Ceiling Lights and Lamps

Lighting plays a central role when it comes to enhancing the aesthetic of your home. With the right tone, colour and temperature of lighting you can create a warm and welcoming mood in your home.However, proper utilisation and placement of lighting are often overlooked, which in turn leads to a bad lighting situation. Bad lighting downplays the beauty of your interior and creates a bland setting. Lighting has three basic types that are essential in improving the mood of a room; ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. Task and accent lighting are more specific in their purpose while ambient lighting provides the overall illumination of a room. A suitable lighting scheme will utilise these three types of lighting for enhanced aesthetics. But the most important of them is ambient lighting, which shouldn’t be taken for granted.Here is our guide about what ambient lighting is and how you can create it at your home or any other setting.What is Ambient Lighting?Ambient lighting is commonly known as general lighting. Ambient lighting usually comes from the primary source of light in a certain room. It sets the tone for the rest of the lighting in a room. Apart from providing illumination in the room, it also creates a sense of depth with a welcoming atmosphere.In essence, ambient lighting provides a foundational level of illumination that allows you to see and navigate around a room. Ambient lighting does not give too much glare and is relaxing to the human eye.Therefore, a central source of it for every room is essential to achieve an excellent lighting scheme. The right source of ambient lighting will need a strategy in choosing which lights to use and where to place them in a room.Ambient lighting can be provided by installing basic lighting fixtures such as chandeliers, track lights, recessed lights, and wall or ceiling-mounted lighting fixtures. There are many ways to set the right balance of ambient lighting and it comes down to the room you are trying to illuminate. In certain settings such as a laundry room, the primary source of lighting can also serve as task lighting.The main purpose of ambient lighting is to create a cosy, relaxing environment that isn’t taxing on the eyes. How To Create Ambient Lighting?Down below we have compiled a list of factors that need to be considered when choosing ambient lighting for rooms in your home.Choosing The Location For LightingWhen choosing the location to install your light fixtures, you will have to evaluate the room when it is dark. You can start by turning off the lights one by one until you reach the least possible illumination without losing visibility. Now take note of areas that need to be accented.These spaces often include pathways, reading areas, fireplaces, coffee tables, bookshelves, seating areas, and plants. You can use task and accent lighting to illuminate these spaces.While selecting the location to install your light fixtures make sure that they provide a balanced illumination throughout the room. Lighting just one corner of a large room will make it unbalanced. On the other hand, installing lights in every corner of the room will result in too much glare which is not comfortable at all.The best way to achieve balance is to install lights in the front space of a room. Use a lamp or other accent lights to illuminate the back corners and bring them in sync with the other parts of the room.Choosing The Type Of Lighting While creating ambient lighting you will also have to choose the type of light fixtures ideal for your needs. The size and the amount of light a fixture can provide are also something you have to consider. If you’re looking to stick with a single brand that caters for a variety of lighting fixtures, check out the UK's premier designer and producer of contemporary lighting, Astro Lighting.Choosing The Light IntensityThe right light intensity can be chosen according to the setting of your room. While doing so you will have to choose the right colour temperature of light. You can create a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere with the right colour temperature. In order to do so you should choose warm white LED lights or strips to have a cosy yellow glow that is pleasing to the eyes of occupants.The temperature or warmth of a light is measured in Kelvins. It ranges between 2000K to 6000K, with the former having a flame white colour while the latter having a cool white colour. The optimal range is between 2000K and 3000K varying between flame white and warm white. This kind of lighting is great for creating a cosy atmosphere around seating and living areas while still offering enough illumination for people to be able to perform basic tasks.Another thing you should keep an eye on is the colour rendering index (CRI) of the light fixtures you are installing. The CRI of a light source refers to its ability to show the actual colours of various objects in comparison to a natural light source such as sunlight.It's measured on a scale from 0–100, with 0 being a poor CRI and 100 being the best.For homes and residential buildings, we recommend a CRI of at least 80 or above to make things practical.Choosing The Right Look Although the major part of an ambient lighting scheme consists of chandeliers, track lights, recessed lights, and wall or ceiling-mounted lighting fixtures. You will also need accent lighting pieces to get a more balanced aesthetic. So while choosing these accent lighting pieces you should consider them as part of the room's decor and complement your furnishings. Lamps with neutral tones are the best option but if you want a dimmer scheme you can choose darker colour shades.There are many different brands to choose from when pairing the right aesthetic and lighting conditions. A favourite of ours here at SparksDirect.co.uk is Astro Lighting.This modern British brand is known for its stylish wall lights and downlights, and thanks to its great quality and unique design, it creates the perfect atmosphere in your home.Using Dimmers During the day the atmosphere and mood of your space can be quite different from what it will be at night. So it is important to have lighting that can change accordingly. Using dimmable lighting can be a perfect solution for this. You can brighten them during the day and dim them according to your need in the latter half of the day.Final ThoughtsGetting the right balance of ambient lighting can be very technical for ordinary people considering how many factors you have to consider. However, with a little bit of research and planning when installing light fixtures you can change the aesthetic of your room and make the mood more relaxed and comfortable.Take a look at some of our favourite lighting fixtures to perfect the ambient lighting in your home today!

