Erik Thompson of Quatro Lighting Designs is an expert in how to show your home in the right light. Planning lighting for your entire house or even one room may be an overwhelming undertaking, and hiring a lighting designer is the easiest solution. But if you are on a tight budget, this may not be possible. So Thompson has offered up some of his lighting tips.

His number-one piece of advice would be to plan ahead, as often lighting comes up after you have run through your financial plan. “No matter how many beautiful items you’ve purchased for your home, without appropriate illumination you’re left in the dark,” states Thompson. “Proper lighting design may create a project successful.”

If you can afford a lighting designer, Thompson recommends checking out the designer’s portfolio and finding one that suits your own style. This way, you’ll trust her or him, keep a open mind, and be able to unwind and leave yourself in her or his hands. In the end, make certain that you prioritize the functions you will need from your lighting scheme for different times of day and night and different purposes.

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Erik Thompson – Quatro Lighting Designs

“Lighting isn’t more or less ambience or properly lighting a room, but about how it is possible to create these areas come into life,” explains Thompson.

Light bounces off the artwork and reflective wall coverings in this hallway, enhancing its gold colors.

1. Dim it. A dimmer is a must-have for establishing a mood, ” says Thompson, giving you control over the use of light.

Joie Wilson

2. Do art lighting right. This may be one of the trickiest tasks to try by yourself. “There are many different techniques for lighting artwork and tens of thousands of fixtures to choose from,” states Thompson. “Pick which fixture is most attractive for the space and the artwork, whether it’s track lighting, recessed lighting, mono points or floor lamps”

“You need to ask yourself what level of lamp will suit the artwork, and the colour temperature is very important,” he states. This makes all the difference from the art-lighting world”

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

“Please remember that you do not want flashy lighting to your artwork; the further your artwork lighting blends into the environment of your home, the better. We are lighting the artwork, not arting the light,” Thompson states.

Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

3. Perfect your fixture positioning. “Some lighting angles are more flexible than others. The position of light fixtures generates a number of visual aspects,” explains Thompson. “When picking fixture placements, constantly keep height, fixture size and placement in your mind.”

Within this area, the antler chandelier frees the art and is well placed in relation to where the ceiling meets the wall. The library sconces not just are well placed for the role of studying in bed, but they also frame the art and pick up on the black in the painting.

Jarlath Mellett

4. Light for night and day. “A well-designed and well-built fixture is much more like a work of art than a simple light to turn on if it gets dark,” Thompson states. This means choosing.

“In a nutshell, choose a fixture that is attractive to your eyes even with off the light,” he states.

Peterssen/Keller Architecture

5. Create unique dining light. “Rather than utilizing chandeliers over a rectangular dining room table, try using multiple pendants to create the sense of a large chandelier,” Thompson advises.

Also, keep in mind that dimmers are a must-have in the dining area.

Tim Barber Ltd Architecture

Applying two drum shade pendants is another eye-catching chandelier substitute.

Erik Thompson – Quatro Lighting Designs

6. Set. “When designing your lighting layout, you always need to place multiple scenes by integrating the use of concealed light sources and integrating lighting controls for setting different moods,” states Thompson.

Within this spacious floor plan, the chef can have glowing light for cooking. Children doing homework at the counter may have ample reading light too, and people in the living room can enjoy more intimate dim light when admiring the artwork lighting on that major piece on the wall.

Erik Thompson – Quatro Lighting Designs

7. Utilize colour. “Color may be amazing if used in the ideal place, so keep an open mind about it,” states Thompson. “For instance, emphasizing a wall, with cove lighting in a pub area or theater, or putting halo lighting around artwork sculptures or bookshelves can pack just the right punch of colour.”

This spiral stairs takes on a contemporary look when illuminated by indigo lights at night.

Lumens

Chianti LED Down Pendant by Bruck Lighting Systems – $334.56

8. Take energy efficiency. Thompson recently saved a sports sofa customer over $7,000 by replacing the spec architectural fixtures with energy-efficient LED pendants. This savings over insured Thompson’s design fee, yet another reason hiring a lighting designer is well worth every penny.

Super Bright LEDs

Here is another use of LED lights.

Erik Thompson – Quatro Lighting Designs

9. Customize on a budget. “To have a custom piece, you don’t have to always pay a high price,” states Thompson. “Customizing may be something as straightforward as changing lengths, utilizing Edison bulbs in a modern fixture or utilizing LEDs in a bubble light” The last suggestion will change the light tone from the typical yellow to bright white.

In the case of this droplet chandelier, Thompson rewired the entire fixture with fiber optics, enhancing the look and saving his customer tens of thousands of dollars (a custom fiber optic fixture in this way runs a great deal more than the initial fixture and Thompson’s customization prices added together).

In case you were wondering, that this fixture has become 18 ft long. Take a peek at what the initial light looked like before personalization.

John Lum Architecture, Inc.. AIA

10. Combine different types of fixtures. Mix and match fixtures which operate well together. Here translucent ombré pendants across the kitchen island work well with the fabric-covered drum shade over the kitchen table. Each area has a different feel and thus needs its own unique lighting. You don’t have to be concerned with everything matching inside an open area; similarity in shape, colour or end can be sufficient to tie various fixtures together.

When conversing with Erik, I believe that if I had been building new, I’d design the lighting for a small bedroom or powder room in my, but I’d definitely hire a lighting designer for large open spaces, the kitchen, halls and artwork.

More:
Get the Lighting Right: 8 Mistakes to Prevent
Recessed Lighting 101
12 Ways to Light Your Kitchen With LEDs

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