We-Design-Day: How do you solve a problem like...

How much light do I need in my work space?

Today, I'm going to explore more about lighting design. If you remember this post, we discussed the types of lighting - today, I want to get a little more in depth about how we can use those lighting ideas and how you can employ them to creatively, aesthetically and functionally design the lighting in your home or office.

As always, first we must cover a bit of terminology (put your learning hats on)...

Lumens the unit of measure of light output - traditionally defined as one lumen equals the same amount of light put out by one candle
Wattage determines the energy used by the light*
Light output how much light a light source will generate
Colour Rendering Index a measure of how precisely an artificial light source displays colours
Colour Temperature colour temperature of a light source indicates the colour of the light put out by the source and is measured in degrees Kelvin (the lower the value, the warmer the light put out. Higher values are cooler. Incandescent bulbs are lower (more yellow) as where fluorescent bulbs (especially traditional ones) are more blue
Efficacy is the ratio of the lumens produce to wattage consumed (or used)

*We all know bulbs are sold by watt - 40, 60 or 100 watt (incandescent) and now we've got 15, 22, 32 (and many more) in fluorescent bulbs. This number does not equal light output by the bulb (or brightness of the bulb). This number - the wattage of the bulb - only specifies the amount of energy used by the bulb each and every time the light is turned on. To measure the brightness, we have to use Lumens. Additionally, looking at other factors, like temperature or colour rendering index of the brightness quality will also aid us in selecting the correct lighting for our homes.

The next step is to examine the space we are designing the lighting for and the activities that will be going on in the room. All rooms in our homes have different requirements and needs based on the function of the space. There are variables we can try to accommodate when developing our plan.

Who is using the space and how is their eyesight? As we age, our eyes require more time to see things and we require much more light to see. The type of tasks being done are also a key factor as to "how much" light will be needed.

Professionally, I have used a set standard when doing lighting designs and similar principles and guidelines should be employed. When we look at lighting as a whole, standardized light levels can be (and have been) employed. Naturally because every situation is different, the levels can be adjusted to meet the needs of the space, client and design.

Here are some averages to give you an idea:
Space Recommended Light Output (lumens/square meter)
Kitchen 300 - 550
Living room 300 - 500
Home office/workshop 500 - 1200
Dining Room 200 - 350

During my research, I happened upon a gem of a resource. It is a simple and effective planning guide for lighting! Provided for free download from our friends at the Office for Energy Efficiency with in the Department of Natural Resources Canada, is the Home Lighting Design Guide Pocketbook

I'm going to wrap it up here for this week - there is a lot of information to digest and because its a big subject, it is important to take the time to sit back and think through the space you are going to be illuminating.

References:
Natural Resources Canada
Home Depot Canada
TCP
BC Building Info
MegaVolt
Image courtesy of Outdoor Wedding Lighting

We-Design-Day: Mother Nature's Canvas

Written on June 27 while on holidays in Jasper National Park, Jasper, Alberta Canada

All images can be clicked on to show the full size image. All images copyright Blackstone Images.

Have you ever been told "OH! That clashes!" or "It doesn't go together!"?

As we walked along the high banks of the Athabasca River today, I looked at the world around me.

The Athabasca River

The icy blue-white of the rushing river, the mottled brown silt shores, boulders of grey flecked with rusty orange... Rocks of green ,pink and black. Green trees, blue juniper berries, moss and grass green sprinkled with pink, yellow, white and red wild flowers.

Alberta's Provincial Flower (the wild rose)

It was an eclectic rainbow of colours. All mashed together in the most pristine and perfect landscapes I've ever witnessed. It all wen "together" like each colour was hand selected by Mother Nature herself. Of course she didn't, but her work is perfection.

Dead tree in the campground

Have you ever considered colouring your world with the beauty of nature? Sprinkling the room with bursts of sunshine yellow, dots of reds, pinks on a canvas of browns and blues? There are so many exquisite colours in nature - why don't more of them make it onto our walls and fabrics?

If you live North of the 49th parallel like I do, it's dark here a lot. The cold grey November skies would look less bleak in a yellow kitchen! In our previous home, I painted my kitchen yellow. Baby chick yellow. it was bright, sunny and warm. And I know we spent many years enjoying that kitchen and the colour. Everyone commented what a bold choice it was to make. I paired it with crisp white cabinets and accented it all with a dark crisp green. It wasn't a designers dream - I wasn't a designer at the time - I just liked colour and I enjoyed the way the room made me feel.

Yellow Wildflower (see the tiny hornet?)

