n6 THE HOUSE AND ITS EQUIPMENT. 



THE ILLUMINATION OF ROOMS. 



The Conflict Between the ^Esthetic and Practical in Illumination Principles that Make 

 for Efficiency Avoidance of Light-obscuring Devices Practical Hints. 



THE fact that electric lighting lends itself more readily to {esthetic treatment than any other form 

 has, in the past, tended to its misuse as an illuminant. This may appear paradoxical, hut it 

 is a fact that this virtue has been abused. While every fresh artistic possibility is at first 

 overdone, the ultimate reaction is bound to establish it on a utility basis. So it is with the 

 electric illumination of rooms, which, to be effective, involves three main principles, namely, 

 the character of the illuminant, its location, and the distribution of the light, which is accomplished by 

 diffusion and by reflection. The latter is perhaps the most important, as domestic illumination is generally 

 required not so much for the purpose of finding one s way about, as to aid the performance of some 

 definite function, such as dressing, reading or eating. For these purposes it is necessary to have the light 

 more or less concentrated on the particular task, and if this is not done adequately, the results are 

 unsatisfactory to the eyes. Diffusion of light is of importance chiefly in places where a general 

 illumination is required, such as halls, staircases, passages and perhaps drawing-rooms. It is usually 

 necessary to combine diffusion with reflection to some extent, as otherwise all those parts of the room 

 where the light is not concentrated would be in semi-darkness, which is not desirable. Location of the 

 lighting points is also of great importance, because it is of no use attempting to reflect or to diffuse light 

 efficiently if the source of light is not placed in the correct position for the purpose, or if there are not 

 sufficient sources of light to illuminate a given space adequately. 



Now the great enemy of economical illumination is absorption, both of direct and reflected light. 

 That is to say, the light may either be absorbed at its source by obscuring devices, or it may be absorbed 

 ?.t its goal by bad colour-schemes and not reflected. In the arrangement of internal home decoration, 

 including electric lighting, there are two factors that enter into every scheme, namely, beauty and utility ; 

 and it is, unfortunately, the case that until (mite recently utility has been sacrificed to art. It is not meant 

 to suggest that the furniture or decorations should be ignored in selecting the fittings ; but it should be 

 remembered that the primary object of electric light is to illuminate, and that there are certain styles 

 of decoration which are unsuitable for fittings if good lighting effects are desired. In such cases it were 

 often better to have recourse to concealed lamps, if the simpler kind of fittings are considered unsatisfactory, 

 and this point is dealt with later. 



While it is impossible to lay down rigid rules for economical illumination, because every room must 

 be considered on its merits, it is possible to give a few general hints which may enable existing installations 

 to be improved and inefficiency to be avoided in new ones. It should be accepted as an axiom that all 

 light-obscuring devices, such as opaque or coloured glass shades, silk flounces, bead fringes, etc., must be 

 avoided if economy is desired. It is possible to combine art with economy if the art takes the direction 

 of simplicity. Again, rooms decorated in dark colours require more light than those with light colours, 

 so the latter should be used in preference. As to distribution of light, the light given by an electric lamp 

 over a given area depends on its candle-power, on its shade or reflector, on the colour of the room and the 

 height at which it is fixed. If it cannot be placed below the level of the eye with a concentrating shade, 

 it should be well above the line of vision. Distribution is not necessarily obtained by glaring lights; 

 indeed, the rays from a naked lamp, besides being painful to the eye, produce violent contrasts of light 

 and shadows. Paradoxical though it may appear, the way to obtain the best dispersion or diffusion of 

 light is slightly to obscure its source, but by a device which will absorb as little light as possible and 

 break up the direct rays. The simplest way of doing this is to employ frosted lamps. Another 

 way is to surround the lamp with a cut-glass or moulded glass globe or shade, but care 

 must be taken that the facets of the lenses are properly designed and that good glass is 

 used, as otherwise much light will be reabsorbed. Reflection is a simpler thing to attain, and 

 depends largely on the material used and its shape. It is often complained that electric lamps throw 

 a poor light downwards, but this is due to the bad reflecting devices employed, such as silk, or to their 

 absence. To obtain good reflection, efficient reflectors of proper design must be employed in order to 

 cast the light in the downward or useful plane. 



For general dispersed lighting, a bowl or hemisphere of holophane glass, mounted on the ceiling 

 with the lamp inside, gives a soft and pleasing light emanating from above the line of vision, which is 



