In this article, we discuss the most important types of lighting and some common lighting techniques used in every hotel.
Hotels utilize several lighting styles and techniques to bring the space to life. You can use any of the hundreds of lighting options and mix them up to create a unique and functional design. But at its core, most hotel lighting setups fall into a few simple categories.
Ambient light is the passive background light that evenly illuminates the entire space. Also known as mood lighting or general lighting, it is the basis for every lighting system. The goal of ambient lighting is not to create a bright or well-lit environment. Instead, it is there to counter the darkness.
Ambient light can be created using several different techniques and light fixtures. You can use indirect light from wall-mounted spotlights or direct light from a ceiling-mounted chandelier, to light up a room.
The intensity and brightness of your ambient lighting dictate the atmosphere of the space. Bright lights represent welcoming warm tones, ideal for hotel entrances. While dimmer lights create a cozy and homely feeling, ideal for bedrooms.
The goal of task lighting is to highlight a specific section or working area and provide better illumination and visibility. While ambient light is used to uniformly illuminate the entire area, task lighting is only deployed in select areas. Thus, you will often see task lighting used in conjunction with ambient lighting to get the best of both worlds.
Desk lamps are the most common type of task lighting, but you don&#;t need to limit yourself to one type of light fixture. Ceiling-mounted downward lights with narrow beam angles are excellent for large spaces like a hotel reception desk.
Task lighting can also be deployed for bathroom sinks, bedside tables, and kitchen islands. If you have bright ambient lights, then you might not need specific task lights. But brighter ambient lights become irritating after a while and consume a lot more energy. Meanwhile, task lighting is used occasionally and doesn&#;t interfere with other light sources.
Accent lighting, also known as highlighting is the process of strategically placing lights around an object to emphasize certain features. Here directional lights are used to create a dynamic effect and increase the visual impact of the object.
Accent lights can be deployed in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Outside you will see accent lighting prominently used for statues, fountains, and trees. For indoor use, accent lights are commonly deployed towards artworks and walls.
The goal of perimeter lighting is to define the boundaries of a given area. You can use any of the hundreds of light fixtures for your perimeter lighting setup. The primary function here is to outline areas and show clear boundaries between them. So the choice of light bulb or fixture is mostly aesthetic driven.
This lighting style doubles as a security measure for outdoor areas. Bright light fixtures surrounding your hotel are an easy way to deter potential bad actors. In comparison, indoor use of perimeter lighting is more flexible. It can be used to outline the walls of a room for interesting lighting effects or to light up the hallway ceiling partition to show building areas.
Wall lighting is the art of mounting light fixtures to a wall in an aesthetically pleasing way. It is another flexible lighting system where the choice of light bulb is mostly irrelevant to the effectiveness of the process.
The most common type of wall lighting is wall sconces. These are small-sized light bulbs covered by a stylish fixture, often used for ambient lighting. Wall sconces are a great excuse to mount decoration pieces inside your house. Wall lighting fixtures are typically limited to accent lighting, but with enough fixtures, you can use them for ambient lighting as well.
Suspension lighting is an overhead lighting style that uses ceiling-mounted fixtures hanging from sturdy cables. It is particularly suited to high-ceiling rooms and encompasses many fixtures. Suspension lights are often suspended from thin, barely visible cables to give the illusion of floating light fixtures.
Pendant lights are the most popular example of the suspension lighting style. They are unique, customizable light fixtures that can match almost every environment. Their flexibility and versatility allow them to be deployed in homes, restaurants, hotels, etc. Pendant lighting is particularly suited to task lighting for dining areas.
Other suspended light fixtures include track lighting, chandeliers, and light bars. Hotel owners use these light fixtures to differentiate themselves from competing hotels. Soft light from pendants hanging over a dining area helps elevate the mood and atmosphere of a night out.
Chandeliers are the epitome of luxury and opulence, which screams rich and premium. So, it should be no surprise that hotels have a long history of using large bombastic chandeliers for their lobby lighting design.
Chandeliers are one of the first things you will notice when entering a hotel lobby, so they must leave a good impression on customers. Some hotels have chandeliers larger than an entire room, massive and intricate designs of glass and light.
