Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Types of lighting
Light fixture types
Lamp sources
Planning
Lighting room by room
Adding value
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................... 2
Planning ....................................................................................... 14
Introduction
Creating atmosphere is why some cafes, bars and night clubs succeed where others fail. Atmosphere
is created through mood and mood is created by lighting. Change the destiny of your home or
business by choosing an atmosphere for it and creating it. You have the power.
Change your living room into
a haven, your bedroom into a
boudoir and your patio into an
entertainment area deluxe, all
through a few good lighting
decisions. Take each room and
fulfil its potential this will
change your home, how you
feel in it and the flow of your
life through it. Say yes to the
world of lighting and change
the whole atmosphere of your
home.
Dont shock yourself awake
by using a main central light
in your bedroom but choose
a dimmer on some wall lights
to make your transition from
sleeping to ready for the world
an easy one.
Maybe you do need glasses
but then again maybe you just
need to light your world with a
bit of love.
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Types of lighting
There are three basic types of lighting that work together in your
home: ambient (general lighting), task and accent lighting. A
lighting plan combines all three according to function and style.
AMBIENT LIGHTING
This is the general lighting
responsible for the overall
illumination of an area or a
room. It creates a comfortable
environment in which you can
see easily and move about
TASK LIGHTING
Task lighting helps you to
perform specific functions,
such as reading, writing,
grooming, cooking, doing
homework, working on
hobbies, playing games and
using your computer. The type
of task lighting you need will
depend on the task, but it could
be provided by recessed or
track lighting, pendant lighting,
under-cabinet lighting, and
special portable floor and desk
lamps. The most important
considerations are that it is free
of glare, doesnt cast shadows,
is bright enough to prevent eye
strain and any heat coming
from the bulb does not affect
the task.
ACCENT LIGHTING
Lighting that creates visual
interest in a room, adds drama
or draws the eye intentionally
along or towards something is
referred to as accent lighting. It
can be manipulated in a great
number of ways and with a
variety of focuses. For example,
it can be used to highlight the
texture of a face-brick or clad
wall, outdoor landscaping or
to draw the eye to sculptures,
paintings, houseplants or other
items of interest, such as your
Star Wars figurine collection.
The rule of thumb is to make
your accent lighting at least 3
times as bright as the ambient
lighting in the vicinity. Some
options for accent lighting
are wall-mounted picture
lights, shadow-casting wall or
floor lights, recessed or track
lighting, wall washers and
under-shelf strip lighting.
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WALL SCONCES
2.1 m
PICTURE LIGHTS
FOOT LIGHTS
CEILING LIGHTS
FLUSH-MOUNTED CEILING
LIGHTS
PENDANT LIGHTS
CHANDELIERS
DOWNLIGHTS
TRACK LIGHTING
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS
SPOTLIGHTS
CONCEALED LIGHTING
FREESTANDING LIGHTS
WORK LIGHTS
TABLE LAMPS
Come with a base and shade.
Some shades can both shine
diffused light upwards and task
light downwards.
DESK LAMPS
COUNTER LIGHTING
The best way to provide
kitchen task lighting is to install
counter lighting just behind
the light shield on the bottom
of your wall cupboard to light
up your chopping, spreading
and cooking. Also decoratively
used inside cabinets to
illuminate knick-knacks.
Be practical when
choosing lights and fittings.
Think about how easy
it will be to change the
bulbs, and where you
can buy them. If you dont
own a ladder, should you
be putting in a recessed
ceiling light?
FLOOR LAMPS
A multitude of options. Usually
have a base and shade. The
shade could either channel the
light or diffuse it into the room.
Uplighter floor lamps wash the
ceiling with light, or you can
get mother and son versions
which combine an uplighter
with a reading lamp.
LANTERNS
Provide diffused lighting.
Usually decorative and mounted
on outside walls or on top of
gate posts or pillars.
FLOODLIGHTS
WALL WASHERS
BULKHEAD LIGHTS
These are the multitaskers
of outdoor lighting. Theyre
ruggedly made and can be
mounted on walls and ceilings.
Great for perimeter, path and
foot lighting.
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GARDEN SPOTS
FREESTANDING LIGHTS
SUBMERSIBLE SPOTLIGHTS
BOLLARD LIGHTS
GARDEN POSTS
GROUND LIGHTS
Recessed into the floor or
paving. Need to be installed
when laying the floor. Beautiful
when placed
on either side of
an entrance or
pillar. Great for
walls or gardens
on either side of
a path. Beware of glare.
