Lighting makes a difference in the colours you see as well as the dimensions and shapes you perceive.Because you invest so much in your kitchen or bath, you'll want it to be seen in the best light possible. Good lighting gives a room life. There are three basic types of lighting that work together to light your home: general, task and accent.
General: lighting is the overall illumination you need to brighten an area, provide visual comfort and safely walk through your room. It reduces eye fatigue by softening contrasts between brightly lighted task areas and the surroundings. It is a basic component that replaces sunlight.
Task: lighting is the illumination you need for specific activities, such as cooking, reading, school work, hobbies, shaving and applying make-up. It prevents eye strain and accidents by thoroughly lighting work areas. For most tasks, the lighting should be shadow-free and without glare. Position the lights so you don't cast shadows on the work area and so that the light does not shine directly into your eyes or reflect off the work surface. When planning your lighing, consider everyone in your home and where their activities will take place.
Accent: lighting adds drama. It enhances and highlights the colours and style of your furnishings, artwork, plants and wall hangings. Accent lighting adds emotional impact and rounds out your total decorating theme. It can be one of the most important features you include in your decorating efforts.
The selection of fixtures you use to provide lighting in your kitchen or bath will be influenced by a number of factors. Variables such as ceiling heights, available natural light and location of work surfaces determine the placement and the amount of light you use. Other considerations such as colour, tone reflectance, texture, mood, windows, skylghts and sloped ceilings are important in creating a room eith dramatic lighting.
The clearer you are in your concept of what you want your kitchen or bath to look like and how you want it to function, the easier it will be for The Kitchen Emporium to create a design with lighting that suits your needs.
Glare is any uncontrolled brightness that causes eye fatigue or interference with vision. When the eye has to cope with a light source that is much brighter than the surroundings, the result is glare. Disability glare is the worst kind- when light is blindingly bright. Drivers may experience this frightening situation when heading into the "brights" of an oncoming car.
Indoors, people experience the milder discomfort glare. After many minutes or hours, discomfort glare can cause eyestrain. To test whether there is glare in the room, first look around. Then use your hands to make a shade(like a hat brim) over your eyes and look again. If you feel more comfortable with the shade, the room has glare.
To reduce this kind of glare, avoid using bare bulbs that are 40 watts or higher. Use shades to keep bright bulbs out of direct view. Remember that the darker the background, the lower the bulb brightness needed. Shiny surfaces and unshaded windows can also cause glare - try covering them with fabric or curtains.
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