where lighting meets color
Without the light color does not exist. A major consideration in planning the
color scheme for a home is the study of quantity and quality of light and the methods of lighting.
The level of illumination affects the appearance of color. When the home lighting is
bright color can be stimulating: low lighting can produce relaxing feeling.
Color may become dull, lifeless, and dreary with insufficient lighting, however,
and too much light can wash out color
In general as illumination increases, color becomes more
vibrant. A room with low light levels is enhanced by light-reflecting colors. A
room with high lighting levels may be more pleasant with a predominance of
darker light-absorbing colors.
lighting effects
The quality and quantity of
home lighting affects the apparent size, shape, and
character of an object. One concern for the designers is how various qualities
of natural and artificial lighting can change the visual perception of a
surface, the phenomenon known as metamerism. For example, two fabrics that match
in color during daylight may not match under artificial home lighting at night. All
types of lighting (natural lighting, artificial lighting) produce unique
effects. The quality of natural lighting depends on the direction from which it
comes and time of day. The color of artificial lighting determined by the type
of light and fixture used. Therefore, it is important when selecting colors for
backgrounds and furnishings to view each surface under all types of lighting
conditions to ensure that the colors will matched or be harmonious.
Review of the color wheel demonstrates that to gray or
neutralize a color, more of its compliment color must be added; to intensify a
color more of the basic hue must be added. Lighting produces the same effect.
Warm lighting accentuates warm colors and neutralizes cool colors. Cool lighting
intensifies cool colors and deadens warm colors. For example, a yellowish
lighting brings out the yellow-green in yellow-orange. A cool lighting brings
out the blue in blue-green and blue violet.
Color also affected by by the method of lighting. Light rays that fall directly from
the source onto a surface can create a warm glow over an area. An indirect
lighting reflecting from the crown molding onto the ceiling produces an overall
light resembling the light f midday.
home lighting and color - decorating tricks and tips
Warm lighting is friendly and tends to unify objects
Cool lighting expands space, produces a crisp atmosphere, and
tends to make individual objects stand out
In a room with consistent illumination warm colors seems
brighter then cold colors
Dark colors tend to disguise a texture, so, if you have a
textured walls or other surfaces in your home and you would like to emphasize
the richness of the texture you should finish it in darker colors. On
opposite side, if you want to disguise the texture you should consider darker
finishing colors
When decorating remember, that object looks darker when
displayed on the bright background. The same object placed before a dark background
will appear lighter
