- No products in the cart.
Creating the Right Office Lighting
Lighting is the most important aspect when it comes to designing your office. A poorly lit office will display dormancy and make the office environment uncomfortable for work.
Although the offices can differ in design, there are common things that office owners should consider when selecting the appropriate modern office lighting design for their offices. Nowadays, modern offices have taken a step forward in implementing modern office lighting techniques which favour all aspects of the office and its surroundings. At times mistakes might be made either knowingly or unknowingly. But most people make office lighting mistakes innocently.
Typically, they usually are naive about various factors and this naivety makes them make wrong lighting decisions for their offices. In this article, we are going to look at how to choose office lighting and common mistakes. First of all, let’s learn how to best choose office lighting:
1. PICK THE RIGHT STYLE
The first thing to remember when it comes to modern office lighting should always be the style. If you pick the wrong bulbs then you’ve probably made a very big mistake. Typically bulbs have a wide range of intensity and colour determined by the Kelvin scale. Another aspect to consider is harmony in the office, which plays an integral role overall.
To enhance balance, ensure that all the lights in the office have the same colour temperature all through. Different colour temperatures will kill the jovial mood of the office and create a boring working environment. The best bulbs for office lighting are usually the fluorescent, 6500k bulbs. This is because their intensity is not exaggerated and it resembles the regular daylight. Besides getting the right bulbs, you can also blend your office light by placing a low-intensity bulb on your desk to improve clarity.
2. SUPPLEMENT OVERHEAD LIGHTS WITH TASK LIGHTING
For proper and convenient health considerations, always ensure that you switch to task lighting bulbs that have a low glare. This is because the overhead fluorescent lighting has been discovered to be causing a lot of health complications ranging from hyperactivity to sleeping problems.
Considering the common computer ergonomics, it will be proper if you position your lighting source away from your computer screen. This is to reduce the lighting effects that may be caused by too much light. The best type of lighting material to be used in such situations are always the Gooseneck lamps, this is because they can cast more or less light at a particular place.
3. USE INDIRECT LIGHTING
Many office owners usually get eye complications arising from eye strains due to direct lighting. Direct lighting might also cause severe headaches, and all these problems will eventually lead to low productivity.
To cater for this problem, always ensure that you choose side lamps instead of overhead direct lighting. Or if you have both, you can switch off the overhead lights and use the side lamps.
The spacing of the light sources is also important. Do not just place all the lights at one position, instead distribute them evenly around the office, so that the light produced can reach every corner of the office.
4. CHOOSE NEUTRAL COLORS FOR THE OFFICE
Besides lighting your office with overhead lights and side lamps, choosing the appropriate colour for your office walls and the floor is also vital.
Choosing the right exterior wall lights are quite important. Do not pick very bright or very dark colours. This is because extreme colouring may cause an exaggerated ambiguous appearance that may not be very appealing for an office.
Remember that an office is a place that will host different types of people ranging from the young to the old. Therefore always use neutral colours for your paint. Neutral colours have a very low reflection capability and hence are compatible with any other form of modern office lighting.
5. INTRODUCE NATURAL LIGHT TO SPACE
Natural light is the most affordable source of office lighting. Or rather it is free! Well, natural light will play a very important role when choosing the best lighting techniques for your office. Besides supplementing the lighting experience in your office, it also comes with several health benefits. It will help your body to produce vitamin D, which is very important for removing mood disorders and depressions that might cause low performance in the office.
When you wish to combine natural lighting with artificial lighting, always make a point of getting warm coloured and low-wattage task lights, just to enhance the clarity of your workspace. Some offices may be placed in a position that may not allow them to access natural light, or some may not have windows for the same purpose. In such situations, you should look for bulbs or lamps that mimic natural sunlight in lighting stores.
6. CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIZE OF THE BULBS
The size of the bulbs will depend on the size of your office. If your office is small then you will consider using small-sized bulbs, and if your office is spacious, the relatively larger bulbs will serve you best. Using large bulbs on a small office space and vice versa will bring forth an awkward situation.
The size of your office will also determine the intensity of the bulbs or lamps you use. Small offices will not need bulbs with a high lighting intensity, but larger offices will. Therefore considering the size of the office is one of the most important aspects when choosing the appropriate lighting.
Proper lighting as seen above will eventually lead to a higher office performance. But poor lighting will kill everything. Therefore it is good to ensure that you properly choose the best lighting for your office.