Although chandeliers are often the centerpiece of large open spaces, they are also compatible with interior room lighting setups. Luxury suites in hotels often utilize chandeliers as a shorthand for premium and special.
Floor lamps are a fantastic means of adding visual intrigue to your hotel space. These lamps use flexible designs that can accommodate several light bulb types and varying brightness. You can use them to accent your walls or highlight nearby objects. Properly placed floor lamps can even be used for task lighting.
But the biggest benefit of using large lamps comes in the form of floor coverage. A hotel lobby can look vacant and dull even with several pieces of furniture. Lamps can act as a light source while adding a stylish fixture to your lobby.
Instead of treating these lamps like light fixtures, you should treat them as glowing art pieces. Something that fits into your hotel&#;s aesthetic and design and complements the surroundings. Place some fancy lamps on the sides of your reception desk, something that matches the hardwood desk.
Recessed lights are installed inside ceiling cavities to hide the fixture body. Light fixtures can often interfere with the design and aesthetics of a given space, so sometimes, the lighting design needs to take a backseat to the interior design.
Large black light fixtures will clash with the theme and design of your hotel. In such cases, recessed lighting is an excellent option that provides decent illumination without being too noticeable. Lobby lighting often uses recessed lights for ambient lighting.
Ceilings are an important part of hotel design that often gets neglected. Don&#;t ruin that beautiful paint job on your ceiling with an ugly light fixture. Use something that complements your polished marble floors and clean white ceilings. Recessed ceiling fixtures are usually the best lighting solution for hallways, lobbies, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Decorative lighting is an all-encompassing term that includes several lighting styles. The goal is to decorate your hotel room using light fixtures. Treat each light bulb like a piece of art or furniture and strategically place them around the room.
Chandeliers qualify as decorative lighting, but they are so unique that we consider them a separate category. Instead, we want to point out lesser-known decorative lighting styles, such as LED light curtains. Light curtains are a vertical lighting style in which columns of fairy lights are used as a veil of light.
However, if light curtains are not your cup of tea, choose from several other fun lighting styles. String, cable, and chain lighting are great options for outdoor decorative lighting design. Areas like hotel pools, sitting areas, and bars are excellent canvases for unleashing your decorative lighting ideas.
For interior lighting design, table lamps are a simple and versatile decoration. They take up very little space, but their presence is evident in a well-designed room. These lamps have very low energy consumption and are often used as soft lights for your reading area.
Hotels utilize more than some basic lighting styles to illuminate their rooms. Standing out from the competition requires a certain level of skill and technique. Major hotels around the world have spent a lot of time and effort researching the optimal lighting conditions for any given area.
Here are five important lighting techniques you need to consider for your hotel.
Nothing beats the warm illumination of direct sunlight. Natural light is a simple and easy way to enhance the look and atmosphere of your hotel. Artificial light has come a long way but a LED light bulb could never compete with the natural feel of sunlight.
Adding natural light to your hotel is as simple as adding a few windows. But this process is easier said than done. Windows take up a lot of space and interfere with most hotel layouts. A large space like a hotel lobby is particularly difficult to light using sunlight. Natural sunlight is an energy-saving method and a functional lighting style. However, implementing it into a hotel design is quite challenging.
But even if you manage to use natural sunlight in your hotel lighting project, the struggle does not end there. You still need to put in some energetic decorative lighting to replace the sunlight at night.
Natural light is by far the most useful lighting style for a given hotel. Most hotel rooms have a window that customers can use for interior lighting instead of an artificial light bulb. Natural sunlight does wonders for your customers&#; moods and health, but it is not simple and requires a lot of planning and effort to properly utilize.
Dining lighting is simpler than sunlight windows. The quick and short explanation is to use warm light tones with medium&#;to low-brightness light fixtures. Cool light hues are better for work environments where you need to increase focus and productivity, but a warm light hue represents a cozy warmth that helps you relax.
Restaurants have been using this technique for ages. Warm soft light is unquestionably the way to go for any sort of dining area.
Bathroom mirrors have become an important part of our daily routine. We use them to get ready in the morning and occasionally use them to see if our hairstyle needs a little touch-up. But these mirrors are nothing without proper lighting.
