Lighting
Lamp
Bare the bulb. The humble lightbulb, or lamp, as the lighting professionals refer to it, is worthy of celebration. Too often we work hard to conceal this essential component. While the bare bulb may not be appropriate for every space, it is in this bathroom. This is a place where lighting one’s face is essential and the omnidirectional light from the exposed lamp works well. Now that legislation has forced the phase-out of inefficient incandescent bulbs, new emphasis has been placed on designing CFL bulbs that are aesthetically pleasing. The bulbs shown here are made by Plumen, in London, and are a wonderfully sculptural alternative to the more common twisted-spiral CFL.
Be square. You’re probably familiar with traditional round recessed lights, but those are not the only option anymore. I’m a huge fan of square recessed light trims, especially when they’re used in places that by nature have square edges, like this ceiling. The trims fit with the dominant geometry of the ceiling — no round cutouts to be done. As a whole I think they just feel more custom. Square trims have all of the options of their round counterparts and don’t require any specialized features. Some lights are even available trimless (with no flanges), for a completely integrated look.
Think custom. Pair any translucent material with a light source and you’ve created something uniquely yours. The architects here added a translucent resin panel embedded with bear grass and added backlighting to create a 35-foot-long luminous sculpture. The view outdoors commands attention by day, and the fixture commands it by night. The inner workings of custom luminaries can be fabricated from affordable, utilitarian lighting components and covered in more luxurious finishes. Be sure to include dimmers in your lighting design; you’ll want control over how much light emanates from your custom creation.
drab and dreary when you come home from work. Contemporary Skylights by VELUX VELUX Save Email Velux Sun Tunnel Skylight Light from a skylight can be harsh, creating a spotlight effect and bringing as much heat into the house as light. Skylights also often require structural alterations to roof framing, and structural changes are never cheap. Instead of a skylight, consider a tubular daylighting device, shown here in cross section. Like Kalwall panels, the device fills a room with diffuse natural light. Though a 5,000- to 6,000-Kelvin bulb will supposedly reproduce natural light, there's nothing like the real thing. Even though the new bulbs out there use a lot less power than those Edison bulbs, there's no beating free light.
light emits from sides! Great idea!
Q