Changes in modern society during the early 21st century have led to many problems concerning people’s sleep cycles and general health. Bespoke human-centric lighting schemes are something that we should all consider. The adoption of electronic light has changed the ‘circadian rhythm’ of our bodies, which controls key features such as sleep-wake behaviour and hormone secretion. This disturbs the 24-hour sleep cycle we should be operating on for optimal health and happiness. Recent studies have shown we now spend close to 90% of our lives indoors, a historically unprecedented amount. This means we are simply not getting enough natural sunlight. ‘Human-centric lighting’ is a solution that works to maintain a natural light cycle indoors, no matter where you spend the majority of your day. In this article, we will discuss the practicalities and benefits of a tailored human-centric lighting scheme - especially in workplace environments. Human-centric lighting: what is it exactly? Human-centric lighting solutions can support the human circadian rhythm and enhance concentration. They also prevent sleeping disorders and improve our overall mental well-being. So how do they work exactly? Recent innovations in lighting technology (in particular with LEDs) has meant that ‘tuneable’ white light can be achieved in an energy-efficient manner. This light is then managed with advanced control systems. New, smart, connected lighting systems create endless possibilities with better user control. For instance, the SkyLux works its magic by replicating a natural 24-hour day cycle. It has a panel which realistically depicts scenes of sky, clouds and sunshine. The main control will be the level of brightness intensity, which is scaled all the way from 0 (which gives the effect of a cloudy day) to 100 (which exudes the light of an intensely sunny day). This means that the owner of this advanced lighting system can choose what type of weather is simulated in a building. Practical considerations for human-centric lighting schemes Luminaire specifications This is the Megaman 180162 - part of the Renzo range of drum fittings / LED bulkheads for wall or ceiling mounting. It is a 10.5W round LED fitting offering a warm white 3000K with a diameter of 280mm. You can buy it online.The components that make up the luminaire must guarantee an adequate level of performance. First and foremost, they must pass tests to ensure they meet all electrical and mechanical test requirements. They should also be tested to make certain that ‘LED flicker’ is kept to an absolute minimum. LED flicker originates from a mismatch of components - when the LED module, driver and control system are not working in harmony. This mismatch causes a flickering light which has damaging consequences. If left unchecked, flicker can result in chronic discomforts such as eye-strain and headaches. In workplaces, this is shown to lead to an increase in absenteeism. Manufacturers must guarantee that LED flicker is minimised to avoid this problem.Light distribution You must consider that not all luminaires are appropriate for human-centric lighting systems and certain design criteria must be satisfied. Many of the existing general-purpose lighting fixtures in commercial settings cannot meet these design criteria. The distribution of light from a luminaire in a human-centric system must not create glare. Glare is a serious problem at workplaces as it can cause long-term health problems. Excessive brightness entering the eye from intense luminaires reflecting from working equipment (such as screens) prevent workers from being able to read data and reduces productivity. However, if you arrange a system of quality luminaires in a well-spaced pattern there will be minimal amounts of glare caused. Furthermore, the optimal amount of light needed to aid the natural circadian rhythm will be achieved. The advantages of a human-centric lighting system The sheer quality of LED light has improved leaps and bounds over the last few years. New developments in LED colour schemes mean that we can now match the colour output that is created by the natural light spectrum. As previously mentioned concerning the SkyLux, this means we can accurately simulate weather conditions that are occurring halfway across the world. Human-centric lighting schemes are designed using ultra-high colour rendering LEDs, which consistently depict a colour accuracy of over 95 percent. This increase in the quality of colour rendering will reap health benefits. Currently, there are efforts to move colour accuracy performance even further, using ‘sunlight’ criteria for LEDs. These LED modules are designed to mimic the spectrum of sunlight. In doing this, LED manufacturers are seeking to reduce the ‘blue spikes’ in the LED spectrum that are considered poor for our health. Lighting control With human-centric lighting comes dynamic lighting control. The latest thinking from designers is that the core lighting should be set according to a fixed scheme, which will fit a general ‘working pattern’, convenient to employees. Health benefits As mentioned before, the presence of blue wavelengths is negative for our health. It suppresses the effect of the pineal gland, which ‘tricks’ the brain into thinking that it’s safe for us to carry on working, when we should be preparing for a good night’s sleep. Human-centric lighting has the ability to reduce blue content in white light by shifting the ambient colour spectrum from ‘daylight’ to a comfortable warm light as we come to the end of the day. Lighting levels (illuminance) are also adjustable across the working day so they can replicate external conditions. As evidenced by the pioneering SkyLux, human-centric lighting is really making waves in the lighting industry. Hopefully, in the near future, bespoke lighting will be the norm in all modern workplaces.

