How can you benefit from the help of a lighting designer?
Call in the expert!
Light is this magic medium. It is something that you cannot hold and its effect is hard to judge as it changes depending on where you position it. Yet, when placed correctly, when combined with other types of light and when controlled, it can transform your interiors. A great lighting scheme is as much about how well it performs as how good it looks, whether the fixture suits the mood that you want to set and your lifestyle.
Clear communication
“I cannot emphasise enough how important this is for your project to be a success from beginning to end.”
The lighting designer will take time to understand your vision, think about how the various lighting effects and chosen fixtures will bring out the best of your interiors, enhancing your soft furnishing, your art, colours and textures. Your needs and what you want to achieve is then translated from the lighting concept into detailed lighting plans with everything that you need to purchase and install for the lighting scheme to be a success. This, then, allows the electricians to understand exactly where you want the light to shine, where they need to be integrated with other elements (for example floor recessed uplights) and where the lighting controls will work best for you.
It is in the small details that a great lighting scheme is revealed.
A lot of experts will be working together on any project and it can be, at times, very confusing when so many decisions have to be made quickly. What you do not want is for the electrician to arrive on site of your new kitchen extension and say: ” So…where do you want your lights?”
Planning early allows the lighting designer to incorporate thoughtful lighting solutions and allows less disappointment at the end of the project when it is then much more difficult to do so. You will then know if for example the chosen pendants need support in the ceiling, is the light shining centrally on your dining table and have you placed it on a different circuit so as to create this special ambiance in the evening? There are so many details that need to be thought about before the electrical team arrive on site for the first fix.
Changes happen in builds. Sometime this is due to some unforeseen structural problems or a change in design direction by the clients. But any type of change can cause further problems towards the end result. Clear early communication between the client, the contractors and the lighting designer is vital. This means that any design changes can be taken in consideration, lighting plan amended and concessions avoided later on.
Having great lighting ideas is the easy creative bit of the design but what is harder and where the lighting designer excels in is making these ideas happen, exactly as planned, on time, on budget and ensuring that the process runs smoothly and is enjoyable for you. So… do not hesitate and call in the experts!