The lighting design for bathrooms is slightly different from general lighting styles. Here you want to avoid directional light and anything that can result in glares. The best placement for light bulbs in a bathroom is just above the mirror. That way, the subject is directly lit from the front.
Bedrooms need soft, medium, and bright lighting styles that invoke a feeling of comfort. You can use standard light bulbs with a warm hue and light fixtures that fit the room&#;s aesthetic.
Dimmable LED lights are an excellent option for hotel rooms. This gives customers complete light control over the room and lets them define their preferred brightness for daytime and night.
Common areas of the hotel include the hotel lobby, dining area outdoor sitting area, and pool sides. These areas all require different lighting styles during the day. But for nighttime, they all benefit from soft ambient lighting.
We hope this article has helped you understand the many lighting styles and techniques required to illuminate a hotel. The lighting styles will change drastically from the lobby to the bedrooms, ensuring a smooth transition from one section to the other.
Double-check the placement of each light fixture to prevent design clashes. Light fixtures should complete the theme and style of your hotel. This article is a general guide. Feel free to modify these lighting techniques to suit your hotel better.
RC Lighting is a premier manufacturer and supplier of high-quality LED lighting solutions. We work with several well-known brands to deliver lighting fixtures on time and under budget. Some of our popular products include Recessed Downlights, Ceiling Spotlights, Track Lighting, and Panel Lighting.
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When considering bedside lighting ideas, it's always recommended to remember that the results need to be a balance between stylish and functional.
&#;Bedrooms are practical as well as relaxation spaces, so plan your lighting accordingly,' says Charlie Bowles, director of Original BTC.
'Use a mixture of task, mood and accent lighting to create a layered scheme that will work at any time of day and across the seasons &#; cozy in winter, light and airy in summer. Consider different types of light fitting, not just the light they provide, too.'
From pretty pleats to fabulous fluting, hanging bedside pendants and rattan wall lights, we've rounded up a host of brilliant bedroom lighting ideas so that you can add your favorites to your bedroom ideas wishlist.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website GREATON LIGHTING.
(Image credit: Elicyon)
Bedroom lighting ideas can set the tone for an entire room scheme &#; and here, simplicity is key, with a small but stylish lamp incorporated cleverly into one of the many headboard ideas by design studio Elicyon.
'Having a statement light is a way to really define and even lead the style and feel of your bedroom,' says Xander Shreenan, interior designer at home décor brand Dowsing & Reynolds. 'These can range from geometric industrial styles to cloud-like formations and even feathered lights, it all depends on how you wish to feel in the space.
'Whichever style you&#;re drawn to, choose one that can really anchor the room and be the inspiration for the rest of the décor.'
(Image credit: Simon Brown)
Traditional bedroom ideas call for bedside lighting ideas that match the style, color, pattern and curves of other furniture in the room. It might be that a stand out bedside table or dressing table inspires the choice of your bedside lighting, it may be the bed ideas you are looking at dictate your choice. And if you want a look that's not too coordinated, consider an eclectic choice, as in this bedroom designed by Kit Kemp.
(Image credit: Future / Alicia Taylor)
In a room that has little or no room for bedside tables, you can be more creative with bedside lighting ideas &#; and wall mounting them over the bed is a good option where space is tight.
'It is always good to create different areas of light in a bedroom so think about how many sources of light you have,' explains Xander Shreenan. 'Combine bedroom ceiling lighting with bedroom wall light ideas, floor lamps and table lamps, as all of these can create "zones" in your bedroom to give different feels and functions.'
Charlie Bowles, Director of Original BTC, says: 'Consider different types of light fitting, not just the light they provide. Wall-mounted lights are great space-savers in small, low-ceilinged rooms and are ideal for creating a clean, boutique hotel look. '
(Image credit: Polly Wreford / Claudia Bryant)
Lighting as a design focal point in a bedroom is a trend that adds character.
Martin Waller, Founder of Andrew Martin, goes further to say that you can choose pieces that could be considered a work of art.
