When you think of a loft, you often think of a room with sloping ceilings and a large aesthetic window. For most people, the window is seemingly all they need for their loft to be brightly lit and this is true in the daytime. However, when night comes, proper lighting is needed to help illuminate the entire room.
However, you can’t just choose any random lighting for your loft. There are various factors that you’d have to consider. A loft is often designed to be functional and aesthetic and choosing the right lighting is important to maintain functionality and design.
Lighting Purposes
To begin with, lighting is used for three main purposes – Ambience, Task and Accent. I will go into deeper details on what exactly the functions of these lights are. But a good loft would be one that combines lights with all three purposes. These lighting can sometimes also have alternative functions in different scenarios.
Ambiance
Ambiance refers to lighting that helps to illuminate a room fully so that activities can be conducted with ease. In a loft, this would be the main lighting for you. This would be one of the most important choices to make as they would be the “main” of your room.
Task
Task lighting would be lights that are installed specifically to particularly illumine the area for a particular task. This could be a table lamp for reading or mirror lighting for makeup application. Such task lighting can also serve as little decorative details for your loft too.
Accent
Lastly, accent lights are light fixtures that are mainly used for the enhancement of decorative elements within a space. An example would be like a downlight for a painting. These lighting can also be used to set the mood as they can provide low lighting if all other lighting is turned off.
Lighting Temperature
Lastly, you would want to decide upon the temperature of your lights. This doesn’t refer to their physical temperature but rather what type of light they give out. A cooler temperature lighting tends to have a bluish tint. Such lighting is great for clarity and encouraging wakefulness. Warm lighting, on the other hand, has a yellowish tint and are great for providing a sense of comfort and intimacy. Such lighting would be great for your loft if your loft is only meant for relaxing or sleeping.
It would also be a bad idea to have clashing temperature lighting within your loft. This would not be eye-pleasing. A great alternative is to invest in lighting that allows you to control their temperature. This means that you could have cooler lighting when doing work and warmer lighting when getting ready for bed.
Adding Flair To Your Loft
Lofts are often unique and beautiful spaces and choosing the right light fixture for your loft can only help to accentuate the uniqueness of your loft. Lightings for a loft are often creative and innovative. A blend of different types of lighting can even be put together in a loft to create a unique but amazing fusion. These styles create a sense of freshness for your loft and are definitely ideas to try.
Industrial
One particular favourite style for lofts is to have an industrial look. This is often achieved by having lofts with an exposed brick wall and industrial looking designs. The lighting is no exception too. Lighting fixtures can often be designed with a minimalistic look – long cords, metallic embellishments and chains, functional but aesthetic accents. When added to a loft, this helps to add a distinctly modern and masculine style to the loft.
These fixtures are often painted black or in metallic shades and this helps to further enhance that industrial look. Some lighting fixtures can also be more unusual and carry an almost steampunk style. However, they are still filled with industrial elements like exposed metal and exposed lightbulbs. When paired with the loft, these lighting fixtures then add a sense of quiet exoticism to the loft.
Retro
If your loft has a modern look to it, including a retro-styled lighting fixture would be the perfect balance for your loft. These retro-styled lighting fixtures would help balance the sleek modernity of your loft and help create a more comfortable and attractive look. These lighting fixtures are often also highly creative and unique and they would definitely add a spin to your loft’s decor.
Spotlights
Spotlights in your loft may seem like an unusual choice. However, these spotlights could actually create an interesting and dynamic ambience for your loft. These lights do not illuminate your loft wholly and thus result in a certain dimness to your loft. This actually creates visual and physical comfort as your loft will be transformed into a place of relaxation. The spotlights could also be angled at decorative elements, such as paintings, and thus, serve as accent lighting as well.
Chandeliers
The idea of a big crystal chandelier in your loft may seem weird. However, chandeliers are actually surprisingly versatile and they can add a unique spin to your loft. In a modern or industrial looking loft, the addition of chandeliers will create an environment that is creative and unique. In a more classically decorated loft, the chandelier will look right at home and simply class the place up further. Chandeliers also come in various designs and this leaves you with even greater room to truly pick one that complements and enhances your loft. Chandeliers can also cast interesting silhouettes against your loft’s walls and floor and add an even more unique look to your loft.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a great many kinds of lighting fixtures that you could include within your loft. It all depends on the style and environment you are interested in creating. What’s important is to consider the type of lighting, the shape and height of such lighting as well as where you are going to place the lighting. With the right combination, you will create the perfect loft environment for yourself.