Contradictions intrigue humans. Despite dwelling in structures designed to block out natural light, humans possess an enduring affection for illumination, often creating artificial light sources even when the sun shines. This paradox may seem peculiar, yet it encapsulates the essence of the human experience.
Whether we’re doing a task or not, we like our spaces to be relatively bright enough to make seeing things less of a chore. We are, of course, not nocturnal animals – so seeing something is pretty dependent on how light there is in a room at any given time.
Thankfully, humans have gotten pretty good at creating their own light sources to help them with this sort of thing. So whether it’s the simple potato light you might have made in science class or the reliably sturdy steel farmhouse-style light we sell here at Steel Lighting Co. – there’s a light for every purpose. That’s a good thing too, because there are many rooms in a house, and everyone will probably need to have a different lighting setup to get the most of it!
For example, you might have a study with floor-to-ceiling windows, ensuring that daylight gets in without barriers, making the room bright and beautiful during the day. But what about suffering the night? Big windows are great, but they don’t do much when there’s no light to let in. Now, sure, you could put a ceiling light in the middle of the room and call it a day, but is that really going to help? Studies or offices need focused light to make completing work more straightforward, and a simple ceiling light just won’t cut the mustard, so to speak.
In this blog, we’re going to go through the different techniques and principles of lighting using our own steel barn-style light and how to use sunlight to maximize the spaces in your home!
Read on!
The Big Three
In lighting design, there are three distinct “layers” of light that can be used in conjunction with one another to maximize any space in the home. The three layers of light are:
Ambient Lighting, which provides a base layer of visible light to any area.
Accent Lighting, which provides light meant to enhance a space thematically or artistically.
Task Lighting is a focused form of lighting designed to simplify complex tasks by providing a better vision of the job.
Every room has differing needs in the home, so a mix of these styles will emphasize different elements. For example, a space like an office or study may have a far greater need for task lighting than a dining room or lounge where a base of ambient lighting supported by flairs of accent lighting will often be more appropriate.
Remember, good lighting is like an onion (or an ogre) – it has layers, so figuring out what layers work best will be a massive step towards achieving your perfect lighting dreams.
Form and Function
To build on the above “layer” mentioned, sometimes the key to a good lighting setup is the lighting design and the type of lighting being used.
If you can’t have an abundance of natural light in your room, the next best thing is to try and imitate that as much as possible. For the best result, LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes are vital.
LEDs produce a light source that is far more similar to natural daylight than any other form of artificial lighting. With a color temperature of approximately 6500K, LEDs are far brighter and far more intense than conventional globes, making them ideal as replacements for natural daylight.
On the subject of LEDs, all of Steel Lighting Co.’s lights come with LED globes as standard on our products. Combine that with some of our most popular models, such as the Manhattan or Hollywood Bowl lights, and you’ll never feel short of adequate daylight again!
All Together Now
Of course, while it’s great to know the different techniques and materials required to make your ultimate steel lighting setup, actually applying those methods is another thing entirely. Just about every house has a room that simply doesn’t get the kind of natural light that the others do. If you’re lucky, it’s probably the basement or the attic. If you’re not fortunate enough for that, then you’ve probably got a pretty cave-like bedroom or lounge that could do with some fresh new lights.
While ambient lights, such as ceiling lights or downlights, are fantastic at filling a room with a comfortable enough amount of light, the reality is that you will always have corners of the room that will be darker than the ideal. Filling these spaces with carefully selected light sources – such as floor or table lamps – can help lift the darkness.
Similarly, floor lamps pointed towards a wall can prove to be an inventive way to introduce new light sources to a room. In principle, this will allow light to bounce back into the room off the walls, creating a relaxing effect that acts as a form of accent lighting while still having a level of utility.
Wall-mounted lights, such as Steel Lighting Co.’s Venice steel light, are particularly suited to this idea, with the light being able to be pointed towards the surface it’s mounted on. In addition, the Venice light fixture is perfect for situations where lighting an abstract space is the goal with its angled steel shade.
A slightly different technique can be used in spaces where most of the room is dark because of a darker wall paint shade. Darker shades that tend towards black will absorb any light projected onto them, making ambient lighting work double-time to achieve a comfortable coverage. LED lighting can counteract this phenomenon, with its brighter luminescence making it easier to reflect off darker wall paint.
And that’s it for our lighting guide to brightening the dark corners of your home! If you have any additional questions about how you can light the dark corners of your home or business, then don’t be afraid to give our team of steel lighting experts a call!