He says: 'Choose bold designs featuring sculptural shapes, interesting texture or coloured glass to make a style statement, even when the light is switched off. Think of your lamp as an art piece or sculpture, like a design-led finishing touch.'
Megan Matharu at Visual Comfort, emphasizes the point, adding: 'Bedrooms should not have just one sole source of lighting. Sculptural table lamps should be used in conjunction with ceiling lighting. As the hours tick on and darkness falls in, floor and table lights provide a more ambient glow.'
This lamp is by Porta Romana.
(Image credit: Original BTC)
If you're looking for something a little different for your bedside lighting ideas, try installing low-hung bedroom ceiling lighting ideas for an ambient, modern and chic look.
Embrace the natural look with rattan pendants, go industrial with matte black or antique brass, stay neutral with white china, or add glamor with gold.
The low height will ensure there isn't too much glare from the light source, offering a soft-focus for tired eyes.
Original BTC's Charlie Bowles says that 'a pair of low-hanging pendants can make dramatic and stylish bedside lights'.
(Image credit: Sims Hilditch)
You can't have too many bedside lighting ideas, so don't be afraid to install bedside wall lights as well as using bedside table lamps.
It creates a stylish look by introducing different textures, and is practical as well as pretty; a wall light is good for reading at night, while the soft glow of a table lamp is perfect as the first light to turn on in the morning.
Louise Wicksteed, Design Director for Sims Hilditch interior design studio, agrees, adding: 'We often suggest a layered approach to our clients. By creating a range of lighting such as wall, floor, overhead or table the clients can alter the mood of the space as they wish.
'The bedroom can then be tailored to the client&#;s preference, for example where they might be an avid reader, we would suggest installing task lighting by the bed or perhaps in a reading corner to create a softer and more calming aesthetic.'
(Image credit: Mary Wadsworth)
The popularity of natural materials continues to rise and, while the Scandi trend may have moved on a little, elements of it are still extremely relevant.
Using sustainable sources and bringing the outside into your interiors for a calming space that reflects nature is a desired design aesthetic for . We love how in this bedroom natural bedside lighting ideas have been paired with rich, royal blue.
(Image credit: Future)
Practicality is key with bedside lighting ideas, and having bedside lamps that are flexible is a wise option. This bedside wall light allows for an up-and-down and side-to-side positioning so that reading can be done sitting up or lying down.
(Image credit: Original BTC)
It's not just lampshades that are getting textured &#; fluting on bases and hard materials is also a chic look with its design influences hailing from the Art Deco era.
White fluted lighting is a particularly effective stand-out look when paired with the botanical or Chinoiserie wallpaper trend, or contrasted with a dark hue behind it.
(Image credit: Future)
If you are after a laid-back look for your bedroom that's practical, too, choosing an anglepoise is a good move. 'Here, the industrial look of the lamp contrasts pleasingly with the soft furnishings to take the country style of the space in a more contemporary direction,' says H&G's Editor in Chief, Lucy Searle.
(Image credit: Warner House)
Bedside lighting ideas can look very pretty if they are coordinated with bedlinen or the headboard. This look works particularly well in a more traditional bedroom &#; as shown with this Warner House fabric.
Bedside lights should be placed between 12 and 18in above the top of your mattress if you like to read lying down or 6in above your shoulder as you sit up in bed if you prefer to read in a seated position; if you are hanging bedside wall lights, around 30 to 36in above the top of the mattress will work. The bedside light should also be between 8 to 12in from the edge of the mattress, depending on the width of the lampshade and base.
Knowing how to plan bedroom lighting properly like this can make the difference between a sucessful bedroom scheme and one that's less than perfect.
Bedside table lamps should be 24 to 30in high, from base to the top of the lampshade. However, this height may need adjusting, depending on the height of your bedside table compared to that of your mattress. You will also want to consider how you use bedside table lamps &#; sitting up or lying down? If you sit up to read, any bedside lighting ideas you consider can be at the taller end of the scale; if you lie down to read, they can be shorter. The key is to ensure that when you're reading, the light falls comfortably over your book, and doesn't direct itself into your eyes.
From an aesthetic point of view, bedside lights should be the same height, whether they match or not.
Want more information on hotel bedside lights? Feel free to contact us.