Manmeet Arora
Interior Designer
Anchor : Jhumur Nandy
Photo Courtesy : Kunal Bhatia

The Danish concept of hygge describes cosiness, comfort, and charm, and the simplest way to bring some Danish wisdom into your home is to play with lighting. It is often the most overlooked aspect of putting together interiors, but it’s the simplest way to uplift a room from looking lived-in to luxurious, all the while making sure it looks inviting. Manmeet Arora, Founder, loc design house details out 3 ways to weigh in lighting when decorating and designing...

  1. Do not ignore it :- The rule of thumb in interior decoration is to never ignore lighting. It is one of the most important design elements, and it can help tie a room together while rendering it a unique aesthetic. It can make more of a difference than you'd imagine but if not treated with care; it can change the essence of the room, and can alter the mood drastically.
  2. Keep it natural:- Although coloured LED strips may seem tempting, they're better suited for dance floors and disco halls than they are for your living room. Natural shades that resemble daylight are the most pleasing and are fortunately available in all kinds of light fixtures. Yellow light has becomepassé and white light is strictly to be used as task lighting, so be careful to find a comfortable daylight shade. White lighting will not be flattering, so try to keep their use to the minimum.
    (1) This is a living room made specifically for entertaining friends and family. (2) All the lighting layers play an active role. Diffused lighting is seen under the brass shelf behind the sofa and under the wooden base made for the low seating. (3) Decorative lights are playing their essential role in the most subtle way as seen above the bar, corner of the low seating and above the coffee table in the main seating.
  3. Layer it up :-Everythingworks better in layers and lighting is no different. It can be divided into three basic layers – the diffused, the decorative and the functional. A combination of the three will enhance any space beautifully.
Diffused lighting is introduced using hidden sources of light that will emit only a soft glow. This kind of lighting is ideal for linear coves, such as ceilings and the awkward areas underneath staircases. They can also be incorporated into display cases, book shelves and on walls, while playing with offsets and projected levels.
Decorative lighting deflects light and directly adds to the compositionof the interior of the room, in terms of its form, shape and design. Pendant lights, floor lamps, table lamps and wall mounted fixtures are all examples of decorative light fixtures. Balancing the number of fixtures in a room is important so as to make sure that the room is not saturated but is adequately punctuated with statement pieces. The fixtures must also compliment the colour scheme and patterns that the room may already have.
Functional lighting, as the name suggests, hinges on the function ascribed to the space. The placement can be determined based on the reach of the decorative and diffused lighting, so that all the layers supplement each other. These would include spotlight fixtures recessed in false ceilings. Functional lights are best used as track lights and wall washers, as they can be angled & can highlight the myriad textures, colours, art and artefacts that may be a part of the room decor.
The three layers have to be strategically used to create a symphony, so that light is used not just to illuminate but to enhance. Lighting is not just about the presence of light, but its absence too. To create a beautiful pattern between shadows and brightness is key in the making of a thoughtful lighting plan.
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About the author
Manmeet Arora
Interior Designer

A little offbeat, a little “road less travelled”, a little to the left of centre but never off the mark, interior designer Manmeet Arora presents a unique perspective to the realm of redecorating spaces by combining aesthetic with function in such confluence that you cannot help but call the end result Art. She does this with complete cognizance of the peculiar and specific challenges that are presented to her by each space, but boundaries have never been just boundaries to her – they have been a consistent source of inspiration. By conjuring up a concept that is sure to enhance how you experience the space you’d like to call home (or office, or children’s play zone and activity centre – her vast repertoire includes having redecorated these spaces), she tailors the area and her vision to bring in elements of comfort and familiarity, but with the unmistakable mark of creation that could only have been done by someone with a keen sense of design, colours, textures,patterns and craftsmanship.

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