How should I illuminate my home with different light sources?
Illuminating my home or office
Illuminating a home or office is not very different from lighting in general. The light needs to be directed in a way that creates atmosphere and works well for the function the room should fulfil. A room usually needs more light than we think, so it’s important to place lighting properly and sometimes combine soft light and hard light.
A basic lighting principle requires choosing the right light and different types of light. The result will be appropriate lighting that will be perceived as both functional and pleasant. It's just a matter of experimenting, because there’s no right or wrong.
Before you start, it may be worthwhile asking yourself how you want the lighting to work and be perceived in the room. Where does the natural light come from? Do I need lighting in addition to the natural light? What feeling should the light create in the environment?
Light entering a room through a window can be beneficial in different ways and the room’s decor affects the flow of light depending on the furniture, colours and materials. But what is good lighting and lighting design?
Good lighting is based on the natural light occurring in a room or environment. It’s also important that the lamps you use are able to provide light that complements the functions in the room. By choosing the right lamp and light source, you can create an appropriate atmosphere in the room. And by having a lamp or light source that creates contrasts in the room, you can enhance the atmosphere and breathe life into the room. If, when choosing light sources, you also complement with good colour temperature (kelvin), i.e. give the room a cold or warm light, you can enhance the atmosphere even more. The light output (lumen) of a lamp also has an impact.
Choosing indoor lamps
Choosing a lamp for indoor use depends entirely on what type of lighting is needed. Good lamps complete a room and tie the room together, which is important for the overall atmosphere. So choose a lamp that suits the style and décor that you want to accentuate and that you will be happy with for many years to come.
Lighting with different functions – here at Biltema!
Light affects us more than we think. All rooms therefore need some type of lighting, which is functional, pleasant and cost-effective. To understand what type of lighting you should use, you should know what type of lighting can be found here at Biltema.
Halogen lamps
Halogen lamps are nearly always the perfect substitute for incandescent bulbs. They produce a warm light with perfect colour rendering, just like incandescent bulbs.
Halogen lamps are easily recognised by their special bi-pin base. The advantage of this kind of lamp is that the light is significantly brighter than in ordinary bulbs, despite being small. One of the reasons for this is that they achieve full brightness instantly. In addition, they are well-regarded because of the beautiful radiance they produce. The light quality feels a little more luxurious with clearer radiance, which gives lustre to the illuminated objects and spaces. The lamps are best used in directional lighting where you want to focus on something, such as when you need good work lighting or for cabinet/shelf lighting.
As with our other lamps and lights, halogen lamps are available in various lumens and kelvins. A halogen lamp with a high colour temperature, i.e. a high kelvin number, produces a cold light, while a lower number produces warmer light.
Nowadays, the use of halogen lamps is declining due to their relatively high energy consumption. However, it’s not really possible to find an equivalent light with the same crystal clear radiance. For those looking for an alternative to the classic halogen lamp, here at Biltema we have plenty of options in our range. For example, we have normal-shaped LED lights, LED pin lights, candle lights, and other types of LED lights and lamps.
LED lights
LEDs are perfect for mood lighting as well as for decorative lighting both at home and in the office. Today there are many LED lights that produce a pleasant warm white light able to bring your interior and indoor environment to life.
LED lights are the best low-energy light and are available in many different designs. Unlike halogen and incandescent lights, LED lights do not get hot. They can therefore be used in confined spaces, and their service life can be up to ten times longer. LED lights also provide good colour rendering and light distribution.
In our wide range you will find E27, E14, GU10, G9 and all other types in different designs. We have a variety of LED lights to suit your home and environment, such as:
- Decorative lights
- Globe lights
- Candle lights
- Normal light lights
- Pear-shaped light lights
- Omnidirectional lights
- Tubular light lights
- Special lights
- Spotlights
- Pin lights
If you would also like to connect a dimmer to your lighting, you will also find dimmable LED lights here at Biltema.
Tube lights
Tube lights are the most reliable option for producing as much light as possible over a long time. Worldwide, tube lights generate an incredible amount of electric light. For economic reasons, tube lights are the obvious choice in most larger premises such as industries, schools and offices, but also work well at home in the kitchen, garage or storage room. All thanks to their high luminous flux combined with low energy consumption. It is usually said that a tube light consumes only one fifth of the electricity that an incandescent bulb needs to provide the same amount of light.