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Lamp sources
INCANDESCENT
The most popular lamp in the past has been the incandescent light
bulb. This was because it could be manufactured cheaply and
needed no extra equipment to work. But the incandescent bulb is
losing popularity because of its inefficient use of electricity. They
also heat up and can affect air-conditioning.
You can get general incandescent bulbs, globe-shaped ones and
decorative ones, usually teardrop or flame shaped. You also get
reflector incandescent bulbs which have a coating inside to help
bounce the light in a specific direction.
The light from these lamps is warm looking.
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FLUORESCENT
A fluorescent lamp uses
energy much more efficiently
than an incandescent bulb for
the amount of light it puts out.
The new energy-saving bulbs
are a variation of this type of
lamp and are called compact
fluorescent lamps (CFL).So
when you choose an energysaving bulb over a normal
one, you are choosing
fluorescent over incandescent.
Simply put, a fluorescent
lamp (or tube) uses electricity
to excite mercury vapour. The
mercury atoms then produce
short-wave ultraviolet light
which in turn causes visible
light. Although they use less
electricity, fluorescent lamps
are more costly as they
include a current regulator.
Note that because they also
contain mercury, they need to
be disposed of appropriately.
Fluorescent lamps take their
time to turn on, which means
HALOGEN
Halogen lamps are a variation
on the incandescent bulb,
where electricity flows through
a filament causing it to glow.
But instead of a large glass
bulb they use a much smaller
quartz bulb. Because halogen
lamps can be really small,
they can be widely used in
small spaces and less obtrusive
fixtures. However, the lamps
get very hot so they must be
mounted where you cant
accidentally touch them and
also a safe distance away from
plants and artworks. Never
touch a halogen lamp when
changing it as oil or grease on
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LED
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are
highly energy efficient but a
bit more expensive than other
lamps. Because their light is
directional, they usually have
to be used in fittings designed
specifically for them. Often
many rows of LEDs are used to
create one light source.
They have a host of benefits
including a 90% electricity
saving (making them good
for solar fittings and costconscious consumers). They are
also robust and last for up to
30 000 hours (3-5 years), emit
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Planning
GLARE
Glare is harsh, dazzling light
and there are two types:
discomfort and disability glare.
Discomfort glare is when a
light is too bright to look at and
causes you to turn your eyes
away. Disability glare is when
your task is made impossible
by the light source; the contrast
between the light and the task
being too much for the eye to
handle -- like when you walk
into a dark room after being in
bright sunlight.
Glare can come directly from
a light source, be reflected off
another surface, or caused by
lighting thats too bright. When
outdoors, you use sunglasses
to reduce the glare of the sun.
Indoors, you can use diffusers
and directed light to create a
comfortable environment free of
glare.
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COLOUR
PROPORTION
15
MAKING A ROOM
COSY
MAKING A ROOM
LOOK TALLER
STYLE
Make sure the lights you choose
are in keeping with your
dcor. Whether your dcor
is traditional, ethnic, timeless,
modern, contemporary or fun,
TASK
A lantern right next to your front
door will throw light on your
hands while youre finding
your key and inserting it into
the lock. Just be aware that
people approaching the door
ACCENT
Purely decorative, accent
lighting must match the theme
of your house. A welcoming
ENTRANCE
AMBIENT
As your entrance hall gives
people their first impression of
the inside of your home, choose
its lighting carefully to reflect
the dcor. A central welcoming
light (pendant or chandelier)
can function as both ambient
and task light, facilitating safe
passage while not being so
bright as to create a harsh
transition from outside to inside.
TASK
The entranceway is not a place
where people linger long. They
move through it, checking their
keys, removing or donning
coats, leaving or picking up
bags. Providing enough light to
facilitate these tasks might mean
pitching the ambient brightness
correctly instead of installing
another fitting. Track lighting
and downlighters can achieve
this.
ACCENT
Foot lights can serve as good
accent lights in a long entrance
hall, or wall lights can lead
people through to a slightly
brighter lounge or living room.
If you have ornaments or
pictures on the wall or on a
recessed shelf, then picture
lights or spotlights would draw
attention to them. Similarly, if
you dont have any items of
interest, you can create interest
by directing columns of light up
a wall or washing a wall with
colour.
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LIVING ROOM
AMBIENT
TASK
ACCENT
The lounge is often also where
you entertain, so much thought
is usually put into its dcor.
Remember to illuminate any
good art or sculptures. If you
have a blank wall on which
you screen home videos, you
DINING ROOM
AMBIENT
Having a dimmer switch for
the dining room light means
you can use it for doing
tasks (such as homework)
as well as creating the right
mood for a dinner party.
