ELECTRICITY bids WELCOME to all who come within its sphere

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 46, 30 May 1930, Page 38

ELECTRICITY bids WELCOME to all who come within its sphere

--- D OWN through the ages, light has been the symbol of welcome. The flicker: . ing firelight from the cave of prehistoric man welcomed the homecomers with their prey -the tavern lamp iold the straying traveller that inside was a welcome and safety; and now the electric lamp shining steadily into the night, dispels the shadows more than ever before.

HILE, maybe, second thoughts are best, the fact remains that first impressions are always the more lasting. One wonders, after giving an invitation, whether it is due to indifference or miscalled economy that visitors often are allowed to grope their way along an ill-

lighted pathway or fence to find the house to which, presumably, they are welcome. It is so easy nowadays in the heyday of electricity to have a little fixture lighting the gateway — one that will say-"‘Come in, and welcome!" Besides it will still give a serise of passing cheer to those who must go on.

‘The first cost is so very little and’ every passerby will wish to stay or be welcomed some day. Surely that is the idea we wish most to convey, — to make all people want to live just here, at our home. Only a little lantern is needed at the gate, switched on from the time daylight fails until after such time as our guests have been sped upon their way. Then, when they enter, is there need to ask them into a gloomy and chilly hall? Rathex one of a mellow

light, under which all will look its best. The kindly hostess can achieve all . these things. In the gateway, 4 facsimile of an old English lantern will not only meet the purpose, but in itself will be an object of admiration. In some cases a similar fitting of wrought iron in bracket form affixed to the side of the house is preferable. Should the antrance be an imposing one,

eoE"~-.---O" say, of stone gates, some~ thing more pretentious will be called for-per-haps a couple of fittings of the "fambeau™: or torch type, of which so many beautiful examples are :.eé . a a

optainapdice WHEN we come to the hall, which, should space permit, deserves a special article, the important feature is that the light should be ‘ a becoming. one before all things, preferably a kindly rose or ‘a mellow yellow. The writer remembers, with distaste, how she was shown into an otherwise beautiful hall, where the lamp cast a shraud of sickly green over one and all, and quite destroyed the comforting illusion that one was looking one’s best. In the hall, then, bearing in mind the notions of colour forecast in a former issue, we should ask for ourselves and: our guests a becoming yellow or preferably pinkish yellow light, in so far, of course, as it accords with other furnishings. Colour sense must be called into play. For instance, a panelled hall, a thing of beauty in itself, will call. for more lighting, but of a sub‘dued order.: In either case, there should be no glare and no shadow, so that if the visitor perhaps has arrived late she can see herself as she will appear, but no more kindly. I can imagine no more perfect debacle than to see myself au fait, and-to be disillusioned under a more cruel light.

Hall fittings should be of the enclosed order, ° so that one does not look down on to the bare lamp when descending the stairs. A useful and decorative addition is that of an artistic fitting mounted on the newel post at the foot of the staircase, DINING-ROOM fittings should be conducive to intimacy and to general conversation, paradox though it may seem. Probably the ideal for most rooms is that of a rise and fall fitting, which will, when required, give some light to the entire room, but can, nevertheless, be so

lowered that it casts only a becoming light on the dining table and the diners. It may be complained that this form of lighting provides only for the lighting of the dining table and of the room generally. Surely this is the ideal for dining purposes. It is easily supplemented, however, , ‘by the addition of wall-brackets, a standard lamp, or a table lamp or two. A common mistake, where the

room is to be used for study 0° reading, is to place the wall-brackets too high. Six feet, or even a little less, above the floor is the best height, The usual method of arriving at the number and size of lamps needed is to allow one watt per square foot of floor area, excluding any bays or recesses. Thus, a room 12ft. by 10ft. has a floor space of 120 square feet, and on th Basis of one watt per square foot, 120 watt: would be required. Three 40-watt lamps, two 60-watt, or one 100-watt lamp of the gas-filled type could be installed in this case, depending upon whether they are to be spread out over one or more fittings. Here, again, the colour factor of the decorations must be taken into account, for a room decorated in, say, brown or red, will absorb half as much light again as one decorated in ivory or buff. Where more than one. fitting is to be installed, each should be considered separately and with regard to the area it is intended to illuminate. It should be impressed upon the furnisher that liberality in fittings is not a source of extravagance, but rather the reverse. --Continued on page 40.

Harmonious Lighting "(Concluded from page 38.)

‘We all know how hard it is to leave a eomfortable, well-lighted dining-room-often the only one in the house that can be so described-for perhaps a chilly drawing-room. With the fitting over the dining-table (white-lined, for preference, for here again the idea is to concentrate light, not to diffuse it) switched off, a couple of wallbrackets or a reading-lamp at a convenient side-table turned on, he is indeed hard to.please who would wander far from home'in search of comfort.

Expert advice as to bsgnog 1s al. ways obtainable for the asking, and/ good lighting, once installed, is a joy for ever, not only to the occupants of the room themselves, but 9 all who enter. A well-lighted house makes for harmony, aud few people’can be actively disagreeable in a harmoniously lighted room. The light itself makes for peace and harmony. CCC EEL EEC REE CEE