Lighting for Living Spaces
by Eric Strandberg LC

Commercial living spaces are non-working areas, which are frequently occupied. These are lobbies, reception areas, pre-function rooms, waiting rooms and hospitality rooms.

Lighting design for living spaces can actually be more difficult than lighting for task areas (offices, shop areas, restrooms and storage). The lighting must be flexible for the many and varied activities in these spaces. The general emphasis is on atmosphere and mood, with the occasional task (wayfinding, casual reading, and organizing).

I start by accent lighting points of interest; signage, artwork, architectural details, and display areas.
These elements are usually at the perimeter, on or adjacent to the wall. Accent lighting is best accomplished with spotlights and low voltage halogen or ceramic metal halide are good energy-efficient choices. Track or recessed lighting are good choices for spotlighting individual pieces of artwork or points of great interest. Wall washing, (evenly lighting large vertical areas) is best accomplished with fluorescent lamps*. Bookshelves, very large wall art (quilts, murals, etc.) or collections (groups of small objects with equal import) are best lit with "wall washers". These can take the form of linear recessed or track fixtures, but a better choice may be to use architecturally built elements. A luminous soffit or a valance can be built to hold fluorescent strips to provide uniform wall lighting. In large spaces, don't forget to light 'floating' points of interest, freestanding sculptures, brochure tables, and floral arrangements.

Once the points of interest have been lit, look for task areas to light (reading chairs, meeting areas, mailboxes, reception consols). The amount of light you need will vary, some wayfinding can require a lot of light, while casual reading may use much less. A good strategy is to physically bring the light source to the task. This can be accomplished by using a pendant fixture or a floor lamp, or by projecting the light to the task with a spotlight from track or recessed fixtures. Beware of glare with spotlights! Decorative elements in these areas such as portable fixtures, or a pendant hanging over an information table can be a nice touch. If you use recessed lighting, plan your furniture layout very carefully. If you make significant changes later, the tasks may be in different places.

After the accent lighting and the task lighting comes the ambient lighting. In small rooms with light surfaces, you may not need any extra lighting to provide ambient light. Decorative fixtures and the light reflecting off of artwork may provide enough light to comfortably move through the space. However, in a large room, or one with dark surfaces, additional ambient lighting may be wanted. Recessed down lighting is a poor choice for ambient lighting (even though it is frequently applied this way). This is because recessed cans just put out a cone of light below the fixture onto the floor (usually the least interesting part of any room) and do a poor job of lighting the walls (see accent lighting above). Instead, use wall sconces or ceiling lights, or add a portable fixture or two. A great way to add ambient light is with indirect fluorescent lights. You can create a cove or lightshelf on the walls to bounce light off of the ceiling. Lighting the ceiling helps expand the space and can add visual interest to the room itself.

Remember to layer the light and control the layers independently so the space can adapt to different functions as desired. Dimmers are a good way to help the lighting be more adaptable and they extend the life of incandescent bulbs considerably. (See article; Dim and Dimmer)

*I always recommend electronic ballasts for T-8 or T-5 lamps. In living spaces a low color temperature (3000 degrees K) and a high CRI (80+) is usually desirable. If your lighting budget allows, think about using dimmable ballasts in the fluorescents.

Above: Many commercial spaces, such as this campus student center, have living spaces we normally associate with residences. This space is part of the award-winning Seattle University Student Center.

Image courtesy

Amee Quiriconi
Abacus Engineered Systems

Doug Scott
Doug Scott Photography