Many different inconveniences can be encountered when carrying out an office lighting project: a well-lit environment from a functional point of view but absolutely flat and anonymous from an aesthetic point of view; or, on the contrary, the designer has focused on design, neglecting comfort and visual efficiency…
Or, in the worst of situations, neither of the two components is fully satisfactory.
If your project involves illuminating this type of environment, you will have to be extremely careful not to neglect any of these important aspects.
First of all, it is essential to keep in mind the current regulations regarding lighting in the workplace. But you must also consider a type of lighting that stimulates concentration and productivity without straining the eyes and that guarantees energy efficiency and durability without neglecting style.
In this article, we will outline some basic guidelines to aid you in correctly illuminating this type of work context, combining performance and style, with 5 examples of office lighting using Karman’s decorative lamps.
In particular, we will talk a look at:
- Examples of office lighting: the elements to consider
- 5 examples of office lighting you can take inspiration from
- How to illuminate correctly an office with Karman lamps
Nilo
Examples of office lighting: the elements to consider
As established by current legislation on workplace lighting, the lighting must be sufficient and provide adequate contrast concerning the tasks carried out in each environment.
Furthermore, the workstation must be arranged with respect to light sources, both natural and artificial, to avoid reflections, glare, or excessive contrasts of light that would disturb and excessively strain the eyes.
For the same reason, the surfaces of the windows, walls, equipment present, and the worktop must also be such as to avoid glare or mirror effects.
So, in order to combine aesthetics and functionality in your lighting design project, take into consideration some specific aspects when choosing lamps and their arrangements.
Filomena
The integration of natural light and artificial light
All lighting design projects must guarantee the perfect integration between natural and artificial light.
Following this general rule is all the more necessary when it comes to illuminating a work environment because it also means protecting people's health.
Examples of well-designed office lighting, in the arrangement of the different workstations as well as artificial lighting sources, must necessarily take into account natural light.
The amount of light needed
Office lighting must allow each worker to perform a whole series of tasks optimally (seeing the PC screen clearly, reading, writing, etc.) with maximum comfort.
Therefore, it is essential to calculate how many lumens and watts are needed for general lighting and for each workstation, based on the activity for which it is intended.
Stant
The layering of light
In all the examples of office lighting capable of being functional without sacrificing aesthetics and design, there are 3 levels of lighting:
- Ambient lighting, i.e. general lighting, must be as uniform and well distributed as possible, to avoid excessive contrasts between the stations that receive direct light and the rest of the environment.
Typically this type of goal is achieved through suspension lamps, ceiling lights, and chandeliers in the center of the ceiling.
- Task lighting, i.e. the lighting of the work area, is essential in an office because it is the source of light aimed at carrying out activities. Each work area must have it, making sure that the light is bright enough and, at the same time, free of shadows and reflections.
For example, a task light can be a table lamp above the desk.
- Accent lighting is necessary to give attention to particular architectural elements, design furnishing accessories but also, for example, in a working context, on particular awards such as qualifications, awards, certifications, etc…
The right stratification of these three lighting levels will make the environment not only functional but also particularly welcoming and create a great aesthetic impact.
Balanced color temperature
The need to create an energetic and stimulating environment that favors concentration and productivity means that, when choosing the color temperature, neutral to cool white light sources are preferred.
5 examples of office lighting you can take inspiration from
We have briefly seen some of the main guidelines to follow when creating an office lighting project.
Now let's take a look at how to meet these requirements by creating an extremely functional environment that is at the same time capable of communicating a strong personality with style and elegance, using Karman’s decorative designer lamps.
1. Stant: create your own composition
Thanks to the shapes and technical characteristics of the Stant collection by designer Edmondo Testaguzza, you can create customized compositions like suspensions or ceiling lights with modules and terminals in aluminum (black or white) to which optional electrical devices can be added.
There are two light sources to choose from, both LEDs:
- the spotlights, which measure 907 lumens;
- the spheres, in frosted glass, of 304 lumens for the small ones and 907 for the larger ones.
Thanks to its electrified modular structures that allow you to insert various lighting fixtures in a free arrangement, without the use of electrical power cables, Stant guarantees maximum freedom of expression. It can be perfect for general office lighting, creating, for example, a structure of wide and square shape to be placed in the center of the room.
2. Snoob: make the meeting room important
The meeting room is an office area where important decisions are made and where guests and customers are received.
This elegant suspension lamp has arms in white or black lacquered aluminum. Its silhouette recalls the chandeliers that stand out in the most luxurious baroque palaces, but with a modern metamorphosis.
Snoob, by designer Matteo Ugolini, is the perfect lighting solution for a meeting room or representative offices.
3. Alì e Babà: task lighting and accent lighting
In white glazed ceramic, and also available with a linen lampshade for a more diffused light, Alì e Babà, with its grace and refinement, is an example of office lighting that combines design and functionality.
It is ideal, in the table version, to provide task lighting to the desk and, for example, in the wall lamp version to create accent lighting in particular corners.
Snoob
4. Bag: a multifaceted light source
This ceramic lamp by Baldessari & Baldessari embodies all the versatility of a bag: a dome with a soft and welcoming shape, embraced by a metal element, the handle, which allows you to anchor it to the ceiling or place it on the ground or a table.
Bag is an extremely versatile light source capable of taking on a different character every time – direct lighting or ambient lighting – also in relation to the finish, color, or material.
So one or more suspensions can be an original idea to give light to a workstation in a modern professional studio, while the table or floor versions can highlight a design object or, for example, illuminate a stone wall.
5. R.O.M.A.: (R) romantic, (O) organic, (M) material, (A) atypical.
This plaster ceiling light’s central fulcrum guarantees direct lighting and reflects onto the surface of the lamp, reflecting in concentric circles.
R.O.M.A., by Luca De Bona & Dario De Meo, bears the name of the Eternal City, evoking the organic shapes of squares and fountains, and is a perfect example of diffused office lighting that combines visual comfort and elegance.
For example, you can install several ceiling lights in the central part of the ceiling or above the meeting room table.
Sisma
How to properly illuminate an office with Karman lamps
We have seen how to correctly illuminate an office. It is necessary to consider several variables that, together, are able to make the environment perfectly usable from a functional point of view but with an eye always focused on aesthetics.
We have also given you some examples of office lighting with Karman’s decorative lamps, to provide you with innovative ideas for your lighting project.
