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Classic Interior Designs |
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Light Changes Everything
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By Emily King, Student
Member ASID 29 May 2008 Light affects many different aspects of design: changing
moods, highlighting objects, lighting spaces for different functions, enhancing
the overall design of a space by reflecting the design style.
Light can: - Alter
color
- Highlight
a focus object
- Define
areas with different levels of light
- Help
us to see texture, scale and form by grouping lights
Shadows can:
- Help
create effects
- Help
define three-dimensional size
- Be
affected by direction of light
- Create
a relaxing atmosphere if the shadow is soft
Many factors need to be considered when choosing lighting
for a space. Some important factors to consider are the situation/function,
quantity and quality, décor and atmosphere or mood.
- Situation/Function: What goes on in the space such as work, circulation, sleep area, studying
- Quantity
and Quality: Footcandles, brightness or softness of light
- Décor:
Keep lighting an important part of design decisions because the lighting
used can dramatically affect how colors and textures are seen
- Atmosphere
or Mood: Such as in restaurants when you want to create a romantic mood or
a playful mood, that can change depending on the type of lighting used.
When thinking about social spaces versus work spaces you
must consider the amount of light, the color of light, the distribution of
light and the areas of emphasis.
Social: - Amount
of light: Low levels
- Color
of light: Warm (incandescent)
- Distribution
of light: Intimate
- Areas
of emphasis: Occupied areas and perimeter lighting
Work:
- Amount
of light: High levels
- Color
of light: Cool (fluorescent)
- Distribution
of light: Spacious feeling, uniform
- Areas
of emphasis: On the ceiling, desk or wall
Light is usually considered to be in one of three
categories: task, accent/focal or ambient.
- Task
lighting: Lighting for work environments or areas such as a desk,
workstation, craft area, reading in a chair, etc.
- Accent/focal
lighting: For highlighting important objects, such as art work or other
objects on a wall, or for creating interest and shadow in a space by adding
extra lighting such as a sconce or floor fixture
- Ambient
lighting: Lighting an entire space with general lighting
Examples of the type of lighting that should be used in
different rooms:
- Kitchen:
Under-cabinet lighting for preparing meals, pendants over islands
- Living
Room: Ceiling-mounted fixtures create ambient light, floor fixtures create
accent or task lighting
- Dining
Room: Pendants over the table for ambient and task lighting, track
lighting can be used to highlight artwork
- Bath: Sconces on the
side of a mirror create light without glare, recessed fixtures over tub or
shower
Lighting can be used in several different ways to create
different effects on the space you are designing. Some of these ways include
highlighting, wall-washing, up-lighting, down-lighting, backlighting and
grazing.
- Highlighting: Uses our attraction to the brightest object in the room, creates drama and
contrast
- Low
voltage lighting that uses a small beam to focus on an object such as
track lighting
- Light
needs to be from above and in front unless you want to create shadows
- Wall-washing: Used to light a wall with a uniform sheet of light which unifies the
objects on the wall
- Grazing: Placing light very close to a wall to enhance the texture on the wall
- Used
for stone or brick walls
- Also
works well on walls with specially textured wallcovering
- Up-lighting: Often used in landscape lighting for shadow play
- Backlighting: Lighting through a translucent material from behind such as stained glass,
fabric or textured glass
- Down-lighting:
Lights horizontal surfaces such as desks, floors, etc.
- Usually
recessed fixtures
- Good
for task lighting, it
is best not to put these lights directly above where people will be sitting
Important things to remember when
choosing lighting for a space are to consider what the space will be used
for, what type of atmosphere you want to create, important objects you want to
highlight, and the design you want to create. Lighting is the most important
aspect of a design because without appropriate or adequate lighting, the color
palette, textures and objects will not be used to their best advantage or give
you the design you desire.
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18 Ways to Go Green
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Green living doesn't have to be complicated; below are some simple tips
to help you live more sustainably.
- Conserve energy by purchasing major appliances with an Energy Star rating,
and by adding timers and automated thermostats to control usage. Also, consider
switching to fluorescent light bulbs and adding more natural lighting with
additional windows or skylights.
