designing the proper shadow
lighting is as much about shadow as it is about…nevermind.
let’s get real: light let’s you see! (stay with me.) it keeps you from bumping into things like walls or small children or shih tzus. (keep reading.) it makes eat pray love readable (and enjoyable). it helps you apply makeup, floss or pick out the right tie to wear to your daughter’s wedding. light simply makes life doable. but, let’s get even more real, the right lighting can make life magical.
picture this: drive to the florida everglades on a thursday cloudless night during the new moon. park the car when the last street light turns to black in the rearview mirror. turn off the headlights and get out. (and keep your phone in the car.) look up at that dazzling night sky.
at glottman, nature guides us, but lighting isn’t simply about turning a switch on or off. It’s about designing a harmonious balance between light and shadow. this delicate balance is what gives dimension to every space. shadow and light define the contours of the intimate nooks and crannies of our homes. shadow and light together reveal the inherent beauty of our interior spaces.
so, if you want a little magic for your home, call glottman. we’re here for you.
8 rules of our lighting philosophy
rule 1. absence of presence
translation: presence of light, yet absence of a light fixture. magic of emotion and no evidence of a source of light.
transcendence is when a surface is (and is not) washed with the light from a hidden spring.
rule 2. light where needed
translation: we see in an environment with little light, with almost no light.
just the right amount of light allows us to catch expressions, sensations and attention. light but only light where needed.
rule 3. the thickness of light
translation: shadow brings out the light, the latter generates volume and defines the space. this light discovers and reads architecture. light and material accompany each other. symbiosis.
rule 4. light is a construction material
translation: when you think of construction materials you think of wood, concrete or any tangible matter that goes into a structure. light is just another material you can create with. too often light is a corrective measure to hide or improve something that has already taken a shape. in other words, build with the light. use it as an architectural element.
rule 5. praise the shadow
translation: worship it. the dimmer the light, the more powerful it becomes. architectural form is born on the border between light and darkness. positive and negative, the shade empties the light and fills it in.
rule 6. moving light
translation: light follows the rhythm of the sun, bringing up accents of architecture, its symbols and narrative of the city and its protagonists changing the boundaries and the depth of the façade itself.
rule 7. the light creates color
translation: no object retains constant colour during the day. darkness washes colours away because colour is the light.
rule 8. emotion undescribed
translation: emotion is a powerful feeling. it’s the undescribed magical feeling that can be achieved when a space is properly designed with lighting. same magical feeling when you drive to the middle of the florida everglades in the middle of the night. shut the headlights off and look up.
magic is simply the reason we light.
