One of the most important pieces of the design puzzle is lighting.
“Lighting plays such an important role in our lives, and yet we take it for granted,” says Nancy Boscha, lead interior decorating instructor at the School of Community Studies and Creative Technologies at Bow Valley College in Calgary. “It can create an illusion of space, highlight precious objects, provide safety, and is an important element in our overall health. When a space has proper lighting, it will have a positive effect on people’s lives and emotions
To find out more about the benefits of light, she encourages everyone to stop by the Design Lab at the Calgary Home + Design Show on Sept. 24 at the BMO Centre. Her students have designed a series of interactive displays, collectively coined The Design Lab. Here one can learn about colour, design a mini room and then watch how light transforms the design. And it’s designed to be hands-on and tons of fun.
Boscha offers five lighting tips that will catapult even the darkest of rooms from dreary to dazzling:
- Layer Up. There are so many different kinds of lighting — natural, ambient, focal, decorative and task-oriented. Use them all.
- Don’t skimp. Make sure there is focused light for all of the tasks from TV watching to prepping a meal.
- Pay attention to scale.
- Keep the colour continuous. White comes in many shades from warm off-whites to cool blue white. Make sure that all of the bulbs in a room are the same colour.
- Read the labels. When purchasing bulbs, check the colour or light temperature, and manufacturing lot number. They can all affect what you see in your home.
