Von Löwen Designs

“The colour of my soul is iron-grey and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams.”

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)

Colour – wow, were to begin? When I think of colour I think of many things: art, design, textiles, nature, and even music – especially music actually – but that’s another story. The impact of colour seems impossible to define, some people get it, some people fear it, and some people are in need of some serious help (sorry).

Colour can be a powerful design tool with the ability to affect a room’s appearance and even transform your mood and feelings. It surrounds us, intrigues us and excites us on many levels. We find ourselves hypnotized by sunsets, at peace in the forest, inspired by fine art, and plan for its use in our homes and workplaces. Planning colours for our living environment begins with an understanding of colour. What is colour? How does it affect us? The answer will vary greatly and depend on whether you are viewing colour through the eyes of a psychologist, physicist, chemist, artist or designer.

Colour is caused by physical qualities (wavelengths) but the effects are in the mind. Red only looks red in your mind. “Colour is seen by the eye but perceived by the brain.” – Wassily Kandinsky.

The sensation of colour does not exist without light. White light such as sunlight is a mixture of all colours as seen through a prism when the the various wavelengths are bent (refracted) by differing amounts. When refracted the light spreads out to form a multicoloured spectrum. The order of the colours is always the same violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange and red. This was first done by Isaac Newton in the 1660s. In the retina, at the back of the eye, there are two different kinds of receptor cells which respond to the light focused on them by the eye’s lens. These are rods and cones. The rods are responsible for colourless vision in dim illumination, while the cones operate at higher light levels and are responsible for colour perception. The colours you see correspond to the different wavelengths of visible light. Violet is the shortest and red the longest of the visible wavelengths. Light from the sun contains all these wavelengths, but just appears white to us.

When light strikes an object, the particles of energy may be reflected or absorbed. The eye sees the colour of an object by the light reflected. If light falls on an object that absorbs cool colours, such as green, the object will reflect the complement or warm colours, such as red. Black absorbs and white reflects nearly all the light waves.

Before you embark on remodeling, redecorating, or simply repainting any space in your home, it’s important to first become aware of all the colours that surround you. First off, take note of the variety of colours you already have existing in your home, even if your home appears all neutral. Be sure to not just focus on only the large things; look too, at details and accents – you might just be surprised at what you start to see. Next, take some time to look through your closet. It may seem a little silly, but we typically wear colours we are the most comfortable with. Lastly, get the heck out of the house. Personally, I find nothing more alluring than what Mother Nature has provided – pure inspiration. Take your time, get dirty, and record your thoughts and ideas. Once you’ve identified your favorites, try to think about how they make you feel and why you find yourself drawn to them. Typically these are the colours and feelings you likely want to convey in your home.

Colour is considered by many as the most important element in interior design, but there are so many variables with the things that influence the colour we see, including light, pattern, texture, and other colours that may be nearby.

Our vision is dependent on the presence of light. Together the eye and the brain distinguish the different wavelengths of radiant energy and translate light into colour. The amount of light, in addition to the kind of light, whether natural or artificial, will change how a colour is perceived and ultimately what that colour says about you and your home.

Almost everyone has some amount of naturally occurring light in their home. If you’re lucky enough to have large windows and subsequently lots of natural light, you are probably seeing colour at its best. The most evenly balanced light occurs during midday, but daylight is ever changing thus affecting the appearance and characteristics of colours continuously. Inside the home, where we usually have a combination of both natural and artificial light, absolute control of colour can be challenging, if not near impossible at times.

Natural light also changes with geographical location, the weather and the seasons. It also varies based upon how your home is oriented on the land and where the sun is at certain times of the day. If you would like to read more about this kind of stuff be sure to check out my post on Daylighting. But the point to remember here is that light quality differs from state to state and from yard to yard, with your immediate landscape and vegetation always having some sort of impact on your perception, so an awareness of your overall environment and how these elements can influence your canvass; i.e. just because a colour looks great in your best friends house doesn’t necessarily mean it will work or even look the same in yours, is critical.

As I just spoke about a couple of weeks ago with my post Let There Be Light, artificial lighting is essential for comfort and convenience. Artificial lighting can be used to accentuate and emphasize certain colours and architectural details, balance the colour and light in the room, create a mood and overall vibe, and even change the colour and perceived size of objects and décor.

Light bulbs too, play a huge role on the impact of colour in a room. Incandescent light is known to cast a warm soft glow, but lack colours from the blue end of the spectrum having the ability to make a blue room turn green.