Mistakes When Choosing The Right Lighting
When choosing modern office lighting equipment, there are certain mistakes that people normally make. These mistakes are usually costly and may cause poor performance of the office due to poor lighting. Some of these mistakes include:
1. SELECTING LIGHTS WITHOUT PLANNING
Before doing anything, it is always important that you plan. As it is always said, failing to plan is planning to fail. This also applies well when it comes to office lighting.
Before you pick any office lighting material, always have a laid-out plan of what they are going to do, or where they are going to be placed.
Having a clear plan will help you come up with a strategy of how, where and when you will acquire the lighting equipment of your choice. Many people always buy lighting for their offices randomly but find out at the end of it all that they made the wrong selection. To avoid such frustrating moments, always make a point planning before you buy.
2. IGNORING THE BUDGET
There is always a reason why budgets are usually made. Some people always take budgets just as a formality and end up acquiring items out of the blues.
When a budget is put forward for the acquisition of the best office lighting, some people always ignore it and forge ahead to acquire cheaper lighting. Cheaper office lighting might be cost-effective but may bring complications or failure in the future.
When making a budget for your office lighting, always accompany it with clear instructions and restrictions that will blur anyone from squandering the money and buying cheap and fake lighting for you. What you also have to remember is that cheap is expensive. Good office lighting might be a little more expensive, but at the same time, they are durable and long-lasting. Cheaper ones will be cheap in the short run, but expensive in the long run because they will need to be replaced all the time.
3. IMPROPER INSTALLATION
Improper installations always originate from failing to plan. If you cannot fix the lighting on your own, then it is appropriate that you consider acquiring the services of an electrician.
Many people always think that it will be time-saving and cost-effective if they did the installations by themselves. But by doing that, they end up handling the office lighting carelessly and some cause breakages. Improper installations may also cause the lighting to emit poor lights or dim lights.
Another thing is that you might put the lighting in the wrong place and at the wrong angle when you try to fix it on your own. Electricians always have a special procedure for installing office lighting, so it is proper that you leave this task to them.
4. GOING FOR THE WRONG COLOR
The colour that you choose for your office lighting is by far the most important. To portray the professionalism and seriousness of an office, always choose appropriate colours. The best choice is to consider neutral colours. Neutral colours are favourable as they can be tolerated by all kinds of people.
An office is a place that will host very special people including respectable clients that may have an eye to your business. Therefore creating an appealing and comfortable environment for them is the most important thing to consider. After installing the lighting, the office should be bright but not too bright to create an uncomfortable feeling. It also should not be too dim to kill the mood.
5. CHOOSING THE WRONG TYPE OF LIGHTING
When choosing lighting for your office, it is good to keep in mind that the office has different areas that need to be lit. The lighting that will be used at the entrance is different from the lighting that will be used at your desk. Therefore always make keen evaluations before buying any lighting for your office.
For instance, if you light your desk with a light meant for the entrance, there are high chances that you will not like the experience at all. Entrance light is usually brighter than the lights used at the desk. Always check at the wattage of any bulb before making a selection. The most convenient bulbs for the entrance are usually 20 watts LED bulbs and those for the desk range from 4 to 8 watts.
6. USING THE WRONG FIXTURES
Choosing the wrong fixtures for your lighting might be very costly at times. This is because wrong fixtures usually shorten the lifespan of your office lighting. Always ensure that you ask for the correct fixtures whenever you acquire any lighting material for your office. Most of the time, wrong fixtures usually consume, too much heat produced by your bulbs, and this might end up causing malfunctions at certain intervals. Fixtures also can beautify the office, so if you just pick any fixture, be sure to have a very unpresentable office.
7. CHOOSING THE WRONG BEAM ANGLE
The beam angle is always the most vital aspect when choosing the appropriate lighting for your office. The beam angle will see into it that your office remains visible even if you are using lighting with very low wattage. When choosing the beam angle, never make a mistake of choosing lighting with beam angles of more than 120 degrees, instead, go for the 60 degrees ones.
The 60-degree beam angle lighting is the best and more suitable for any office environment. If you do not know how to check for the beam angle, always ask the retail personnel to help you out. Do not just pick any bulb or lamp because you were unable to determine the beam angle.
The above are some of the common mistakes that people make when choosing lighting for their offices. These mistakes can be avoided only if you sit down, and do proper planning before you go out to acquire lighting for your office.
Generally, we have seen how you can choose the best lighting for your office and the possible mistakes that may arise in the same process. If you want to have an elegant office without spending much money and effort, then consider following the above tips and avoiding the mistakes mentioned.
Remember that an office is not only meant for you, but it is also meant for many other people including your clients. Therefore always consider implementing modern office lighting techniques that will not only favour you but also them.
