It’s not so long ago that lighting in homes was, for many of us, purely functional. A ceiling pendant in the middle of each room and strip lights in the kitchen was the norm.
Thankfully, lighting design, uses and technology have evolved apace in recent years. Now, lighting is often an integral part of a building’s design, carefully blending functionality with aesthetics to create inviting and dynamic living spaces.
Here we take a look at some of the ways innovative lighting solutions are illuminating our homes, starting with those that also have environmental benefits.
Energy-efficient lighting
Without doubt, energy-efficient LED bulbs have altered lighting immeasurably. Their environmental impact is staggering, given they use 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and they last up to 25 years longer. And as technology and innovation increase, so the production of LED light bulbs gets better, with the growing use of more recyclable and recycled components. This is why more than 50% of Maytoni’s luminaires are LED.
Smart Homes and Lighting
Another cost-saving lighting development is the rise of Smart technology. Lights can be turned on and off when pre-programmed or can learn typical human occupant movements, dimming a certain amount of time before the usual bedtime routine, for example. Motion sensor lighting enables them to turn on and off as people enter and leave certain spaces. These all add up to a significant cost saving for a homeowner.
Human Centric Lighting (HCL)
HCL mimics natural light in a particular space. It gets lighter and darker at certain points throughout the day and night, creating ambient living spaces, assisting with regulating sleep patterns by being in sync with our circadian rhythms and reducing energy consumption. Similarly, tunable lighting enables white light to be adjusted fr om warm to neutral to cool in appearance, depending on wh ere and why it’s used and what we prefer.
Lighting design is now almost limitless and designers and manufacturers are constantly innovating solutions to make our homes ever more comfortable. Some examples:
Lighting Fixtures and Fittings
Minimalist and sleek luminaires have clear lines and shapes and a distinct lack of decoration. Less is more. Think smooth, blemish-free surfaces and simple elegance.
Pendant lights made from glass or cool metal work well.
Statement luminaires are there to make a visual impact. They create focal points in rooms, or bring focus to a certain area of a room and include large chandeliers, luxury pendant lamps and architectural floor lamps.
Lighting Effects
Integrated lighting is the approach in which the LEDs are integrated directly into the lighting unit, rather than individual bulbs that can be changed when they fail. It is increasing in popularity thanks to the design possibilities and impressive energy efficiency.
While the individual bulbs can’t be replaced, the life span of the whole unit typically outlasts single LED bulbs. Integrated lighting is particularly useful for high-level or low-level lighting – LED strip lights, for example around ceilings or beneath cupboards.
Layered lighting uses different types of lights in one space to create mood and atmosphere. These fall into three categories:
1. Main, ambient light - ceiling lights, floor lamps and wall lights;
2. Accent lighting - directional light such as recessed lighting tracks to accentuate certain features; and
3. Task lighting - focused in certain areas, like vanity lighting and reading lamps.
Layered lighting can help accentuate a certain feature of a room, adds depth to traditional lighting solutions and creates a welcoming ambience. Solo lights can leave corners dark and shady but by layering lighting with side lights or wall lights and floor lamps, corners can be brought back into the room.
Colour-changing lighting is also possible, thanks to multicoloured LED bulbs. Those with three different diodes – red, blue and green - can be tuned to make variations of any other colour (up to around 16 million!). Intelligent technologies create these colours by adjusting the brightness and tone to make the colours customisable.
The 21st century is an exciting time to be involved in lighting design and manufacture. Possibilities, innovation and energy efficiency are constantly evolving and lighting has earned its place as being an integral part of modern homes and living.