Fluorescent light tends to enhance blues and greens, with many of today’s bulbs improved to include the full colour spectrum range. That said, fluorescents still tend to dull reds, oranges, and yellows. Beware that many paint and home stores use fluorescent lighting, so use caution when selecting paint colours in these conditions.

Halogens provide very clear, white light that is most similar to daylight. These bulbs have the ability to enhance most colour schemes. Candlelight on the other hand, the warmest of all lighting, enhances only reds, oranges, and yellows, and makes cool colours like blues and greens dull.

When selecting fabrics and finishes for your home, it’s important to realize that all materials have characteristics, texture, and pattern that modify the way colour will be seen. For example, a high gloss finish on walls tends to weaken colour, making them appear lighter due to the reflected light. Furthermore, adjacent surfaces, like a floor, reflecting that same wall can change a colour’s hue, and tint the wall with its own colour.

The texture of a surface can alter its perceived colour due to shadows at the microscopic level. Highly textured fabrics such as velvets, suedes, and chenille and pile may change colour when observed at different angles because these textures absorb light, resulting in darker and lighter areas of colour. Metallic surfaces, which are technically textured, reflect colour in different ways. White metals that are polished, such as chrome, silver, and stainless steel, reflect colours like a mirror, changing colour very little. But warm, polished metals such as brass and copper can tint colours with their own colour. Tinted, coloured mirrored walls also change the reflection of the room, often with confusing results.

Small-scale patterns on fabrics, rugs, or walls can change the overriding colour of a room based on how the patterns are viewed. When viewed up close, small-scale, multi-coloured patterns separate the colours so that each colour is distinct. But when viewed from a distance, the colours become mixed and the end result may be an unexpected and possibly unappealing third colour. This third colour is known as partitive colour, or visual mix, and can be compared to the Impressionism and Pointillism painting techniques of using small dots of colour, knowing that the eye will mix the colours together and see them as a different colour. In interior design, it’s important to view small-scale multi-coloured patterns from a distance so that you have an accurate picture of the colours your room conveys.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

As man and technology forge ahead with the removal from our natural habitat to create a near synthetic environment, artificial lighting could easily be argued as one of the most important developments in the modern world. Be it business or recreation, the use of artificial light allows us the luxury to work and play independent of day or night. Lighting and its applications are endless, with contemporary lighting design often providing a much desired aesthetic and artful feature both inside and outside of the home. With recent market trends and technological improvements homeowners can reap the rewards and substantially reduce the energy they use for lighting while actually increasing its quality, comfort, and convenience.

Artificial lighting is generally employed for three types of uses:

• Ambient lighting – Provides general illumination indoors for daily activities and outdoors for safety and security.

• Task lighting – Facilitates particular tasks that require more light than is needed for general illumination, such as under-counter lights in kitchens, table lamps, or bathroom mirror lights.

• Accent lighting – Draws attention to special features or enhances the aesthetic qualities of an indoor or outdoor environment.

Advantages Implementing Up-To-Date Lighting.

Artificial lighting consumes almost 15 percent of household electricity. The traditional incandescent bulb with screw base currently provides most household illumination. Use of new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50 to 75 percent. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not serving a useful purpose. Advanced lighting controls also offer a new amenity to the end user allowing lights to come on automatically when they are needed.

There are varied lighting technologies for all lighting situations. Consideration should be given to energy-efficient lighting choices in fixtures that are on for more than 2 hours a day.

Energy-efficient lighting design focuses on methods and materials that improve both quality and efficiency of lighting. Energy-efficient lighting design principles include the following:

• Keep in mind that more light is not necessarily better. Human visual performance depends on light quality as well as quantity.

• Match the amount and quality of light to the performed function.

• Install task lights where needed and reduce ambient light elsewhere.

• Use energy-efficient lighting components, controls, and systems.

• Maximize the use of daylighting.

Interior Lighting Options.

Daylighting is the use of windows and skylights to bring daylight into the home. Today’s highly efficient windows and advances in lighting design allow efficient use of windows to reduce the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours without causing heating or cooling problems. The sizes and locations of windows should be based on the cardinal directions rather than their effect on the street-side appearance of the house, for example. South-facing windows are most advantageous for daylighting and for moderating seasonal temperatures because they allow most winter sunlight into the home but little direct sun during the summer, especially when properly shaded. North-facing windows are also advantageous for daylighting because they admit relatively even, natural light, producing little glare and almost no unwanted summer heat gain. Although east and west-facing windows provide good daylight penetration in the morning and evening, respectively, they should be limited because they may cause glare, admit a lot of heat during the summer when it is usually not wanted, and contribute little to solar heating during the winter.

