TRANSFORMING SPACES AND MOOD WITH LIGHTING

Lighting not only transforms living spaces but also our mood. Getting lighting right is a ga mechanger and hiring a lighting designer is always going to be money well spent. Adding layers of light – not only in the home but also in your garden – adds depth and interest, but it needs to be well thought through. You can make your lighting a focal point with sculptural or design lamps or keep your lighting just as an ambient or practical fixture. The placing of lighting is crucial to the overall look and feel of a space. For example, task lighting for reading or working in a kitchen should be placed in front so that you don’t cast a shadow over what you want to see. For cosy welcoming light ing in a living room, creating pockets of light is an easy way to add ambience. A statement chandelier always gives the wow-factor, providing a design-led addition to the space, even when not illuminated. However, you should first evaluate if the room can take such a bold fixture by considering the size of the space and the furniture within it. If it is a small area or a room with many items of furniture, a large pendant or chandelier can be overkill and visually make the room look cluttered. When choosing the amount of lighting for a room, less is very often more. Analyse how much natural light you already have – after all, natural sunlight is usually the best lighting in a home – and then add what is necessary to best benefit the room when the sun goes down. Rooms that are mostly dark may not need to be blasted with a flat overhead light that will tend to make the room seem poorly planned and artificial. Instead, employ clever lighting solutions to give the space the appearance that it is illuminated naturally. Dimmers are a great way to control the amount of lighting in a room depending on the time of day so, if a lamp comes with this option, it is always wise to choose that model for optimum lighting results.

The handcrafted Pleat Box by Marset comes in more colours than ever before. Already available in white, black, terracotta and grey, the collection now has two more colours within its portfolio: dark green and ochre (as shown here). Made from ceramic, which is a ductile, malleable material, it is then fused with different enamels to allow ceramist and designer Xavier Mañosa to discover and interpret new light effects. The interior part of the lamp comes in either a brilliant white enamel to further enhance the light or a 24-carat gold-plated version which emits a warmer illumination. The collection also offers the option of integrated LED technology, which projects warm indirect light without glare. Marset is available from Ges Lighting in Calle Uranio in Pol. Ind. La Ermita in Marbella (www.grupoelectrostocks.com) , Gunni & Trentino in Marbella Club (www.gunnitrentino.es) , Alison Bethell-Collins Interior Design in Avda. del Mediterráneo, San Pedro de Alcántara (www.alisonbethellcollins.com) , Acoola in Pol. Ind. San Pedro de Alcántara (www.acoola.eu) and Siesta Interior Design in C.C. Plaza in Nueva Andalucía (www.siestainteriordesign.com) .