Let There Be Light – A Look at the Lighting Options for Homes in Israel
Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by buyitinisrael in Interior Design
©iStockphoto.com/ Phil Sigin-Lavdanski
By Zev Shalev
How many homes in Israel have you visited that were beautifully furnished but still had bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling? There must be something about lighting that relegates it to the bottom of the list in planning our homes. I have a theory that this is a result of a lack of understanding of how to plan correct lighting. Let’s see what we can do about that.
When I plan a lighting system for my clients, the first thing that I consider is: What is the purpose of each individual light? Asking this helps us focus on how to plan correct lighting. Most lighting in the house falls into one of three basic categories: general lighting, task lighting, and mood lighting.
General lighting is needed when you get up in the middle of the night and want to find your way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. It’s the most basic function that light is meant to provide. General lighting can also refer to a light in the entry foyer of the home that helps us orient ourselves as we come in. Another example might be a central light in the middle of the ceiling of a kitchen or bedroom.
Task lighting is what we need to read our kids a bedtime story, eat a bowl of soup, check our emails, shave or apply make-up, or chop up onions.
Mood lighting refers to lighting that is meant to bring attention to a decorative element (a picture on the wall or an interesting architectural feature) that we want to highlight. This might also refer to lighting that is used to emphasize the height of a tall ceiling or, alternatively, create the illusion of a tall ceiling where the ceiling is lower than we’d like.
After considering this distinction it’s clear that there is a great deal of overlap. If we have a beautiful painting in the entry foyer, it might make sense to focus the only source of light in that area on the painting itself rather than in addition to a general light on the ceiling- this will bring our attention to the focal point, and will still give us enough light to find our keys or find the switch to the light in the living room. An important result of this type of logical thinking is saving in the cost of buying unnecessary light fittings and savings in wise electricity usage.
Lighting can also be categorized by the actual type of light bulbs we’re using. The following is a summary of the various types of light bulbs available in Israel:
- Incandescent lighting (Hebrew: nurot libun) are the traditional light bulbs that we all think of when we imagine a light bulb (often used in cartoons when located over someone’s head to indicate a bright idea). The advantage of this type of light is that it gives reasonably good color return (the colors that we perceive when looking at various objects) and the bulbs are readily available and inexpensive. The down sides are that they use more electricity and produce more heat than other types of bulbs.
- Fluorescent lighting is often used to get people to turn up their noses- most people associate fluorescent lighting with cold office environments and are very resistant to using it in their homes. Traditional fluorescent lights flicker and distort colors- not a great beginning for a warm and successful home lighting plan. However, there have been many breakthroughs in fluorescent technology in recent years that have made the advantages of this type of lighting (reduced use of electricity, reduced heat production, longer life) more applicable to the home environment. One important type of fluorescent light that is used successfully in the home is the T-5 fluorescent. This is a new generation fluorescent tube that gives improved color return, while retaining the fluorescent’s advantages. A classic example of the successful use of T-5s is under the upper cabinets over the counters in the kitchen. This is a place where good color return is critical- a traditional fluorescent used in food preparation often gives the food an unappetizing, washed-out look.
- EL and PL are also versions of the new generation of lights. Many of us have use these bulbs but just aren’t familiar with what they are called. They are the curly-shaped bulbs –some of which have screw-in bases compatible with traditional incandescent bulb sockets, and some have plug-in bases. One advantage to these bulbs is that they produce roughly five times the candlepower relative to the wattage that they use. What this means in plain English is that, for example, the bulb may be rated at 26 watts (which indicates the amount of electricity you’re paying for) but produces 1800 lumens (a measure of lighting output) which is equivalent to a standard bulb rated at 150 watts. These bulbs are more expensive than standard bulbs but, in addition to their lower running costs, they last significantly longer than incandescent bulbs. They are available in white, pink and yellow tones. The pink and yellow tones are warmer and less harsh while the white tones give a look that is reminiscent of the traditional fluorescent light.
- Halogen lighting was seen in many homes in the eighties and nineties. The pencil-thin halogen bulbs and triangular-shaped mini halogen bulbs liberated designers from the bulky and bulbous incandescent bulbs and allowed them to plan light fittings in radical new sizes and shapes. Aside from the shape of the bulb, halogens also produce a very strong, clear light with good color return. The mini halogens also allow us to focus a very strong light over a very concentrated, small area (perfect for mood lighting applications). The down side, however, is that they produce a tremendous amount of heat and consume a lot of electricity, relative to the amount of light that they produce.I’ve seen many beautiful homes where it is almost impossible to sit at the dining room table for long periods of time- a light fitting hanging low over the dining room table outfitted with halogen bulbs can produce almost unbearable heat.
- LED is the abbreviation for light-emitting diodes. At the moment, this is considered to be the future of lighting. These are lights which can be configured in almost unlimited sizes and shapes, produce very little heat, give superior color return, and have been known to last longer than most other types of lighting. LED technology has been used for many years in various applications but it is only recently that it has become available for domestic applications. If you’re interested in the cutting-edge of lighting technology and are willing to invest in a lighting system that is likely to give you a good long-turn return on your investment, my recommendation would be to look into LED lighting.
If I had to sum up my advice for lighting in one sentence, it would be, make sure that you plan your lighting so that you see the result, not the source. What this means is that, after you leave the room, or the home, you want to ask yourself, “Why was it so pleasant being there?” rather than “Boy! Did you see those monstrous light fittings hanging all over the place?”
The writer is a freelance interior designer and space planner with more than 20 years experience with the English-speaking community across Israel. Zev can be contacted by telephone +972 523-834-208 or by email at zev@shalevdesign.com.
The contents of this article are designed to provide the reader with general information and not to serve as legal or other professional advice for a particular transaction. Readers are advised to obtain advice from qualified professionals prior to entering into any transaction.
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