is a wet zone - so it’s important to check all your desired lighting products and placements with your electrician to make sure everything is placed safely.
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