To learn more on the subject check out my previous posts on Daylighting and Window Replacement.

Indoor Lighting Technologies.

Incandescent lighting has traditionally delivered about 85 percent of household illumination. Incandescents operate without a ballast, are dimmable and instantly controllable, and light up instantly. Most familiar are the standard pear-shaped, screw-in ‘A’-type incandescent light bulbs. They produce a warm light and provide excellent colour rendition. They have a low efficacy compared to all other lighting options (10 to 17 lumens per watt) and a short average operating life (750 to 2500 hours).

Incandescent lamps can be made in other shapes and variations. Tungsten halogen lamps provide excellent colour rendition. Reflector (R) and parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR) lamps direct light in a desired direction. All three are slightly more efficient than standard bulbs, have longer operating lives (2000 to 4000 hours), and are often used for accent lighting.

Fluorescent lamps use 25 to 35 percent of the energy used by incandescent lamps to provide the same amount of illumination (efficacy of 30 to 110 lumens per watt) and last about 10 times longer (7,000 to 24,000 hours). Improvements in technology have resulted in fluorescent lamps with colour temperature and colour rendition that are comparable to incandescent lamps.

Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to regulate operating current and provide a high start-up voltage. Electronic ballasts outperform standard and improved electromagnetic ballasts by operating at a very high frequency that eliminates flicker and noise. They are also more energy-efficient. Special ballasts are needed to allow dimming of fluorescent lamps.

Two general types of fluorescent lamps are available. The traditional tube-type fluorescent is usually identified as T12 or T8 (12/8 or 8/8 of an inch tube diameter) and is installed in a dedicated fixture with a built-in ballast. The newer compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and circulines have smaller diameters and are usually bent or twisted into compact shapes. These are frequently sold with built-in or separate electronic ballasts and screw thread adapters for application in fixtures designed for incandescent bulbs. Dedicated fixtures that are equipped with electronic ballasts and that use plug-in (pin) CFLs are also available.

LED lighting is a rapidly evolving technology that produces light in a whole new way. It is already beginning to surpass the quality and efficiency of existing lighting technologies, such as fluorescent and incandescent. LEDs are small light sources that become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. LEDs are part of a family of lighting technologies called Solid-State lighting. This family also includes OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLEDs consist of sheets of carbon-based compounds that glow when a current is applied through transparent electrodes. While not yet market ready, OLEDs will function like a thin film on a wall or ceiling that illuminates a room. Like LEDs, OLED technology is advancing rapidly.

Solid-State lighting (SSL), most commonly seen in the form of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), has the potential to revolutionize the efficiency, appearance, and quality of lighting as we know it.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that rapid adoption of LED lighting in the U.S. over the next 20 years can:

- Deliver savings of about $265 billion.
- Avoid 40 new power plants.
- Reduce lighting electricity demand by 33 percent in 2027.

LED lighting is more efficient, durable, versatile and longer lasting than incandescent and fluorescents lighting. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, whereas an incandescent or fluorescent bulb emits light and heat in all directions. LED lighting uses both light and energy more efficiently.

For example, an incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb inside of a recessed can will waste about half of the light that it produces, while a recessed down light with LEDs only produces light where it’s needed – in the room below.

LED lighting starts with a tiny chip (most commonly about one square millimeter) comprised of layers of semi-conducting material. LED packages may contain just one chip or multiple chips, mounted on heat-conducting material called a heat sink and usually enclosed in a lens. The resulting device, typically around 7 to 9 mm on a side, can be used separately or in arrays. LED devices are mounted on a circuit board, which can be programmed to include lighting controls such as dimming, light sensing and pre-set timing. The circuit board is mounted on another heat sink to manage the heat from all the LEDs in the array. The system is then encased in a lighting fixture, architectural structure, or even a ‘light bulb’ package.

Indoor Lighting Controls.

The traditional on-off toggle switch has long been the lighting control of choice in homes. For rooms with two entrances, three-way switches make it more convenient to turn off lights when leaving the room. However, experience shows that even with convenient light switch locations, lights are often left on when rooms are unoccupied.