Placing a chandelier in your
dining room means you can
appreciate its beauty and have
it accessible for cleaning. A
large pendant light is also an
option, just make sure it has
a good diffuser (such as a
glass bowl bottom) to prevent
glare. Downlighters have their
place in the dining room too,
especially when the accent
lighting is regular enough to
add to the ambient lighting of
the room. Track lighting can
lend a contemporary look to a
dining room.
TASK
If you want to keep glare
down in the serving area, then
downlighters above the table
and some narrow pendant or
wall lights above the sideboard
would be a good combination.
Other tasks that might take
place in the dining room are
working on hobbies and doing
homework. For this the light
needs to be bright enough to
prevent eye strain, so consider
using wall lights with a dimmer,
track lights or a bright enough
central ceiling light.
ACCENT
Track lighting and recessed
lighting are great options for
increasing the ambient light
while also accentuating fine art
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KITCHEN
AMBIENT
Fluorescent lighting is popular
in kitchens as the diffusers
(glazed covers) work well
to create an overall bright
environment free of shadows
and glare. The tubes are
also good energy savers.
But although there are now
some decorative options on
the market, fluorescent light
fixtures are still not things of
great beauty and so sit on the
functional and efficient side of
the fence. Other options for the
kitchen include downlighters
and recessed cabinet lighting.
TASK
Because the activities in a
kitchen happen all over it,
downlighters can be used either
directly above the sink, stove or
oven, or be directed towards
them. Using counter lighting
will ensure that no shadows
are cast by the people working
in the kitchen or their area of
focus. With track lighting and
downlighting you can combine
your ambient and task lighting
by angling the lights towards
specific areas, such as the sink.
A pendant light can work well
over a kitchen table, just make
sure that if you have a large
kitchen table its big enough
to provide adequate light for
all those using the table. You
might even want to install two
large pendant lights or three
slightly smaller ones to light the
table sufficiently. Hang them
75-100 cm above the top
(depending on the strength of
your globes and the breadth of
the beam).
ACCENT
There are some great options
for bringing colour and
interest to your kitchen through
strategic accent lighting.
Under-shelf lights can increase
the ambient light. If you have
glass cupboard doors, lighting
inside the cupboards can
create interest while at the
Incorporating a dimmer
switch in your countertop
lighting will enable you
to change your kitchen
from a purely functional
area into one with
dramatic effect. Always
place countertop lighting
near the front edge of
the cupboard above the
counter top, as opposed
to near the wall. This way
the tiles or wall will reflect
the light onto your work
surface.
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BEDROOMS
AMBIENT
Chandeliers, ceiling lights,
pendant lights, recessed
downlighters or wall lights can
all provide enough general
lighting in bedrooms.
TASK
ACCENT
It is nice to light up a feature,
picture or textured surface
behind or above your bed, just
make sure the object doesnt
reflect glare onto your book
when youre reading in bed.
This sort of lighting can be
done with downlighters (you
could angle two for reading
and two at your picture), actual
picture lights on an arm, and
track lights (where you could
again use two for bedside
lighting and others for accent
BATHROOMS
AMBIENT
Some bathrooms remain
utilitarian but the trend is to
make them more of a retreat for
relaxation and self-indulgence.
Whatever size bathroom you
have, make sure you create
a warm glow in it. This is the
ideal room for a motion sensor,
although to avoid the sudden
shock of bright lights in the
middle of the night, a dimmer
would also be advisable.
TASK
Mention mirror lights and
immediately people think
of a starlets make-up table
backstage. But mirrors in the
home also need to be well
lit. For a small mirror, use wall
lights, one on either side and
about 1.5 m off the floor. It
might be useful to put them on
a dimmer so you can soften
their effect when youre not
using the mirror. For a large
mirror, you want to hang the
lights from the ceiling. This
is tricky as you dont want to
cause glare, so choose lights
with a good diffuser or ones
where you can change the
angle. Take into consideration
how much light youll need
when showering or bathing
youll want to be able to
read shampoo labels. So
while you want bright lights to
read by, you also want some
low lighting for calm. Here,
recessed downlighters are
excellent, especially when on a
dimmer, but make sure you get
ones designed for wet areas.
Always choose full-shade
diffusers to prevent glare.
ACCENT
If you do a lot of reading in
your bath you might even
want an adjustable accent
light appropriately positioned.
Under-cabinet lighting
(along the kickboard) or foot
lighting along walls can add
wonderfully to the visual
temperature of a bathroom.