Colour is a personal choice. But before discounting a colour, take a look outside your window and see how Mother Nature has painted the landscapes around you. Much inspiration can be found by just stopping and soaking up the beauty around us.

TroubleMaker hamming it up!

We-Design-Day: How does colour impact your interior?

Last week we took a good look at foundations of colour. This week, I'd like to share some more important information about colour. We'll look at the psychology of colour, colour perceptions and of course applying colour in interiors.

Psychology of Colour

Colour can be one of the most powerful tools in a designer's kit. It can be used to sell products, make people feel calm, angry or happy. It can impact behaviour in a number of different ways too. The way an individual interprets or feels about a colour can vary according to their experience, cultural associations and education. Often this interpretation is very personal and very individualistic.

Colour very often mean different things to different people depending on what they associate with that colour. Naturally, Western society has different associations then other parts of the world. Let's look at few colour associations here and with in other societies.

Red Battle, blood, fire, passion, love & excitement. Also royalty, majesty & victory. It is bold and makes a noticeable impact and draws attention. Eastern associations include luck, money, happiness and prosperity. One other thing of note, red is also often associated with mourning in different cultures.

Orange Friendliness, pride, ambition, warmth, relaxation. Stimulates the appetite. Eastern associations include strength, purpose and organization.

Yellow Cheerfulness, optimism, safety & spring. Eastern cultures often associate yellow with sacred things and imperialism.

Green Luck, greed, wealth, jealousy, newness, nature. Eastern cultures it can mean newness, life and rebirth. Additionally, it is often linked to fertility.

Blue Masculine, trust, authority, peace, calm & depression. Elsewhere, it is linked to mourning, protection, virtue and liberalism.

Purple/Violet Royalty,wealth, being distinguished, spirituality. It can again represent mourning, death and wealth in other lands.

The psychology of colour is a long studied, continually changing discipline. As mentioned, colours can mean very different things depending on where in the world you are: Red roses are often associated with love here in Canada - elsewhere, they are the flower of choice for funerals. Things like this are important to keep in mind when picking colours and understanding others reactions to them. When you are picking paint for your home, depending on the room and it's use, it truly is one of personal preference. Assuming of course your partner gives you carte blanche!

Colour Associations and Perceptions

When looking to repaint your home, it's important to think of the function of the room and what kind of feeling you wish to invoke. Thinking about how and when the room is used (time of day, who uses it, what the room is used for) will help apply the appropriate colour solution too. The application of muted pastels in hospitals and similar shades in infant nurseries tend to be done for a reason - they create a relaxing environment and help to calm the occupants.

Warm pallets with reds, oranges and yellows can be cheery, active and energizing. This is especially true if the hues are saturated. These colours also appear to advance toward the eye because they seem nearer than they are. A sofa in an intense red colour will generally appear bigger than the same piece in a cool colour. Using warm colours in saturated hues in a space can make the space appear smaller.

Cool pallets with blues, greens and purples can create a soothing feeling. Cool colours are generally thought to recede since they tend to appear farther away then they are. A room often looks much larger when painted in a cool colour.

In both applications, intensity of the hue must be taken into consideration. A bold bright blue can have the same affect as the big red sofa. Additionally, a warm, pale yellow can make the space look larger as the intensity is less thus making it appear (to the eye) to recede.

When selecting paint for your home, office or any other project, it's important to note not only what you think of the colour but also how the colour makes you feel. The larger the swatch of colour, the better... Using a 2"x2" chip to decide the colour of your entire bedroom isn't enough, especially when how we (and others) react to colour is very personal.

Blue Door Interiors Inc. tip of the week:
Always, always view the paint chips in the light that will be used in the room and view the sample at a variety of different times during the day.


For further reading, check out

Benjamin Moore
Dream Home Decorating
Colour Experts at Squidoo




All photos this week are courtesy of Mystical Photography based in Edmonton, Alberta. The pictures were originally taken for promotional literature for a local Benjamin Moore store. Used with permission.

We-Design-Day: The Colour Winner!

Last week, Blue Door Interiors sponsored our great Paint Plus giveaway! We're proud to announce the winner is Paul from Edmonton. He will win a $50 gift certificate from Benjamin Moore paints plus a two hour colour consultation with me.

Thanks to all our contest entrants - check back soon for another giveaway.

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I do have another colour article I'd like to share with you but unfortunately, I didn't quite get it finished in time for publishing it this week... So please come back next week for We-Design-Day (Wednesday) at Barefoot Deliberations!