Tag: lighting

With the beginning of a new year comes a new season of design shows and the emerging homeware trends that will prevail in the year and even years ahead.

We are already seeing countless reports exploring what will be hot for the season ahead. And while we take trends with a little pinch of salt, we can’t help but get excited about a few trends experts are predicting to be big this year.

Greenery

Following Pantone’s announcement of Greenery as the colour of the year things have been getting very green. Led by the vibrant, powerful shade, tones of green are likely to take center stage in the interiors world this year and we couldn’t be happier! We’re dreaming of overflowing botanical spaces, filled with planting, opulence and striking architectural detail.

Cork

The new material making an impression on the world of design is cork. Although marble will hold its ground as a key material in the year ahead, expect to see a lot of interesting and clever uses of this economically friendly material.

Butterflies

Florals will make way this year for butterfly prints bringing an alternative feminine touch from the natural world to design schemes. These feminine insects will flutter there way into prints and patterns, albeit quite possibly in an abstract style.

Pattern mixing

Trends from the fashion world often ripple into interiors and pattern mixing is something the fashion world has embraced in recent seasons. This trend is one we are certainly no strangers to – as pattern, tile and textile lovers we often find that ‘more is more’ and layering patterns and textures of different varities can produce some spectacular results. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing where this trend will go!

Bronze

Every year there is a new metal in town and although we can’t quite tear ourselves from the classic, timelessness of brass it seems bronze is on the agenda this year. With the rich, warm tones of its mother material, copper and the subdued elegance we love of brass, we think this trend could have some seriously beautiful results!

Innovative Lighting

We’re all about a good statement light at KLD, so its very exciting to read the predictions for intricate, innovative lighting schemes that marry advancing lighting technology with beautiful, detailed lighting design.

Here at KLD, we love lighting that makes a statement in a room. It’s one of the elements when designing that is often over-looked, but it’s absolutely at the top of our priority list to make a space feel complete.

Lighting comes in all different shapes and sizes so there’s enough choice to take you where your imagination wants to go. Be a little playful and create a feature like we did in our Ballsbridge Residence with this trumpet inspired pendant light. The brass gives a metallic compliment to that beautiful blue.

Different styles of lighting can instantly change the mood and ambience of a space, so consider this and bulb intensities when decorating. In our Smithfield Residence, we included industrial wall lights, wire lights with Edison bulbs above the dining table and a tripod floor lamp in the corner of the room.

When it comes to design, there’s no set way of doing things, and that’s exactly the beauty of it! Try to think outside the box when it comes to the placement of your lighting fixtures, as we did here in our South Circular Road Residence where we positioned a low hanging Edison bulb light on a low ceiling. This added another dynamic layer to the white subway tiles on the wall.

If you’re revamping an old room, think about what you can keep and give a new lease of life to. We love to mix the old with the new and treasure original features, so in our Ballsbridge Residence, we used a dramatic modern pendant light to hang from a Victorian ceiling rose.

To sum up, have fun with your lighting, be creative and make an impact. The bolder the better we say!

‘Simple Geometrics Shapes and Reflective Materials’ Lighting by Michael Anastassiades

Bringing some light to your Monday blues….

I have recently been introduced to the lighting works by Michael Anastassiades and I have been in complete awe and slightly (madly) obsessed ever since.

Michael Anastassiades launched his studio in 1994 with intentions to explore notions and aesthetics through a mixture of product, furniture and environmental design. His work mainly aims to combine dialogue, participation and interaction. Michael is inspired by action, observation social codes, nature, rawness, recreation, people and art, he also says that design doesn’t inspire him – that he just creates it.

The style of lighting that he produces are minimal and uncomplicated, yet they create an intensity that one might not expect. The subtle use of simple, geometric shapes and reflective materials create dreamy eye-catching, timeless signature pieces.