Another option is to install
energy-saving lamps or LED
strip lighting under the furniture
which you leave on all night to
facilitate midnight trips to the
bathroom.
If you chose a central fixture
for your bathrooms ambient
lighting, then your accent
STUDY
AMBIENT
When lighting a study, dont
err on the side of having too
much ambient light, which can
glare off pages and computer
screens. To avoid this, place
lights on either side of your
desk but not directly above or
in front of it.
TASK
Use a desk or floor lamp to
provide a bright light to use
while reading or filing. An
alternative is to install 3 or 5
pendants over your work area.
Their shades and diffusers will
help prevent glare. You can
also combine ambient and task
lighting with a pendant -- just
ensure you have a shade that
lets enough light into the rest of
the room.
ACCENT
Bookcases can be highlighted
by training track or spotlights
onto them, installing a shelving
light that runs the length of
the shelf, or even putting
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GARDEN
AMBIENT
If you have a garden and do
a lot of outdoor entertaining,
then maybe you would want
to light up the whole garden.
But generally you would only
illuminate the areas you are
likely to use at night, such as
pathways, driveways and
features you can see from your
entertainment area and house
windows. Here you could use
lanterns on the sides of walls
which will wash the areas
around your house with light.
TASK
Use ambient lighting on
pathways and accent lighting
under pergolas or a seating
area. Bollard lights or ground
lights are great for illuminating
garden paths. Post lights do the
same for driveways, especially
if you have a long driveway.
ACCENT
PATIO
ACCENT
AMBIENT
You want to be able to move
around a patio with ease. Light
it with lanterns on the side of
the house and other lighting to
bring the ambient brightness
up. It is hard to create enough
ambient light on a patio without
installing posts, but if you
use your accent fixtures well
they could give you enough
illumination to eat by as well as
create the right atmosphere.
IP RATING
TASK
An IP rating (Ingress Protection rating) is a measure of protection against foreign objects and liquids.
Take note of this rating when choosing fixtures for outdoor use. IP23 means that it is rated a 2 for solid
objects and a 3 for liquid, the higher these numbers are the better the protection against dust and liquid.
PROTECTION AGAINST
SOLID OBJECTS
No special/extra protection.
No special/extra protection.
Dust-protected.
Dust-proof.
NOT APPLICABLE
NOT APPLICABLE
DIGITS
SECURITY
AMBIENT
Lighting your premises means
that with a glance out a
window you can see if anyone
is moving around your property
or approaching the house.
Ambient lighting would mostly
be installed to increase your
own feeling of safety. Ensure
that your security lighting is safe
by mounting it high or in places
not easily accessible. Your
garden lighting could provide
illumination from a security
point of view too. Choose
medium intensity lighting so
that you can comfortably see
without being blinded by glare.
TASK
The main task of security
lighting would be to deter
intruders from entering your
property. Just remember that too
bright a spotlight can create too
much glare and blind security
personnel or police on the other
side of your gate instead of
helping them see what is going
on. Movement sensors are a
good idea as anyone moving
around will trigger the lights.
However, remember to angle
them so that pets wont affect
them, nor branches blowing in
the wind. Perimeter lighting will
reveal anyone trying to scale
the boundary wall but must be
inaccessible or behind a grill so
it cant be tampered with.
Remember that if you want
spotlights to come on when
there is movement, make sure
the lights dont point towards
the house but away from it (you
ACCENT
You can use accent lighting
to illuminate any dark corners
which might potentially hide
intruders. You could use any of
the same spiked garden lights,
bollard lights and anything
else you use to illuminate
your garden, extending them
to serve as security lights as
well as enhance your garden
features.
27
Choose multiple
light
circuits with indi
vidual
dimmers on the
same
switch plate for
more
flexibility. Remem
ber the
golden rule of do
mestic
lighting is dimmer
s,
dimmers, dimmer
s.
Adding value
DIMMER
EMERGENCY LIGHTING
DAY/NIGHT SENSOR
There are many ways to
maximise your lighting. A
dimmer is the most useful way
of doing this. By connecting the
lights in any room to a dimmer
you can make the same
fixtures provide both the rooms
ambient and task lighting.
MOVEMENT SENSORS
These are ideal in little-used
areas or places where people
dont linger, such as on garden
paths or in entrance halls,
storerooms and garages. To
help save energy you could
install them throughout your
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Disclaimer
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information contained herein is intended to provide general information with regard to simple DIY
projects. As products, laws and regulations are continually changing, Builders takes no responsibility
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O IN
ALS
THE
RAN
GE
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