lighting - design basics showrooms around the country, ferguson bath, kitchen & lighting gallery...

1
With showrooms around the country, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery is a national leader in products for the kitchen and bath. Heather Thomas is the Lighting Manager at the Ferguson Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina. In her experience, women are the major decision makers for these products, too. “A woman’s powder bath is seen by everyone,” said Thomas, continuing, “so selecting the lighting in the powder bath typically takes a lot of time and effort because it makes a statement. Decorative fixtures are popular, with traditional buyers tending towards hanging fixtures while wall sconces are favored among buyers with more modern tastes.” When it comes to master bathrooms, lighting design must be integrated into the overall design of the bathroom. According to Thomas, the primary considerations are: Task lighting—fixtures designed to be seen such as sconces and bath brackets, providing general illumination to the room and specifically full face illumination when looking into the mirror. Recessed ceiling lighting—which tends to visually “go away” and is not subject to the changing fixture design trends and styles. Today’s less visible; smaller-diameter recessed cans are increasingly popular. Decorative accent and flair lights—used for their visual effect, calling attention to certain features and amenities in the bathroom. Additionally, Thomas cautions, “You may have planned amazing tile work and beautiful countertops but may not have thought much about the light switches.” It will be immediately evident if these controls were carefully selected or merely an afterthought. Beyond the design of the controls themselves, Thomas pointed out such controls “allow you to personalize the appearance and lighting presentation, from occupancy sensors which turn on the lights as you enter the bathroom to digital dimmers which bring the lights up and down gradually, rather than the abrupt on or off.” Lighting design must consider the color temperature of the lamps (bulbs) to be used as colors appear differently. Thomas explained, “Incandescent bulbs produce relatively warm shades approximately 2700-degree Kelvin, a color temperature preferred by younger women. More mature ladies may prefer the whiter light of bulbs in the 3000 – 3500-degree Kelvin range.” Then there’s a lamp’s color rendering index (CRI), a scale of 1 to 100 which basically refers to how well we see an object. Incandescent lighting has a CRI of 100, while CFL and LED lighting CRI indexes typically fall in the 80 to 90 range, meaning some loss of color vibrancy. Bathroom lighting design reveals your desire and as Thomas said, LIGHTING For more information on Lighting visit Ferguson.com “The right light fixtures and the right light levels can set the perfect mood.” Heather Thomas Lighting Manager Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery photo courtesy of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery

Upload: hakhanh

Post on 20-Mar-2018

216 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Lighting - Design Basics showrooms around the country, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery is a national leader in products for the kitchen and bath

With showrooms around the country, FergusonBath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery is a nationalleader in products for the kitchen and bath.Heather Thomas is the Lighting Manager at theFerguson Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina.Inher experience,womenare themajor decisionmakersfortheseproducts,too.

“A woman’s powder bath is seen by everyone,”saidThomas,continuing,“soselectingthelightinginthepowderbathtypicallytakesalotoftimeandeffort because it makes a statement. Decorativefixturesarepopular,withtraditionalbuyerstendingtowards hanging fixtures while wall sconces arefavoredamongbuyerswithmoremoderntastes.”

When it comes to master bathrooms, lightingdesignmustbeintegratedintotheoveralldesignofthebathroom.AccordingtoThomas,theprimaryconsiderationsare:

•Task lighting—fixtures designed to be seensuch as sconces and bath brackets, providinggeneral illumination to the room andspecificallyfullfaceilluminationwhenlookingintothemirror.

•Recessed ceiling lighting—which tends tovisually “go away” and is not subject to thechanging fixture design trends and styles.Today’s less visible; smaller-diameter recessedcansareincreasinglypopular.

• Decorative accent and flair lights—usedfortheirvisualeffect,callingattentiontocertainfeaturesandamenitiesinthebathroom.

Additionally, Thomas cautions, “You mayhave planned amazing tile work and beautifulcountertops but may not have thought muchabout the light switches.” It will be immediatelyevidentifthesecontrolswerecarefullyselectedormerely anafterthought.Beyond thedesignof thecontrols themselves, Thomas pointed out suchcontrols “allowyou topersonalize theappearanceandlightingpresentation,fromoccupancysensorswhichturnonthelightsasyouenterthebathroomto digital dimmers which bring the lights up anddowngradually,ratherthantheabruptonoroff.”

Lighting design must consider the color temperature of the lamps (bulbs) to be used ascolors appear differently. Thomas explained,“Incandescent bulbs produce relatively warmshades approximately2700-degreeKelvin, a colortemperature preferred by younger women. Morematureladiesmaypreferthewhiterlightofbulbsinthe3000–3500-degreeKelvinrange.”

Then there’s a lamp’s color rendering index (CRI),ascaleof1to100whichbasicallyreferstohowwellwe see anobject. Incandescent lightinghasaCRIof100,whileCFLandLEDlightingCRIindexestypicallyfallinthe80to90range,meaningsomelossofcolorvibrancy.

BathroomlightingdesignrevealsyourdesireandasThomassaid,

LIGHTING

For more information on Lighting visit Ferguson.com

“Therightlightfixturesandthe rightlightlevelscansettheperfectmood.”

He

ath

er T

ho

ma

s –

Lig

htin

g M

an

ag

er F

erg

uso

n B

ath

, Ki

tch

en

& L

igh

ting

Ga

llery

ph

oto

co

urt

esy

of F

erg

uso

n B

ath

, Kitc

he

n &

Lig

htin

g G

alle

ry