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Lighting Lofts and Other Open Spaces

Lighting loft-style residences and other large, open living spaces has always been a challenge.  High ceilings, scarce or poorly placed power sources and a characteristic lack of interior walls often leave the homeowner scratching his head as to where to start.  The prevalence of loft conversions and open floor plans in new home and condominium construction have pushed questions regarding these challenges to the top of the Brilliant Lighting FAQ list. 

In this article, we offer several simple tips to keep in mind to create an inviting and functional lighting plan for any open space.  We will also explore several contemporary lighting solutions that are particularly useful in overcoming the technical challenges of lighting open living spaces.

The Challenge of Large Spaces
Fundamental to the problem of lighting lofts is a lack of interior walls. Most loft conversions and many contemporary condominium designs divide the entire residential space into one or two large areas rather than half a dozen traditional rooms. The problem for converted lofts is often amplified by high ceilings.

Why are these problems? Walls provide a good deal of light via reflection. Most walls are painted a light color. Combine light colored walls with a light fixture mounted to a typical 8-10 foot ceiling and that single, centrally-located fixture is often capable of lighting an entire room. If you are lighting a large space with high ceilings or few walls, keep the following tips in mind:

The Approach
It's not a gymnasium. - First, understand that your approach to loft or contemporary condo lighting will be different than that for lighting traditional interiors. Don’t attempt to compensate for the size of the space by simply mounting a larger number of traditional fixtures to those high ceilings. Your loft will look like a warehouse (which it might have been at some point.)

Pursuing a general illumination strategy whereby the entire space will be illuminated with ambient light as it is during daylight hours isn’t practical or desirable. Plan on your loft space looking very different at night than it does during the day.