Lighting Design: The Power To Shape Your Interior Space
The lighting in a room involves a lot more than deciding where to put the light bulb in the room. The choices you make in relation to how you deliver light to your space will define the mood, impact functionality and affect your wallet.
There are three main types of lighting to be aware of in regards to lighting. Making strategic use of these three in your custom interior design will greatly alter the end result.
Ambient lighting refers to lights that fill a space and create the ‘atmosphere’. Examples of ambient lights include track lamps and chandeliers.
Task lighting is defined by lights that aid in doing certain tasks, like a lamp for reading or a small light above the stove for cooking.
Accent lights are used to enhance the visual appeal of a room by highlighting certain decorations such as paintings or architectural structures like a fireplace.
One common oversight that many people fall victim to is forgetting to take into account natural light planning. Failure to take into careful consideration the amount of natural light that enters your room and the means by which it will do so can lead to missed opportunities to utilize said light.
Dimmable and smart lighting options are also commonly overlooked when considering lighting design. These luxuries can boost the functionality and aesthetic of a room and are also more adjustable than other traditional options.
Space Planning: Making The Most of Every Inch
It can be easy to get carried away thinking about all of the things you will throw into a space while designing. While it’s never bad to dream big, there is also a need to keep in mind the room that you have to work with and more importantly, how can this space be utilized in the most effective manner?
Prioritizing functionality should be your first objective. Depending on what kind of room you are currently designing, you will have to think about the main purposes of the space and what will be the most important things to include based around that purpose? Afterwards you can evaluate how much extra space you will have and if there are any ways you can reduce the amount of space you have used with your essentials.
The flow of traffic should be thoughtfully considered in the planning of space. One aspect of your design that can be easily overlooked is the flow between two rooms. Neglecting to take this into account will lead to clumsy navigation and more difficult movement.
Personalization and Cohesiveness: The Final Touch
So you’ve just finished up your new space and… it looks like something straight out of a home design magazine. While there is nothing wrong with that, an often overlooked aspect is that of adding your own personality into the room! After putting in all of that effort to create a custom interior you surely don’t want to forget to make it truly your own. This means adding personal items such as photos or any fixtures/appliances that suit your personal lifestyle.
To tie the whole space together you will want to make sure that from the beginning you are keeping practicality at the top of your priorities when it comes to design. It’s imperative that you keep a balance of functionality with personal design elements that make the room feel like it is truly yours.
Another thing to remember when trying to blend personalization and cohesiveness is to make sure that the colors you choose to incorporate work together to create an interesting, unique and well formed scheme. A poorly constructed color palette can create a sense of disarray, chaos and in some cases certain bright colors may put unnecessary strain on the eyes.
We’ve covered today three commonly overlooked aspects of designing a custom interior, from honing in on the perfect lighting scheme to balancing functionality with style. There is a lot to remember when designing a custom interior and there are many mistakes that can diminish the enjoyment and usage of a space.
