Designer FIle: Bare it all

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Bare it all

I love the look of bare bulbs - emanating a sense of history and a casual presence from their glowing filaments they have become a fixture in the design community, but is this the way of the future or are we receding to the past? I'll let you decide.

Lighting can be one of the most important tools in design and it can often make or break a project. So before I get into using bare bulbs, here is a little rundown on my general feelings about lighting.

Image from restorationhardware.com

I have persistently tried to warm up to the idea of a compact fluorescent and while I haven't fully adopted their use, I have encountered a few scenarios where they can work best. To get the most out of florescent light it has to be filtered and/or reflected (recessed and reflected off of a wall/ceiling surface) and the colour temperature of the bulb should be tested in the spaces light conditions.

So the argument is go green and embrace the fluorescent or give way to the guilty pleasure and embrace the filament bulb. The truth is that as a designer you will most likely utilize both types of light. Utility rooms, bathrooms, office and retail spaces, and restaurants can all be lit beautifully with fluorescent lighting if implemented carefully. Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and basements I think always benefit from the warmth of incandescent lighting and I recommend installing dimmer switches in almost every circumstance.

Plumen bulb from http://www.coggles.com/

So let's explore the incandescent route with filament bulbs. Plumen bulbs (http://plumen.com/) should also be mentioned as a green alternative bare bulb, which doesn't have the same presence, but is beautiful in its own right. Places to source filament bulbs are:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/
http://www.ferrowatt.com
http://www.rejuvenation.com/
and http://www.kyp-go.com/