Dimmer controls provide variable lighting for fixtures. Off-the-shelf switches for incandescent fixtures are inexpensive and provide some energy savings when lights are used at a reduced level. Fluorescent dimmers are dedicated fixtures and bulbs that provide even greater energy savings than a regular fluorescent bulb.

Photosensors have little utility in controlling lights inside the home because lighting needs vary with occupant activity rather than ambient lighting levels.

Occupancy Sensors.

Home automation can be achieved on a small scale through smart switches. Occupancy sensors provide individual switching and timing for room lights and other fixtures.

Occupancy sensors detect activity within a certain area. They provide convenience by turning lights on automatically when someone enters a room. They reduce lighting energy use by turning lights off soon after the last occupant has left the room. Occupancy sensors must be located where they will detect occupants or occupant activity in all parts of the room. There are two types of occupancy sensors: ultrasonic and infrared. Ultrasonic sensors detect sound, while infrared sensors detect heat and motion. In addition to controlling ambient lighting in a room, they are useful for task lighting applications, such as over kitchen counters. In such applications, task lights are turned on by the motion of a person washing dishes, for instance, and automatically turn off a few minutes after the person stops.

Timers are sometimes used to give unoccupied houses a lived-in look. However, they are an ineffective control for an occupied home because they do not respond to changes in occupant behavior.

Exterior Lighting Options.

Exterior lighting for homes generally serves one or a combination of three principal purposes:

• Aesthetics – Illuminate the exterior of the house and landscape.

• Security – Placed on poles or high on the building to illuminate the grounds near the house or driveway.

• Utility – Illuminate porch and driveway to help people navigate safely to and from the house.

Outdoor Lighting Technologies.

Incandescent lamps are the most commonly used outdoor lights around homes.

Fluorescent lamps are not always suitable for outdoor use because they may not operate well at temperatures below 40° F. However, some CFLs are specially designed to operate at low temperatures down to –20° F for outdoor use.

High-intensity discharge (HID) and low-pressure sodium lamps are suitable for some outdoor lighting purposes. The most common types of HID lamps are mercury vapor, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium – all of which are much more efficient than incandescent lamps. Metal halide lamps produce a bright, white light with fair colour rendition, have a lifetime of about 6,000 hours, and are more efficient than mercury vapor lamps. Mercury vapor and high-pressure sodium lamps have poorer colour rendition but longer lifetimes (16,000 to 24,000 hours). Mercury vapor lamps have an efficacy of about 50 lumens per watt, while high-pressure sodium lamps have an efficacy of 50 to 140 lumens per watt. Low-pressure sodium lights are the most efficient and have long lifetimes (12,000 to18,000 hours), but they have very poor colour rendition. HID and low-pressure sodium lights require up to ten minutes to start and have to cool before they can restart, so they are most suitable for applications where they stay on for hours at a time. They are not suitable for use with motion detectors.

With new technologies emerging LEDs are not just for under cabinet lighting and portable desk lamps anymore. LED applications for porch lighting, step lighting, and pathway illumination should be seriously considered.

Outdoor Lighting Controls.

Outdoor lights are often controlled by toggle switches, but it is easy for occupants to forget to turn the lights off when they are not needed. Two controls that are especially useful without door lighting are photosensors and motion sensors.

Photosensors sense ambient light conditions and are used to prevent outdoor lights from operating during daylight hours. They are useful with all forms of outdoor lighting.

Motion Sensors.

Outdoor motion sensors have revolutionized outdoor lighting and security strategies. Economical models offer sophisticated features and energy-saving benefits.

Motion sensors automatically turn outdoor lights on when they are needed (when motion is detected) and turn them off a short while later. They are very useful for outdoor security and utility lighting provided by incandescent lamps.

Because utility lights and some applications of security lights are needed only when it is dark and people are present, the best controller may be a combination of motion sensor to turn on lights when people are present and photosensor to prevent lights from operating during daylight hours. Incandescent flood lights with photosensor and motion detector controls may actually use less energy than pole-mounted HID or low-pressure sodium security lights controlled by a photosensor. Even though HID and low-pressure sodium lights are more efficient than incandescents, they are turned on for a much longer period of time than incandescents using these dual controls.

Simple timers are not often used alone for outdoor lighting because the timer may have to be reset often with the seasonal variation in the length of night. However, they can be used effectively in combinations with other controls. For example, the best combination for decorative lighting may be a photosensor that turns lights on in the evening and a timer that turns the lights off at a certain hour of the night (e.g., 11 PM.).

Design Recommendations.