- Repair leaky fixtures and install low-flow showerheads and faucets.
- Use water-based paints, finishes and sealants. Some milk-based paints are available,
also.
- Look for wall coverings that are made of paper or natural fiber, rather than
synthetic materials, and printed with natural inks.
- Choose carpeting, rugs, window treatments and other textiles made from
natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and free of toxins,
such as pesticides or chemical cleaners.
- Ask for flooring products made from rapidly renewable resources, such as
bamboo or linoleum.
- Select solid woods, when possible, for furniture or cabinetry, rather than
pressed woods or composites that may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals
that may be toxic.
- Reuse materials, such as brick, stone, glass, tile or metal, in new and
interesting ways. Old wood also can be
safely treated and used for accents.
- Consider the “lifecycle” of furnishings and accessories before
purchasing: Are they made of materials
that can be reused or recycled when the item eventually wears out or is not
longer needed?
- Recycle packing and shipping materials from any newly purchased items, and
safely dispose of paint cans and other containers whose contents could
potentially contaminate the ground or water supply.
- Install lights with sensors that turn on when they detect movement and
automatically turn off after a few minutes.
- Do not let the water run when brushing your teeth or washing your face.
- If every household in the US replaced 1 roll of 1000 sheet bathroom tissues
with 100% recyclable rolls, we could save 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet
of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water.
- Scrape – don’t rinse! When using a dishwasher, pre-rinsing is no longer
necessary with today’s technology and detergents. You may be using more water to
pre-rinse than the dishwasher uses for a full wash cycle.
- Check your refrigerator’s seal by closing the door with a lit flashlight
inside. If you see light seeping out, the door should be adjusted or the seal
replaced to stop energy leaks.
- Buy locally produced products and materials whenever possible to reduce
additional energy use and pollution associated with transportation.
- Eliminate waste by choosing products that are biodegradable or
recyclable.
- Look for reclaimed wood products salvaged from older structures and
certified wood harvested from sustainably managed forests.
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Green Terms & Ideas
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Understanding a topic often starts with learning the vocabulary, and green
building and design is no different. These terms should have you speaking the
language in no time.
Prefabricated: Standardized building sections that are
created in a factory to be shipped and assembled in another
location.
Footprint: Land area taken up by a building.
Energy Smart: Meeting your energy needs cost effectively and with the least impact on
the environment.
Fossil Fuels: Carbon-rich deposits in the earth, such as
petroleum (oil), coal, or natural gas, derived from the remains of ancient
plants and animals and used for fuel.
Photovoltaic Cell: A device that
converts sunlight into electricity.
Sustainability: Meeting the needs of
the present without depleting resources or harming natural cycles for future
generations.
Off-Gassing: The release of gas into the air from products
treated with chemicals during their manufacture.
Envelope: The skin of a
building—including the windows, doors, walls, foundation, basement slab,
ceilings, roof, and insulation—that separates the interior of a building from
the outdoor environment.
Renewable Energy: Energy derived from sources
that do not deplete natural resources. Examples include solar, wind, and
geothermal energy from the Earth’s core.
Geothermal Energy: Heat that
comes from the Earth's interior.
Radiant Heating: An efficient heating
system that warms cold objects,which then radiate heat into the surrounding
space evenly.
Off-the-Grid: A term used to describe a system that runs
on renewable energy sources independent of a conventional public utility grid.
Renewability: Choose natural materials that are rapidly renewable, such
as fast-growing trees and agricultural products.
Reusability: Seek out
products that can be reused or recycled once they are no longer needed or
operable. Durability: Select products that are longlasting and require
little maintenance.
Embodied Energy: Consider how much energy was
required to extract, process, package, transport, install, and recycle or
dispose of materials that make up your home. Up to 70 percent of the total
energy invested in a building’s construction is embodied in the materials
themselves.
Environmental Impact: Avoid materials that pollute the
environmental quality inside your home and damage the outdoorenvironment and
atmosphere.
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