// John Biddell
and from fittings at different height levels, but thought needs to be given as to how the various elements can be used separately or in conjunction to create different moods. For instance, by all means choose a stunning centre ceiling fitting for a living or dining room, but don’t forget to add table and/or floor lamps so that the feel of the room can be altered quite literally at the flick of a switch (or two!). And whilst we’re on the subject of switches it’s well worth having any ceiling or wall fitting on a dimmer switch, once again for increased flexibility. You might also like to consider installing a dedicated lamp circuit next to your wall sockets. You can then plug in some or all of your floor and table lamps, so that they will all be controlled by one switch.
When it comes to lighting, I believe the most common mistake people make is to make it too small. This is particularly true of ceiling lights. Although you don’t want to have to duck under a ceiling light, please do make sure it’s big enough to be in balance with the rest of the room. In a dining room however, the ceiling light can be pretty much as large and dramatic as you like, as it’s often centred over the table.
We’ve thought about lighting within the home, now let’s consider for a moment exterior lighting. This can be extremely effective if used thoughtfully. Flood lamps within a shrubbed border look great, especially when used sparingly, and add a perception of warmth to otherwise chilly evenings in early or late summer. I love to see the front of a house lit up, whether it’s by more floods or in the case of a contemporary property by pencil up-and-downlighters. A path with set-in LEDs also looks great, inviting you to follow it to its ultimate destination.
Finally, let’s talk about the warmth of lighting. This is a subject that has become increasingly important with the development of LED lighting, and one where many mistakes can be avoided by a little careful consideration.
Some lamps, like the old incandescent bulbs, emit a warmer light, while other bulbs like LEDs provide a wider range of colour temperatures to choose from. Many people prefer the warmth of an incandescent bulb, but don’t realize that this type of light can be easily replicated by simply selecting the right energy-efficient bulb. Colour temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin on a scale from 1,000 to 10,000. Unlike measuring temperature in degrees Celsius, the warmer a bulb’s light is, the lower its temperature will be. A cooler temperature will have a higher value. For reference, candlelight has a colour temperature of about 2,000K, while sunlight has a temperature of about 6,000K.
Choosing a bulb that provides an ideal colour temperature will have a significant impact on the feel and functionality of any room. If the colour temperature is too low (or too warm), you may not be able to see everything you need to see; for example, warm light isn’t always ideal for functional lighting, such as in a kitchen, but it is well-suited to mood lighting. On the other hand, while cool temperatures are ideal for functional lighting, a colour temperature that is too high (or too cool) will prevent you from achieving the calm or relaxed feeling you want out of a living room or bedroom.
All of these collections, and many more like them are available from John Charles Interiors.
JOHN BIDDELL - JOHN CHARLES INTERIORS 349 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 8DL T. 0121 420 3977
www.johncharlesinteriors.co.uk
/ 113
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
