Lighting Design: How Interior Design Consultancies Use Feature Lighting – Part III

Clients will often employ Interior Design Consultancies because they crave a touch of flair, and because they need some professional help with style and coordination. In this three-part series which I call “How Interior Design Consultancies Use Feature Lighting,” I draw on my experience working with some of London’s top lighting design experts to explain how feature lighting may be a critical part of giving clients the results they desire.

Three-dimensional objects, such as flower displays or glassware, have unique lighting requirements. Interior design consultancies will choose to make these backlit, silhouetted or thrown into relief. Other options include lighting from one direction for surface texture or cross-lighting for a truly three-dimensional effect. When lighting a bowl of flowers or a decorative object or sculpture, interior design consultancies rely on the same principles as for picture lighting. Spotlights may be appropriate for all three, but certain sculptures may require the light to be directed at special angles. Interior design consultancies will often employ lighting specialists to focus specifically on this part of the design effort.

Glassware is beautifully responsive to illumination. Interior design consultancies are sometimes asked to showcase frosted glass objects, in which case downlighting will make the ornament look as if it is capturing the light as if illuminated from within. Some of the most progressive London interior design consultancies will recommend fibre optic sources from below, for eye-catching splendour and real visual impact.

To build mood, interior design consultancies will sometimes use backlighting to make an object look silhouetted. Some high-end London clients have their own collections of bronze pieces or sculptures that feature clean-cut shapes. The result is vibrant and engaging, as the backlighting showcases the two-dimensional within the three-dimensional whole.

With fabulous lighting, interior design consultancies can allow alcoves or bespoke shelving to take on a ornamental charm, as a focal point alongside the objects on display. Shelf lighting is important everywhere – even in a London kitchen or cloakroom, a touch of designer light can make even a prosaic set of glass bottles or shimmering stones into an engaging feature.

That brings to an end this series of articles called “How Interior Design Consultancies Use Feature Lighting.” Thank you for joining me to learn about how some of London ‘s top interior design consultancies think about illumination in their designs!

Lily Candice is regular article writer for Interior Design London – Global Interior Design Consultancy Company in London, UK for interior design services.

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