More than Just a Lamp: Lighting Small Spaces

May 14, 2024

More than Just a Lamp: Lighting Small Spaces

These aren’t like your regular lamps, these are cool lamps. Good lighting boils down to choosing the right lamp – not just the best looking lamp – for your space.

These aren’t like your regular lamps, these are cool lamps. The importance of good, well-considered lighting cannot be overstressed. And good lighting really boils down to choosing the right lamp – not just the best looking lamp – for your space.

Writing:

Kate Kolberg

Photography:

Ambient Lighting

Flexible-use Zones

Pendant Light

Zones

Before

After

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Desmond Wong knows a thing or two about lighting. The owner of Archetypal, a furniture and lighting store in Hong Kong, paid special attention to lighting when creating his **home sanctuary in the bustling city**.

In his bedroom, Wong chose the Dawn to Dusk lamp by Haberdashery. The streamlined lamp is a focal point in the room, almost like a sculptural artwork, with its adjustable, rise-and-fall lamphead and changing hues that mimic a relaxing sunrise to sunset feel. *Images by* *Archetypal Limited.*

"My design idea was to create a sanctuary from the bustling sound of Hong Kong. It should transport you to a different rhythm of life as soon as you walk through the door".

Desmond Wong, owner of City Veil

Lighting defines space, sets the moods, and creates atmosphere. Lighting can make a room feel cosy or formal, relaxing or ready for activity. In this case the lighting defines the dining area within the room it shares with the kitchen.

Jessica Keupp of Dax I put a lot of thought into the lighting of this **sophisticated Berlin apartment**. The limited natural light led her to use a lot of deep, rich colours on the walls and tasked accent lighting.

Keupp added a hanging pendant lamp above the round cherry table. This small touch of enclosure makes the space feel cosier and more intimate.

The lamp itself has an adjustable perforated lampshade that allows you to diffuse the light to your liking. *Images Never Too Small.*

There is a fluidity to the layout of Ellul Architecture founder Ben Ellul’s **Melbourne apartment**. With an open-concept room and no fixed furniture, the space is versatile and is ready for work, relaxation, or an intimate dinner with friends at a moment’s notice. Keeping an eye out for lamps that are adjustable, hanging, multi-purpose, or dimmable can be a great way to light the way while saving on square footage.

Lending itself nicely to this fluidity is the 1970s wall-mounted lamp by Paolo Rizzatto, which can be used to light both the living and dining areas.

The sleek lamp features a long, thin neck that allows it to pivot to spot light the couch and dining table, while the shade can be turned to face the wall for ambiance. *Images by Never Too Small.*

According to Dess Chew of three-d conceptwerke, the owners of this **Singapore apartment** were looking for “a simple, comfortable, flexible space where they could enjoy their hobbies,” and the abundance of modular furniture on wheels is a great first step.

A pivoting wall-mounted lamp supports the furniture on the move by providing the perfect task lighting regardless of where the table is positioned.

In their **industrial Tokyo apartment**, owners David and Koichi share an adjustable trestle table for working on their laptops, cutting patterns, and sewing. *Image by* *Akira Nakamura.*

A clever duct rail lighting system allows them to move the lights around the space with ease.

“To give more versatility to the space, we decided to use a duct rail to hang the lights, which allows them to be easily moved around the room”.

David Buchler, owner of Tokyo Blue

In the **converted garage studio** of interior designer Cushla McFadden, a director at Tom Mark Henry, the 6m in height of the living area more than makes up for what it lacks in width. And though height adds a great sense of openness, it can make a room feel a little less cosy. Cue a well-placed light fixture.

McFadden added a large paper lantern over the sofa in the living room to ensure the area felt like a little cosy island you want to retreat to. *Image by* *Damian Bennett.*

To maximise the space of this **colourful Singapore home** – without having to deal with the hassle of electrical – Jade Cham of knock knock studio decided to use plug-and-play light fixtures in the living room and bedroom. They chose a dimmable light that can be slid up and down thin floor-to-ceiling cable, allowing the user to adjust the lighting depending on whether they want it for reading, getting ready, or just ambiance.

A swing lamp over the dining table lets them fold it in or out when need be. *Images by Marcus Lim.*

The ceiling mounted lamp in the bedroom of **this Paris apartment** saves on floor space and provides the perfect lighting for reading before bed. The dark fixture also blends into the deep blue walls, giving it the illusion of floating.

During the day, the lamp boosts the natural light provided via the skylight and all-white adjacent en suite bathroom.

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Lamps for Awkward or Small Spaces

The importance of good, well-considered lighting cannot be overstressed. Lighting defines space, sets the moods, increases functionality, and creates atmosphere; it accentuates architectural features, elevates ambiance, and enhances visual comfort. Well-rounded lighting design considers both natural and artificial sources, layering different types to create dynamic environments suitable for diverse activities as lighting can make a room feel more inviting, cosy or formal, relaxing or ready for activity. Beyond ambiance, lighting is essential for highlighting focal points, artworks, or cherished possessions, and it affects human circadian rhythms, influencing productivity, focus, and overall well-being.

Good lighting really boils down to choosing the right lamp – not just the best looking lamp – for your space. The best lighting for small spaces follows the same rule of thumb, but keeping an eye out for lamps that are adjustable, hanging, multi-purpose, or dimmable can be a great way to light the way while saving on square footage. And while we’re heroing the lamp here, well-rounded lighting design considers both natural and artificial sources, layering different types to create dynamic environments suitable for diverse activities.

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Writing:

Kate Kolberg

Photography:

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