Designers and builders can reduce lighting energy use by selecting light fixtures and sources that use energy more efficiently, and by installing controls to reduce the amount of time lights are on.

Indoors:

• Maximize the use of daylighting.

• Install LEDs or fluorescent light fixtures for all ceiling and wall mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day. These often include the fixtures in the kitchen and living room, and sometimes those in bathrooms, halls, bedrooms, and other higher-demand locations. Install dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures, rather than CFLs in incandescent fixtures, so that fluorescent bulbs continue to be used for the life of the house.

• Encourage clients to use CFLs in portable lighting fixtures that are operated for more than 2 hours a day.

• If recessed lights are used in a ceiling with an unconditioned space above it, consider using LEDs or use only Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approved fixtures that are airtight, are insulation contact (IC) rated, and meet ASTM E283 requirements.

Also consider:

-Light wall colours to minimize the need for artificial lighting.
-ENERGY STAR lighting fixtures or ENERGY STAR qualified residential LED lighting.
-Occupancy detector controls.

Outdoors:

• Security and utility lighting does not need to be bright to be effective.

• Use fluorescent, HID, or low-pressure sodium lights unless incandescent lights are automatically controlled to be on for just a few minutes each day.

• Investigate ENERGY STAR LED outdoor application options.

• Consider incandescent flood lights with combined photosensors and motion sensors in the place of other security lighting options.

• Make sure outdoor light fixtures have reflectors, deflectors, or covers to make more efficient use of the light source and help reduce light pollution.

In most applications use:

-Photosensors to turn off lights during daylight hours.
-Motion detectors to activate security or utility lighting when needed.
-Timers and other controls to turn decorative lighting on and off.

Dedicated Compact Fluorescent Fixtures.

Installing compact fluorescent fixtures that accept only CFLs ensures lifelong energy-saving benefits. Many new CFL fixtures offer a dimmable feature and perform much like incandescent fixtures.

Insulation Contact (IC) rated recessed fixtures allow complete coverage of insulation in attic installations.

Lighting Principals and Terms.

Light Quality: The quantity of light emitted by lamps is measured in lumens. By way of reference, a 100-watt incandescent lamp emits about 1750 lumens. While the quantity of light produced by a lamp is measured in lumens, the purpose of all lighting is to produce illumination (i.e., to provide light on a surface). The intensity of illumination is measured in footcandles. A footcandle is the illumination produced by one lumen distributed over a 1-square-foot area. For most home and office work, 30 to 50 footcandles of illumination is sufficient. For detailed work, 200 footcandles of illumination or more allows more accuracy and less eyestrain. For simply finding one’s way around at night, 5 to 20 footcandles may be sufficient.

Efficacy: One of the means to reduce lighting energy consumption is to use light sources that produce more light from little electricity. The ratio of light produced to energy consumed is called efficacy. Efficacy is measured as the number of lumens produced divided by the rate of electricity consumption (lumens per watt).

Three concepts are important to understand lighting quality:

• Colour temperature refers to the colour of the light source. By convention, yellow-red colours (like the flames of a fire) are considered warm, and blue-green colours (like light from an overcast sky) are considered cool. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) temperature. Confusingly, higher Kelvin temperatures (3600 to 5500 K) are what we consider cool and lower colour temperatures (2700 to 3000 K) are considered warm. Cool light is preferred for visual tasks because it produces higher contrast than warm light. Warm light is preferred for living spaces because it is more flattering to skin tones and clothing. A colour temperature of 2700 to 3600 K is generally recommended for most indoor general and task lighting applications.

• Colour rendition refers to how colours appear when illuminated by a light source and is generally considered to be a more important lighting quality than colour temperature. Most objects are not a single colour, but a combination of many colours. Light sources that are deficient in certain colours may change the apparent colour of an object. The Colour Rendition Index (CRI) is a 1 to 100 scale that measures a light source’s ability to render colours the same way sunlight does. The top value of the CRI scale (100) is based on illumination by a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. A light source with a CRI of 80 or higher is considered acceptable for most indoor residential applications.

• Glare refers to excessive brightness from a direct light source that makes it difficult to see what one wishes to see. A bright object in front of a dark background usually will cause glare. Bright lights reflecting off a television or computer screen or even a printed page produce glare. Intense light sources such as bright incandescent lamps are likely to produce more direct glare than large fluorescent lamps. However, glare is primarily the result of relative placement of light sources and the objects being viewed.

For a more complete list of lighting terms and definitions please see my Lighting Glossary.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.