For many years, interior design was characterized by a tendency toward the uniform. One coherent style continued throughout a home’s various spaces. In today’s eclectic, fast-paced world, we love to mix styles and let each space exist in its own right. Each room in the home – kitchen, dining, living – can have different furnishings, function and atmosphere. When it comes to lighting, that’s our design philosophy. Just as a sofa upholstery doesn’t have to match that of the dining room chairs, the living room lamps don’t have to correspond to the chandelier over the dining room table. In other words, just because all light fixtures serve the function of illuminating a room, doesn’t mean they have to be coordinated. Rather, the design should seek to create an affinity between a lighting fixture and the area for which it’s intended.
Functionality is an important consideration for creating unique lighting designs in distinct areas of the home. In contrast to an office, where lighting must be related across the entire space in order to create a sense of uniformity and reliability, each space in a home is meant for different activities. The living room should be a large, open, multifunctional space, reflective of its dynamic nature. To create that feel, living room lighting should be close to the ceiling or around the room’s perimeter, leaving the center of the space open and undefined. In the dining room, in contrast, a place for intimate gatherings, we create a more intimate atmosphere, hanging the light fixture low and centrally to anchor the area around a focal point. Smaller spaces like bedrooms and children’s rooms should be restful. Lighting close to the ceiling and around the room’s perimeter keeps the center of the room calm and free from glare.
