London's Top Interior Design Consultancies

DeLIGHTed by Design: How Interior Design Consultancies Use Lighting - Theatrical Influences


Interior design consultancies understand the richness of light in all its forms. In London, lighting is crucial to interior design consultancies that need to create stunning results. In the second article in this series which I call "DeLIGHTed by Design," I will draw on my experience working with some of London's Top Interior Design Consultancies to explain this exciting area.


Textures, wall hangings and accessories tend to be tangible and constant in your home - until, of course, you decide to employ a London interior design consultancy for a refresh! By contrast, however, interior lighting is fabulously flexible, providing a true melange of effects.... from crystal-cut exactness to a soft dim radiance or a fresh wash of natural light. Some interior design consultancies will use light almost as an architectural tool in itself, thanks to its ability to refract certain architectural qualities of a room, altering the size and shape of a space, or even giving a sense of shifting height or depth.


London's most innovative interior design consultancies today will focus on daring and dramatic lighting designs, made possible by precision engineering standards and often drawing inspiration from the theatre. In the olden days, Ancient Greek plays were traditionally lit by sun, moon or bonfire. However, go to any London theatre today and you will see first-hand how stage lighting has evolved to provide unprecedented range and emotional subtlety, which interior design consultancies have since adapted for indoor environments. Designers at some interior design consultancies that I know of will sometimes make group trips to London theatre productions, to see first-hand how beams with either focused or fuzzy edges can flood a scene or highlight just one object with great specificity. Through the use of colour gels and controlled by a theatrical lighting ‘script,' light is used to enchant the audience, drawing them into a huge range of mood connections throughout each performance.


With the lighting effects available today, interior design consultancies in some sense have become their own stage directors. London's designers can create lighting schemes that will transform a room into a theatre of atmospheric arpeggios or an extravagant still life. Interior design consultancies can throw on a spotlight to celebrate a favourite trophy cabinet, or focus on a single vase in order to flatter your home and guests with beautiful light.


In this series "DeLIGHTed by Design," I will turn to the practicalities of how interior design consultancies may envision a lighting scheme.