Tobia Scarpa is yet another Italian designer to have enjoyed a flourishing career that led him to create some marvellous pieces for Flos. He has a backlog of prestigious works in a variety of fields, including architecture, restoration, design, and lighting; he has excelled due to his innovative design philosophy. Born in Venice in 1935, he studied Architecture at the University of Venice, where he graduated in 1969. He began his career with an ingrained working ethos that brought him great success; he is always open to innovation and new design technologies and materials - as Flos says of Scarpa, he: ‘Developed a vocabulary for accessible luxury design based on expanding technology and a wide range of materials. Tobia Scarpa was among the first pioneering designers to be hired by the Flos lighting company to design some of their initial models, alongside Pier Castiglioni and Achille Castiglioni,  who was another legendary contributor to the world of lighting. Much like the Castiglioni brothers, the designs he would conjure up for Flos would be received with great acclaim and still be admired and sought after to this day. Tobia Scarpa makes a grand statement with the Foglio Wall Lamp with FlosDesigned by Scarpa in 1966, this classic in modern lighting really puts Scarpa (and the still relatively young Flos) on the map within the lighting industry.The Foglio is a rather ingenious construction, formed of a single sheet of steel that delicately wraps around its two lamps. The design resembles a shirt cuff, or folio paper, in the way it effortless fold inwards.The lamp's body formed by power-pressed steel with two lamp supports made from injection-moulded white nylon. The beautiful yet unusual design of the Foglio reflects Tobia Scarpa's philosophy - as he once statedDesign is a profession without a rule book. The wall lamp certainly has a unique and intriguing aspect to it that separates it from other designs in the industry in that period. It offers a pleasing partially diffused light that seeps through its folded form. The Foglio is IP20 rated, ideal for interior settings, and it comes in a variety of colours - chrome, white or glossy black - to suit the decor of the room it is fitted in. The meandering waves and gentle curves of the structure complement the soft diffused light and ensure that this is the finest wall light for creating a welcoming glow in your home. The Foglio's enduring popularity could be partly down to the fact that it looks equally at home in a contemporary home as it does in a classy restaurant. In both cases, it offers a dash of refinement and comfortable indirect light and can be positioned to create an ambient mood lighting. Tobia Scarpa's other work with Flos - the classic ClessidraTobia Scarpa - alongside the Castiglioni brothers - were the among the first to genuinely understand just how modern materials could change the face of the design world. All you have to do is look at yet another Flos design classic - the Clessidra,. Scarpa always knew that new materials and technologies were the way forward to progressing and exciting the lighting world. He did this again in 2011, working alongside other Flos designers including Antonio Citterio, to produce the Clessidra Wall Lamp. The Clessidra has a very interesting and alluring construction, with its body acquired through aluminium pressofusion and diffusers in PMMA. It also features highly-efficient lenses that are specially designed for the application. As with the Foglio light, the intrinsic materials that make the Clessidra are a large part of what makes up it's aesthetic beauty. With an hourglass shape that offers gently diffused up and down lighting, the Clessidra comes in both a 20 degree angle variant and a 40 degree one. It is IP55 rated, meaning it can be wall-mounted as an exterior light for your garden as well as used as an interior decorative light. It also comes in a range of finishes to suit your needs: gleaming chrome, dark brown, grey and white: all of which are stocked at Sparks. Tobia Scarpa and the 'original trio': how they helped launch Flos into global recognition and have stayed relevant to this day Flos' roots can be traced back to 1959, and the 60's were a defining period for the company, as it launched officially in 1962. In the burgeoning years of Flos, design was overseen by the Castiglioni brothers and Tobia Scarpa, who steered Flos toward worldwide recognition. It was in this early period that design classics such as the Arco lamp were produced and experimentation in lighting design as an art form started to be explored. The Arco Lamp would be the first of their early designs to receive a Compasso d'Oro award, although many Flos designers would all go on to be recognised, including Tobia Scarpa. He received the Compasso d'Oro (Golden Compass) award in 1969, and would go on to win it again in 2008 as a lifetime achievement award, presented to him by his wife and long-time colleague Afra Scarpa.

