Lighting smaller rooms and spaces attractively and effectively can be a challenge. Because of the limited size of the area, it’s sometimes tempting to think a single light source in the middle of the ceiling will do the job, but it’s not that simple at all!
In fact, small spaces often have characteristics that demand a much more subtle and balanced approach to lighting, with intensity, colour temperature, position, and controllability all helping to distribute the glow to the best aesthetic and practical effect.
Lighting for smaller spaces is certainly moving up the design agenda, and in this piece, we explore how combining the right light sources and approaches can help you add value and appeal to those more compact areas of your home or office.
One bulb won’t do it
As we mention above, a small space isn’t well suited to a single source of light. A central ceiling bulb or light fitting will tend to create an island of light in the middle of the room, which makes shadows seem darker.
It’s better to go for an even spread of light throughout the area, and to mix your light sources, in order to create a welcoming and accessible environment, and bolster the anti-shadow effect.
Opt for two or three ceiling lights (not downlighters – they’re too harsh) to create fields of illumination that gently support and complement each other (frosted, opal, or fabric shades are good for this). Team these with spotlights, if necessary, to reach further into the shadows.
Wall lights can add an extra layer of warmth around the edges of the space, to create an impression of depth and dimension, or indeed to draw interest and attention to a particular decorative feature – a painting, for example.
Blending light in this way not only reframes the room visually, it elevates it psychologically, too, as it puts the smaller space on a par, in terms of aesthetic effort, with the other rooms in the building.
Floor and table lamps: the finishing touches
Ultimately, what we’re practising here is ‘layered lighting’ – an approach we’ve discussed in another article recently – and an important ingredient of this lighting design method is lighting that is portable – that is, easily moved to cast additional light where needed. Floor lamps and table lamps fall into this category, as they can easily be repositioned to banish particularly stubborn shadows, or to aid practical and social tasks like reading, serving food or drink, or playing board games.
In small spaces, then, effective and alluring light is, necessarily, a subtle interplay of fixed and moveable light sources, and the relationship of intensity and position between them is key – which brings us to our next point.
Look for controllability and adjustability
An overpowering light in a small space is never good news, no matter how closely you’ve followed the advice above, and managing this is fundamentally about three things: colour temperature, intensity, and reflection.
The colour temperature of the light denotes whether it’s a warm or cool light, with warm giving a cosier feel, and cool giving a whiter hue.
Clearly, cosiness works better for relaxation and many social situations, but it’s important to remember that your small space may also be used for work or study, and in this situation you need lighting that imitates the coolest, bluest light of them all – daylight.
Many LED lights can now be tuned for colour temperature, and this controllability enables you to switch fr om cosy to daylight mode easily.
Controllability is key to small-space lighting in other ways, too. Intensity, of course, is key to mixing light sources to best effect, and the use of dimmers, or, more conveniently, controls that can be activated from a smartphone, like our , can help you achieve the desired effect.
And there is a controllable middle ground between fixed and mobile light sources, too. LED track lighting, for example, whilst it uses a fixed mount, can be physically adjusted and repositioned to vary how light is distributed in the space.
And where track lighting is being used to accentuate a certain feature, it can be moved to minimise reflection or glare, particularly if that feature is replaced by another one with different reflective characteristics.
Playing with light – the artistry of small spaces
But whilst we’re on the subject of reflection, it shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere annoyance; in fact, you can play with reflection quite skilfully to enhance the light quality in your small space.
You can place mirrors opposite windows, for example, to significantly increase the quantity of natural light in the space and also create a pleasant illusion of greater space.
Equally, choosing semi-gloss or satin finishes for walls, ceilings woodwork, and furniture can help reflect light, dispel gloominess, and, once again, convey an impression of space and openness.
In summary, at Maytoni we don’t see small spaces as a challenge, we see them as your canvas, and our lighting solutions as your palette.
Now go and turn small into a masterpiece!
