FAQ

Basically, make sure you make the best use of daylight, allowing it to penetrate all the spaces it can reach. Adjust artificial lighting as needed.

Think about the functional aspect of lighting in your various rooms, so that you can tailor it to your own needs. Bear in mind you might have to cater to various needs in the same room (e.g. creating cosy moments at the dinner table or providing adequate lighting for someone doing homework on a dark winter evening). This is equally important whether you’re choosing lamps or light sources.

It’s a good idea to use many different types of lampsin your home that can then be switched on as needed. Light up your room using small light islands, so you don’t get any dark corners. Bear in mind that form and space is defined through the interplay between light and shadow.

Most successful interior solutions using artificial light rely on a combination of diffuse and direct light. Diffuse light provides a soft light that illuminates the room. You can create diffuse light by using lamps enclosed within glass, paper etc. containers (e.g. Caravaggio Opal and Lullaby). This means that, instead of being projected in a single direction, the intensity of the light is softened by the material from which the lampshade is made. An effective use of direct light is to project it onto a surface. That way, the light becomes functional and focuses attention. Direct light is usually produced by metal lamps (e.g. Caravaggio, Orient, Calabash and Radon).

Lighting that’s done properly doesn’t create glare. This is one the few things lighting experts agree on. Position your lamps in such a way that their light sources don’t create glare and follow the manufacturer’s advice on the maximum length of the light source.

Use a dimmer to create the perfect atmosphere with your lamps. Please note, though, that many energy-saving bulbs cannot be dimmed without producing poorer light. The choice of lamps on offer is rapidly expanding and, so, there are many good dimmable light sources that don’t compromise on lighting quality. Many LED light sources are suitable for dimming.

Today, most LED light sources are available with a colour reproduction rating of Ra 80-92. Colour reproduction indicates how well a light source reproduces colours and is an important measure of how we experience light quality. In the near future, it’s expected that we’ll be able to buy LED light sources with a reproduction rating of Ra 98 or higher.

LED technology is still developing rapidly, which means LED will allow us to continually optimise colour reproduction where it matters most (e.g. in a pendant lamp hanging over a dining or conference table). All you need to do is replace your existing light sources with new, improved LED alternatives. Such upgrades of light quality are quite viable financially.

LED light sources are available with many different socket types and will meet most requirements.

Always start by performing an analysis of needs and functions. Assess how the space will be used and what the lighting requirements are. Be sure to check whether there are functional requirements for the lamps themselves (e.g. energy efficiency or central intelligent lighting control systems). Also assess the regulatory requirements, which specify minimum requirements for illumination, for example.

Make the best use of daylight, allowing it to penetrate all the places it can reach. Adjust artificial lighting as needed.

These are some of the most frequently asked questions when people buy and mount pendant lamps. But there’s no single right answer to them because it’s a matter of personal taste. Nonetheless, we provide below an example of how you can ensure adequate lighting over your table area.

In the Nordic countries, pendant lamps are usually suspended at a height of 60-65 cm above the table. This distance ensures the greatest possible amount of light covers the table area without lamps needing to be hung so low that they obstruct your view when you’re sitting at the table. You can suspend a lamp at a greater height, but that means the light dispersed over the table will appear weaker and there’s a risk of glare as you’ll be able to see the actual light source.