Take
Lighting to Task
Home Lighting How-Tos First, no matter what the basic building package says, general lighting alone will not be sufficient for your kitchen, bath, study, laundry/craft room or office. There are too many visual tasks performed in these rooms. On the flip side, task lighting alone is not comfortable, so plan for a mix of task and general ambient lighting. To do their job well, task lights must emit plentiful, well-diffused light and be placed over the shoulder of the user or to the side of the work area. For kitchen and hobby tasks, downlighting, or using a concentrated light from above, works best. Three factors determine how much task lighting you will need: the age of the people using the light, the speed and accuracy required for the task, and the reflectance or surface glare involved. Keep in mind that pale surfaces have a higher reflectance than dark ones. So for chopping parsley, it's best to apply a downlight over a wooden chopping board or matte-finish if you want to keep your fingers! |
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Bathroom
Let's face it: We all look at ourselves in the mirror. Given that fact, light should always be directed to the person, not the mirror. To reduce shadows on the face, light should come from both sides of the mirror, not just one. If you do want to use a light over the sink, make sure it's at least two feet long to avoid casting shadows under your chin, and avoid reflector lamps as they might cast harsh shadows. Wherever possible, use light colored counters to reflect light under the chin. And never place the light source behind the person at the mirror or it will create shadows on the face -- a true challenge if you are trying to put on makeup. Home Office The same principles that apply to a home office will work in any room with a desk. First and foremost, avoid reflected glare and shadows by lighting from the side. Don't place lamps or windows directly in front of the person at the desk. Instead, put the lamp or natural light source to the left of a right-handed person or to the right of a left-handed person. Utility Room Fluorescent bulbs are perfectly suited to utility rooms because they provide plentiful, well diffused and energy-efficient lighting. Task lighting will be required for a sewing machine, ironing board or workbench, and track-mounted systems are ideal for this purpose because the units can be moved to highlight portions of the work. Just make sure the tracks are easy to operate and that the housings have plenty of clearance to swivel in all directions. Also, keep in mind that tasks that are illuminated from the front and above are free from distracting shadows, making attention to detail easy and enjoyable. |
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Copyright Sudprasert Engineering (C)2002
10 February, 2003