Simply brilliant
燃亮每一個家
Let there be light – as the biblical saying goes – for it can transform an ordinary home into a comfortable and desirable living space. Light highlights the beauty, design and ambience of a home. Yet, quality lighting is often overlooked.
“Lighting should be about the people who use it, whether they feel comfortable in the space or not,” says Japanese lighting designer Masanobu Takeishi. “Lighting has to fulfil its functional role as people need it to do things like cooking and reading. Another role lighting plays is creating the right atmosphere.”
Takeishi is founder of the award-winning Tokyo-based lighting design company Illumination of City Environment, which has collaborated with the likes of Park Hyatt Seoul and Italian fashion brand Miss Sixty.
He advises using a few lamps such as the table lamp and the ceiling light, instead of using one lamp, to highlight a room.
“After you have switched on all the lights, set the level of brightness at the most comfortable first. Then you can proceed to create the desirable atmosphere by dimming the lights. Use dimmable lights so that you can control the brightness of the room. Maintenance is important also – use light bulbs which can be easily purchased on the market.”
But lighting a home well can be a challenge, says Blanca Ho, public relations and communication manager at Neonlite Electronic & Lighting (HK).
“Home décor must fuse with the interior design style, and accent lighting that highlights the décor and niche displays will definitely enhance the appeal of a home,” Ho says.
“Colour temperature is also an indispensable factor for home users in choosing lighting. Warm white is often used in the living room where a homely welcoming atmosphere is required. When it comes to cool white, it is desirable for modernlooking rooms and working areas as it can help reduce visual and mental fatigue.”
For the eco-conscious, using LED lamps to enliven their home is increasingly popular.
“The ban on incandescent lamps has started to take effect in many countries. This has led to a surge of LED lamps, that can last longer and save up to 80 per cent of electricity compared with traditional lamps. Driven by government policy and positive market response, the LED lighting industry is booming and opens up the mainstream lighting market for home usage in the future,” Ho says.
要有光，就有了光﹣﹣正如聖經所說﹣﹣光實在太重要了，它能把平凡的家居化為舒適理想的可愛空間，好的燈光更能為發揮家居美感、突顯設計和營造氣氛。然而，很多人仍然忽略燈光設計對現代家居的重要。
日本燈光設計師武石正宣說：「燈光設計應以人為本，取決於人們身處之處，所感受的燈光是否舒服？」
「而且，燈光本身也要發揮應有作用，必須能根據不同的作業環境，例如下廚或閱讀等，提供充足的光源，並營造合適的感覺。」
武石正宣為Illumination of City Environment (ICE) Limited的創辦人，公司曾獲多個國際獎項，總部設於東京，他們曾與首爾花園君悅酒店及意大利時裝品牌Miss Sixty合作。
武石正宣建議家居燈光佈局，一間房間宜採用多個光源，例如以枱燈和天花燈代替單一燈具。
他說：「若要調出理想的燈光，在開啟所有燈光之後，先調到一個最舒適的亮度，再逐漸調節光暗達致理想氣氛。建議採用能調光的燈，可隨意調節房間的亮度。燈光的保養同樣重要－最好選用容易在市面買到的燈泡。」
曼佳美（香港）照明電氣設備有限公司公關及傳訊部經理何慧珍指出，家居燈光設計是一大挑戰。
她說：「家居裝潢需要與室內設計風格互相配合，加上配合得宜的燈光設計，能充分展現家居佈置的特色。」
她續說：「燈光的色溫是重要要素，例如，為客廳選擇燈具時，暖白光往往是營造溫馨氣氛的關鍵色溫，反之，冷白光則較適合現代化的房間或工作間，因它能有助舒緩視覺和精神疲勞。」
隨着大家注重環保生活，家居LED燈已愈來愈普及。何慧珍說：「許多國家已立法規定禁止使用鎢絲燈泡，並已漸見成效，令LED燈的數量激增。LED燈比傳統燈泡更長壽，也比傳統燈泡節省多達80%的用電。因此，在政府的政策扶持和更大的市場需求下，LED照明產業正在蓬勃發展，未來將逐漸成為家居照明的主流產品。」
