SquareRooms Issue 181 Mid-Year 2020

1 3 ESSENTIALS Light it up 4 4 Illumination makes a massive difference to the overall look and feel of a home – and these five lighting styles could help you create the perfect homey atmosphere P R O T I P : Showing your house’s floor plan to the store staff can help them recommend the best lighting system for your abode. Nicholas Koh, Northstar Lighting managing director Accent Much like elegant cufflinks or a pocket square on a suit, accent lighting highlights your home's features. They are highly effective in creating points of visual interest and are commonly used to highlight specific areas of a room such as a piece of art, a feature wall, or a sitting area. Accent lights are generally considered solely aesthetic, creating plenty of ambience without adding much functionality. IMAGE COURTESY OF SOL LUMINAIRE Task Task lighting is a second layer of lighting necessary for close-range tasks in spaces like the kitchen, bedroom, and study. They fulfil the functional need of the home and are most commonly used to illuminate work zones like desks and kitchen counters. Most types of lighting can fall under task lights if they are installed with functionality in mind. Decorative While most lights contribute to the home’s ambience with the light itself, decorative lamps add to the overall mood with their fixtures. Ambient lights – such as ornate chandeliers – often double up as decorative lights, giving the room a touch of luxury. Wall-mounted lamps are a popular choice for decorative lighting as well, breaking up monotonous walls with interesting fixtures. Multipurpose While many types of lighting can fall into different categories, individual lights are inherently versatile. Track lights are typically used as ambient or accent lights and can even double up as decorative lights for an industrial-style touch. The lights themselves can often be tilted to illuminate different points of interest and make them adaptable to any home decor theme. Ambient Known as general lights in layman terms, ambient lights are the central source of lighting in most rooms. Think: chandeliers that illuminate the living room and ceiling lamps shining down on the kitchen. Ambient lights incredibly versatile and come with a variety of fixtures to match any home design. Due to their size and illumination range, they form the foundation of a good lighting plan. S H I O K L I G H T I N G D E S I G N E D B Y F R E E - S P A C E - I N T E N T D E S I G N E D B Y A D R O I T I N T E R I O R | L I G H T S B Y S O L L U M I N A I R E DESIGNED BY ARCHITOLOGY | LIGHTS BY SOL LUMINAIRE