Michael Anastassiades says that when working with light what interests him most is that you are addressing an object that must work in two scenarios: When the light is on and when the light is off. Michael believes that lighting is fundamental in our lives, that no light means no architecture, no shadow, no perspective, no depth, no plants, no ambiance, no spirituality, no vision, no security and no communication.

Michael Anastassiades creations without doubt create all of the above.

Check out our Pinterest board for inspiration on some of our favourite Michael Anastassiades lighting.

Follow Kingston Lafferty Design’s board Michael Anastassiades on Pinterest.

Lighting is one of the most powerful tools in Interior Design.

Lighting is one of the key elements of a good interior design. It can control, enhance and completely transform atmospheres. When used correctly, lighting can be a very powerful tool within any space. When used creatively, it is a unique and desirable feature.

Lighting is more than just placement and illumination. It is more than just function and necessity. Think of lighting in your home as a way to incorporate fun and personality into your home.

The good thing is that you can create strong lighting features in your own space even with a small budget. It is about thinking outside the box, using materials in inventive ways and grouping fittings together to create more impact.

The lighting in the image below is custom lighting from our Tootoomoo Whetstone, restaurant design project. To create a strong feature in the rear area of the restaurant, we created different sized basket lights. The lights were then hung in a cluster and staggered in their drop height. This was a simple way to add originality and interest into the space.

Make sure when upcycling items to lights to consult with your engineer about fixtures and compliance with regulations. Think safety as well as creativity!

We love playing with lights and using lighting as an inevitable part of each interior.  Another way to add interest is to mix and match different pendant lights, grouping them together but staggering the height.

In the image below, from Hillside Residence, the style of the interior was clean, white and simple. It was more about subtle features and statements, so we kept the lighting all white in colour and added variety through shape and material. As with everything in your home, the space and details should reflect your own personal taste.

Each project is individual and has its unique style and therefore the choice of correct light fitting is a crucial part of the design process. 

Another way of playing with lighting is to be experimental and brave with scale. Oversized tends to be more impactful than safe and small. There is nothing worse than walking into a grand, high ceiling space and to see a puny light fitting. I say embrace the space! Play with heights, scale and work to add vertical interest to your home.

In the design below, the DFS Showhouse in the Ideal Homes Exhibition, we created a strong feature over the bath. In this case it was all about scale and impact. We used five matching pendants and staggered them in a line over the bath. The subtlty of the glass kept things simple but the filament in the bulbs added interest and an industrial feel.

Another safety note to point out here is to be careful when selecting bathroom fittings. The photo above is for an exhibition stand. Fittings in working bathrooms need to be IP rated. Please consult with your electrician.

TOP TIPS:

1. Create lighting clusters and feature chandeliers by grouping fittings together.

2. Experiment with scale… there is no such thing as too big!

3. Use unusual materials to create your own fittings.

OUR FAVOURITES:

1. Check out Mullan Lighting. They have an awesome variety of fittings and the service is outstanding; all of the fittings that we used recently at Ideal Homes Show were from there. 

2. We are currently lusting after Atelier Areti. Their streamlined shapes and forms are simply stunning!

3. After visiting Maison et Objet. our lighting lust list has more than doubled! Keep an eye on the blog for some features on our favourite new suppliers.

Oversized pendants can really set the tone of a room.

The primary function of a pendant is to illuminate, but they also serve as a fabulous element to spice up your interiors. Oversized pendants come in a wide range of materials and shapes. They will really make a statement in your living area as they are bold and sophisticated; catching attention as you walk into a room.

Think big! Do not hesitate to have out of proportion lighting features. They will add an elegant and quirky touch, but their minimalist design will fit within any decoration. They come in different sizes and can be put together in clusters to create a unique form.

Why not use the magnificent Vertigo lighting in your living room, like we recently showed in our Ballsbridge Residence. Or maybe, you could be inspired by the stellar Raimond pendant from Moooi that we used in our Ranelagh Residence.

Check out our new pinterest board to get some more inspiration