IKEA’s interior design specialist, Mikeal Berryman’s home lighting tips:
Being Swedish we know about good lighting! We understand light and lighting because of where we come from. In some parts of Sweden, people spend most of their autumn and winter indoors due to the lack of natural daylight.
As a result, Swedes have been inspired to plan their lighting well for every room, every task and every occasion. We have learnt to pay attention to function, visibility and atmosphere – all of which need to be addressed in a good lighting plan.
In addition to helping us to see and relieve strain on our eyes whilst working, lighting contributes to creating a pleasant atmosphere in a room.
It can make a room look warm and welcoming, or cold and bare.
Different circumstances often require a different atmosphere – from working with the family’s accounts at the table to relaxing over a late evening meal with friends. This demands a great deal of flexibility in your lighting arrangements.
Why not have a go at changing your own lighting scheme? You’ll be surprised when your friends and family notice the difference immediately. The right lighting breathes new life into your home!
Here Mikeal outlines the three main types of lighting you will need in your home:
- Task -Floor reading lamps or work lamps give a directed light that you can regulate according to the occasion and your needs. Most floor reading lamps are height adjustable so they can be easily adapted to your favourite armchair for example. Work lamps also direct light straight to the area you are working at.
- Mood – Add a little mood lighting to create atmosphere in a room. Lamps that emphasise certain features in the room, such as furniture or architecture, give it atmosphere and personality. The rule for mood lighting is – the more, the merrier!
- General – Our eyes don’t like sharp contrasts. To stop this happening in your home, make sure you consider the general lighting in the room, such as a ceiling lamp or a floor uplighter. An uplighter is just as good as a ceiling lamp, if you want to spread an even light throughout the room. And lamps aimed at a light-coloured ceiling can also make the room feel larger.
Featured in our picture are:
FOTÖ pendant lamp £16.99; RULLA pendant lamp £59; BASISK pendant lamp £14.99; EKÅS lamp shade £10.99.
IKEA PS MÄSKROS pendant lamp £85; IKEA PS VÄVA pendant lamp £69; IKEA PS 365+ BASRA pendant lamp £44.99.
KROBY pendant lamp £14.99; MELODI pendant lamp £5.99; IKEA 365+ LUNTA pendant lamp £24.99.
To view the IKEA home lighting collections, please visit the website.