How to Use Electric Light to Advantage in the Home

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 32, 21 February 1930, Page 24

How to Use Electric Light

to Advantage in the Home

By

H. E.

TAYLOR

New Zealand Manager, British General Etectric Co. Ltd.

NE of the most important | things which tend to add to or detract from the comfort of a home is light, and yet it is a remarkable’ thing in |} how many instances the

question of supplying artificial light is one which is very largely neglected. The most elaborate home can be made to lose a great deal of its charm through neglecting the illumination, and, inversely, _a .modest room can be given a convincing charm if it is suitably illuminated. It is an undoubted fact that in a large number of cases an immense amount of time and forethought is spent on carpets and general furniture and the lighting is simply left as a more or less afterthought, «ith the result that from an aesthetic point of view the results are deplorable, and, from a lighting point of view even more £0. Nothing is less conducive to ecomfort when a person sits down to work, read or play in a room than to have fn tnsuitable glaring light, and to those who wish to have an hour or two with a good book, nothing is moze annoying than to have to be continually moving round in order to get within a suitable range of vision. All this can be avoided by a careful study of lighting. In the older countries this has long been recognised, and to-day lighting is not just a matter of putting in a lamp and selecting some sort of cover for it; lighting problems are tackled by highly qualified engineers and every particular room is treated according to its own character and usage.

Naturally, the first consideration in the matter of lighting is utility, but combined with this utility there can be an artistic study of the purpose to which the light is going to be used. _ Perhaps the most objectionable feature of unsuitable lighting installations is that of glare. Nothing is more harmful to the eyes, or even to the nerves, than an unshaded_ or badly shaded source of light, which constantly tends to obtrude into the line of sight with uncomfortable results. Even in the most modest position, and with the smallest outlay. this can be avoided by the use of such a lamp as the new "Pearl Osram" lamp. ‘This is an internally sprayed lamp, the effective light is quite equal to that of a clear lamp, but yet there is an entire absence of glare. So much has this fact been recognised that in Hngland to-day the British Standards Committee, which lays down the standards of all classes of material, has adopted the "Pearl" lamp as a standard lamp in place of the clear lamp. In addition to using a white lamp, more particular attention is now being paid to the use of coloured sprayed lamps, these latter lamps being sprayed in all different artistic colours can be sprayed in a great number of positions with very desirable and pleasing effects. Taking the average house, one might offer the following suggestions :- The Hall. "THE hall, naturally, is the introduction to the house, and tends to strike the keynote to the rest of the establishment. A _ badly-lighted hall immediately gives a visitor the impres-

sion of a dingy home; a brightly-illu-minated hall, on the other hand, gives an air of cheeriness and the impression of hospitality, which must be pleas ing to the visitor. It is therefore essential that a hall should »e softly but brilliantly lighted, without the addition of a number of harsh shadows. For this reason it is advisable to use a central globe of sufficient height to be out of the line of vision, and with a lamp so shaded by ornamental glass that sufficient light is obtained, but light of a pleasing, cosy quality. In the case of a lounge hall, a wall-plug should be fitted for use with a well-shaded standard lamp, where, if one wishes, one can sii and read with a great air of ecosiness. Another important point is to see that the hall light is controlled by two-way switches, so that the light can be switched on, firstly, from the hall door itself, and, secondly, from some other convenient position from the head of the stairs of the upper floor or from the living room. The advantages of this dual control of the hall light must be apparent. The Living Room. HIS, perhaps, in the ordinary house, is the room which requires the most study and attention, as not only has one to consider the general utility lighting, but also the effect on a diningroom table when this has been laid for a meal. The most suitable form of lighting for this room is by means of a well-shadeg counter-weight pendant of about 18in. diameter, with a deep silk or other suitable flounce. By using a fitting such as this it can be brought down low to the table during a meal. or when ecards are being played or work being done at the table, but on other occasions the fitting can he raised higher, thus giving a general stream of light over the whole of the room. In the case of a larger room, wall brackets placed adjacent to the fireplace, lend an additional air to the room, and also add to the _ lighting effect. In the case of only ane or two occupants it the room sitting near the fire, the wall brackets only can be used, giving a most cosy feeling and adding to the economy of light. The Drawing-Room. THIS room is naturally one which often has to be treated according to the style in which it is furnished, and here it is well to emphasise that it is possible to secure any type of fitting to suit any type of decoration. It is quite unnecessary to put a modern style of fitting in a room with French furniture, and so on. So far as possible the lamps should be wel! shaded, possibly, even concealed by a suitable semi-indirect fitting, the metalwork of which should be naturally made to match the general decorations of the room, Wall-brackets should be

fitted in the room in various positions to enable the use of floor-standards, reading-lamps, ete. It is in this room that coloured lamps can be used with very great effect, ay The Bedroom. . ba Ti} study of the lighting of a bedroom is one which well repays the time spent on it. Naturally, thy first essential is.a soft illumination over the whole of the room. Local light is. required over the dressingtable, and both these objects can be obtained by a well-shaded centre light of fairly small proportions, with a twolight white sprayed counter-weight over the dressing-table when same is in use; a fitting such as this can be adjusted to any height, it effectively prevents shadows in the glass and greatly adds to the comfort and convenience of dressing. Switches should be arranged adjacent to the door and also near the bed. In addition, a plug: should be fitted adjacent to the bed for use with a reading-lamp, the style of which, of course, should fit in w the general harmony of the room. Bathroom and Kitchen, THESE rooms should also be treated in accordance with their general requirements, the chief consideration in these rooms being a lamp that can be easily kept clean, which is well out of the way, and yet which gives a general illumination over the whole of the room, In the case of a nursery, it is possible to make use of a small lamp entitled the "Osglim," which gives a very faint red light, quite insufficient to disturb sleep, but sufficient to enable everything in the room to be seen. Such a lamp is absolutely safe, whereas the old method of leaving a night-light or a low burning gas jet is not, on account of their being liable to blow out or even set fire to surroundings. To sum up, it should again be emphasised that electricity should. be made the servant of the household ‘and not the master. Blectricity can be adapted to any given form of lighting, and with a little study and foresight good lighting can be assured with perfect ease. an CE Can you solve a difficult problem? — See "TRIALS IN TACT" (on page 27 of this issue). Have you secured your copy of "N.Z. Radio Listener’s Guide"? Dealers and Booksellers 2/6; Post Free 2/9-P.O. Box 10382, Wellington, Now Available,