Wholesalers have been part of the fabric of life for working electricians since the first ones opened in the early 19th century. This article details exactly how the relationship between Sparks Electrical Wholesalers and local electricians is so mutually beneficial, with discounts, offers, advice, special requirement solutions and customer accounts all part of the negotiations. However, it has become increasingly common to see members of the general public milling around Sparks - and not just to ogle at the beautiful showroom. There's a mix of tradespeople and ordinary members of the  local community that visit us daily. Here are five reasons why North London locals - whether they be tradespeople or not - visit our lighting showroom at Sparks - and why you should too. 1. Product knowledge Sparks has been around for a long time - 30 years in fact - and many of our staff have been around throughout much of our illustrious history. The combined knowledge of Sparks’ over-the-counter salespeople is extraordinary - they have a comprehensive knowledge of the items we stock. You can come in with a basic request such as a ‘I want a white wall light fitting’ for your new bedroom, and the Sparks salesperson will be able to guide you through the process of finding what you need, providing tailored, expert advice. In the lights department, we will figure out if the light should be wall or ceiling mounted (or both), flush or with a stem base, what sort of size and shape, and what kind of style, to complement the room it is being placed in. This support extends to more complex advice for electricians who need to know more about the  domestic distribution boards, for instance, or about the Ryefield boards. Our staff is well-versed in the world of electrical goods of all kinds and their combined knowledge will find a solution to your needs. 2. Pricing Check out the Fluke 1662 Multifunction Installation Tester Kit for Insulation, Volts, Earth, Phase, RCD, Loop, and Continuity Testing - in stock at an amazing price!You rarely get to see haggling in British stores these days, and we don't practice this, but we do give the best prices we can when you visit us in our lighting showroom. This applies to both electricians and members of the public. When dealing with tradespeople looking to buy high quantities of goods or premium products, there is always wriggle room to be explored; there are further discounts applied when larger quantities are purchased. This makes the experience of going to the wholesalers more exciting for those who are want to save some money, rather than facing the fixed prices of conventional retailers. Many electricians prefer to frequently purchase such things as consumer units, Ryefield boards, Astro Lights, Flos Lights, Forbes and Lomax switches and sockets, and Heritage Brass wiring accessories in our showroom because they know the price is unbeatable. This is beneficial for both us - the wholesaler - as we're getting repeat business from someone in the profession, and for the electrician who is obviously getting the cheapest price available.3. Customer service Sparks have followed a growing trend among many wholesalers, offering fast delivery on items that may be in stock at the time of the customer visiting the store, and on items that need to be ordered. Sometimes you may order something that is quite bulky and not so easy to be carried on public transport; in such cases, we can deliver the items for you. And in case the items are not in stock, we can do a delivery when they arrive. It also gifts you ensured safety in delivery and ease of mind with the 30 day ‘no quibble’ return policy that applies to all our products, excluding light bulbs and LED lamps. The face-to-face aspect of visiting your local wholesalers can not be overstated. We are a friendly, local establishment looking to do right by our customers - both old and new - and we have every reason to offer the best advice and customer service that we possibly can. This extends to ‘aftercare’ or follow-up enquiries, where our experienced staff will answer any questions regarding installation, returns, similar products and so on once a product has been purchased. 4. Product availability This is AX4569 - the Astro Lighting Enna Floor LED Lamp in Matt White using a 4.5W 2700K 124lm LED Lamp (non-dimmable) with Switch on the Cord, available hereWe hold large stocks of many of the items that we advertise online and are well-known for. For many of our customers, such as tradespeople and electricians, there is the requirement for instant purchase on certain products, whether it be a screw-in plug or a very particular kind of socket. These are busy people with professions that require them to be ‘on the move’ throughout the day, meaning they can’t be waiting at home for Amazon deliveries to arrive. The advantage of being able to walk out of our showroom with everything you need in hand can not be understated, and is an aspect of shopping at Sparks that is appreciated by most regularly frequenting customers. Whether it is sockets, switches, LED lamps, heaters, underfloor heating mats, or some bathroom fans, we hold stock of most of these popular and much-needed items in our lighting showroom.5. Brand recognition and fidelity We have been operating on Holloway Road, Archway since 1988 and are one of the longest established shops that remains on the street: quite an achievement in this Internet age. Our brand recognition and fidelity have helped play an influential part in this. Our showroom has been open for 30 years, showcasing our most popular and interesting electrical items and light fittings. It has been visited by electricians, building contractors, architects, hotel and interior designers, landlords, actors, TV presenters, and the general public; whether they have something to purchase in mind, or are just there to admire. By putting a welcoming and friendly face on electrical wholesaling, we have managed to stay relevant and popular among Archway residents, and those coming from further out. The fact that Sparks has retained its status as a leading UK electrical wholesaler for such a long period of time demonstrates our informed and welcoming over-the-counter approach has inspired customer loyalty. These are five of the topmost reasons for which you should visit us - Sparks Electrical Wholesalers Ltd - on 659-661 Holloway Road, London, N19 5SE, close to Archway tube station (and Upper Holloway overground station).