There are two kinds of tube lights: fluorescent lamps and LED tube lights. Fluorescent lamps produce omnidirectional light, which means the light is emitted from the entire tube and bounces off the fixture’s reflector to provide good light distribution. However, the reflector must be cleaned regularly and the lifespan of a fluorescent lamp is shorter than that of LED tube lights, which are more energy-efficient and eco-friendly. If you replace a fluorescent lamp with an LED, the fixture’s starter will need to be replaced with the supplied LED starter.
Here at Biltema you will find tube lights in models such as T5, T8 and countertop lighting in different designs. They come in different lengths, different brightness levels, as well as different colour temperatures (soft warm white light or a little stronger and colder light) depending on how you need to illuminate your environment.
What kind of light should I choose to get the right lighting in my environment?
Light affects us more than we think. All rooms therefore need some type of lighting, which is functional, pleasant and cost-effective. Light provides a sense of security and, at the same time, creates a cosy, pleasant atmosphere. Simply put, light helps you do what you want to do, when and where you want to do it.
Below are a few tips for choosing lighting depending on the environment.
Reading lighting
Choose an LED lights with a luminous flux of 430-1,000 lumens and a colour temperature of 2,500- 4,000 kelvins. The light in the room should be even and not too bright. It’s therefore a good idea to select lamps with a good, continuous luminous flux able to illuminate the whole room or part of the room in which you read and work.
Bathroom lighting
Choose an LED light, low-energy bulb or a tube light for good general light in the bathroom. It should have a luminous flux between 430-800 lumens and a colour temperature of 2,500-3,000 kelvins. When it comes to lighting for make-up application, we recommend a lamp with a colour temperature of 4,000 kelvins, which enhances contrast on the face. We also recommend dimmable lamps.
Living room and dining room lighting
LED lights with a luminous flux of 125-800 lumens and a colour temperature between 2,500 and 3,000 kelvins. If you want particularly radiant light, you should choose a bulb of 1,000 lumens. In the living room it is good to have a warmer and softer light. I good idea is to set up multiple light sources or when you need to adapt the lighting for different uses, such reading, watching TV, eating or playing. To enjoy cosy, romantic dinners or teatime by candlelight, we recommend using a dimmable lamp. And we also recommend creating mood lighting with halogen lamps, suitable LED lights, and low-energy bulbs.
General lighting
LED lights with a luminous flux of 430-800 lumens and a colour temperature between 2,500-3,000 kelvins. If you need brighter light in the room, you should choose a light of about 1,000 lumens. If you have halogen spotlights, you can replace some of those on the market with LED lights. Dimmable LED lights are also available.
Dimmable lighting
All halogen lamps can be dimmed. Most LED lights can also be dimmed. The colour temperature of halogen lamps gets warmer when you dim them, but most LED lights produce a constant colour temperature regardless of the brightness of the light.
Work lighting
Choose an LED lights with a cold white light up to 4,000 kelvins, which increases the contrast of what you are working on.
Mood lighting
LED lights with a luminous flux of 125-470 lumens and a colour temperature of 2,500-3,000 kelvins.
Kitchen lighting and cooking lighting
The kitchen has become a central room in the home – not just for cooking. It is therefore important to ensure good work lighting with bright lights that can be switched on, switched off or dimmed independently. The luminous flux of the lamps should be 750-1,000 lumens and have a colour temperature of 2,700-4,000 kelvins.
On the countertops where food is prepared and cooked, you can choose various types of lamps, such as LED lights, low-energy bulbs, tube lights or halogen lamps. The lamps should have good colour rendering with a luminous flux of 430-800 lumens and a colour temperature of 2,500-3,000 kelvins. The lamps should be placed to produce light from two directions in order to provide optimal conditions for working in the kitchen.
For further information and advice on the type of lamps and bulbs you should choose, we recommend that you to visit the Swedish Energy Agency’s website.
Swedish Energy Agency - Choose the right lamp