MS Lighting Design was very proud to see our owner, award-winning lighting designer Marcus Steffen, interviewed in the Spring issue of Park City Home, a popular US interior design magazine. Here are a few snippets of Marcus’ expert advice:

Q: What takes lighting from functional to beautiful?

A: The secret is creating different levels of light. Look at the key lighting groups: task lighting, ambient lighting, and accent or feature lighting. When you’ve covered all of these — and ensured that they are adjustable in brightness — you create the kind of layered atmosphere that turns a house into a home.

In additional to bright lighting that attracts the eye to a beautiful feature — be it a dining room table or a piece of art — soft shadows can help draw attention to a lit area, as well as hide less attractive spaces. Homeowners should look at the lamp itself — that’s what lighting pros call the bulb — as well as the light fitting, which is known as the fixture in America. If you want to create soft light, for example, a chandelier with exposed bulbs can be very bright and will be right in your eyes. Adding dimmers will help control the brightness and subdue the glare.

Q: How do you put together a kitchen with good task lighting that also makes entertaining and dining a pleasure?

A: If you’re using a kitchen for other things besides cooking — perhaps it is home to a dining table or breakfast bar— you want something other than bright task lighting. Make sure the task lighting, which could be spotlights above or under the counter, focuses solely on the work surfaces. Then put pendants and wall lights on different switches. When you want to work, increase the task lighting. When you’re dining, the task lighting goes down and the other lighting comes into play .

You can read the full article here.