Lighting is an integral tool in interior design. It affects mood, exaggerates space and alters perception of design and colours. Many businesses and shops use lighting to their advantage, through providing an engaging space and utilising it too improve upon their sales and attract customers.
No matter how sophisticated the design interior of a restaurant is or the quality of the food, this can all be ruined by inappropriate or garish lighting which will have a big impact on customer satisfaction and ultimately the business.
With this in mind, it pays to spend time assessing lighting needs and getting it just right and there are a number of factors to take into consideration in order to create the perfect environment for customers:
Natural lighting
Natural lighting is the term used for the organic light received through sunlight. When designing a space, it is important to incorporate as much natural light as possible, through considering factors such as the rooms position and how accessible it is for natural light to come in.
A great way to introduce natural lighting into your space is through large windows, which can give the illusion of more space, whilst providing great views of the environment outside. This provides a natural and relaxed setting for you and your employees to work in, or for your customers to enjoy.
When incorporating natural light into your design, you should always consider where the room is facing. If the room is north facing, it is best to introduce bright and popping colours that can compensate for the lack of light received by a room facing this way.
On the other hand, if a room is facing south, introduce muted and neutral colours and tones to balance out the amount of natural light it receiving.
Through utilising natural lighting as a design foundation, you can begin working on other design elements in your space, such as colour schemes and furniture.
Artificial lighting
Artificial lighting can dramatically alter the tone and mood of any environment, so using it correctly for your own specific needs is really important when it comes to interior design. Knowing when and where to implement lighting within your space is really important, as it has such a big affect on your customers.
For example, in a restaurant setting, brightly lit and decorated spaces may be best suited for big parties or groups of people, whereas individuals or couples may require a dimmer setting with a more subtle ambience.
This explains why artificial lighting is so important, as it allows for choice and monitoring of how much light is being provided to a certain area. The result of this will amplify the experience for your customer in terms of design, mood and atmosphere.
Lighting is one of the most important aspects within interior design, as it is introducing both a functional and aesthetic purpose into your space. This has a huge effect on a customer’s experience of your business.
Mood & time of day
Depending on what time of day food is served, it can be useful to install adjustable lighting such as a dimmer so that the right ambience is created depending on the meal being served. For instance, breakfast settings will require brighter lighting as customers may be reading papers and this will also signify the time of the day when people are waking up and drinking coffee.
Restaurants serving lunch may have a faster turnover of customers and a certain amount of bustle so a medium level light setting will be better for ensuring customers don’t linger too long.
Dinner lighting will be more subdued and intimate and will need an inviting and relaxing atmosphere where people will wish to spend more time over meals and soak up their surroundings.
Design
In terms of aesthetics, it is no good getting the perfect lighting level if the fittings are cheap or don’t fit with the setting as this will not look attractive and spoil the effect that you are trying to achieve. Therefore make sure to factor attractive and functional fittings into the equation and consider how they fit into the overall restaurant space and design including the lighting structure.
Colour
Many people have experienced the kind of fluorescent or white lighting that casts an eerie glow over everything, therefore the colour and tone of lighting needs to be warm and sufficient and this will also have an influence on how customers enjoy and perceive their food. The kind of white, harsh lighting mentioned above can also be off-putting, and conversely the right lighting will enhance their enjoyment of the meal and their experience in the restaurant.
Health and Safety
It goes without saying that there are a number of health and safety requirements that businesses must follow in order to ensure the safety of both their staff and customers; proper lighting is one of these. Business safety requirements are to be taken into consideration when choosing the lighting to be used within your establishment, ensuring that your final lighting decision is both safe and stylish.
If you would like more information regarding interior design, why not check out the rest of our services, or contact Lake contracts today!