Part 1: The Art of Lighting in Luxury Homes
Why Lighting Design Matters More in Luxury Homes
In this, the first in our three-part series on luxury home lighting, we’re exploring the benefits of advanced illumination. From enhancing a home’s style to fostering a healthier environment, the latest technology has changed what’s possible when showcasing homes in their best light.
If you’re still flipping switches and using single-hued lighting in your Cincinnati, OH, home, it’s time for a change. Here, we’ll explore the possibilities in today’s luxury lighting design.
SEE ALSO: Why DIY Lighting Control Systems Almost Always Disappoint
Lighting as an Interior Design Element
When you walk into a home with just the right lighting, it can almost take your breath away. It’s as if someone transported sunshine indoors, bringing out the shimmering metals and finest details in the architecture.
Instead of a few overhead lights that cast shadows and create little allure, luxury designs use layered lighting, with ambient, accent, and task lighting creating depth, intrigue, and a desirable mood.
Highlighting Architecture
With accurate intensity, beam, and focus, high-quality lighting showcases a room’s best features, from textured walls to columns, vaulted ceilings, and coves. Each space is uniquely highlighted, with some fixtures hidden from view and others standing out as statement pieces.
Bringing Out Materials and Textures
Today’s advanced lighting systems feature lights with a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 90 or higher. This number represents a high-quality light that illuminates objects as they appear in natural sunlight. Colors are accurate and vibrant, with the aesthetics taking on a natural, authentic feel.
With detailed illumination, the high-end materials of luxury homes come alive. Guests can admire the textures in metal and wood finishes. The subtle variation in natural stone becomes apparent, and the vibrant colors in artwork pop and shine just as the artist intended.
By contrast, light fixtures with a CRI in the lower range can make objects appear bland, with similar shades blending into one another.
Setting the Mood of Each Space
A home’s lighting should be as changeable as the family that resides there. When you’re relaxing at the end of the day or hosting an intimate dinner party, a warm, soft illumination sets the perfect mood. Daytime tasks and moments that require an energetic ambiance are best suited to the bright, white-blue hue of midday sun. Today’s lighting systems let you create the ideal aesthetic with one touch.
A Healthier Home Environment
Circadian lighting supports our body’s circadian rhythm—the 24-hour internal clock that’s predominantly managed by light and darkness. When morning light enters your eyes, it increases serotonin production, promoting wakefulness and an elevated mood. When darkness approaches, melatonin is released, easing the body into relaxation and sleep.
Spending most of our time indoors has disturbed this natural rhythm, causing sleep disorders and a lack of energy. Circadian lighting brings the changing illumination of natural light indoors, increasing the health and well-being of those who live there. Your lighting fixtures shift to mirror daylight, helping you complete tasks in the morning and relax in the evening.
Personalized Perfection
At Beacon, we believe that true luxury living is reflected in personalized details. Therefore, our lighting designs are customized to match your lifestyle and aesthetic preferences. To learn more about luxury lighting design or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact Beacon today.
