Beautiful Art of Energy Saving

Today sees the launch of the Plumen 002 (sister bulb to the original ground breaking Plumen 001 which won Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2011 and a D&AD Black Pencil).

The new bulb is a similar leap in the development of the humble light bulb with a new, chunkier design which appears to have been sculpted rather than drawn.  It is a little reminiscent of night lights of the past.   The beautiful shape, and the light it evokes, are extremely restful and actually produce feelings of comfort and...dare I say it...love.  Not a reaction you would normally expect to a household object.

The Designer Bertrand Clerc quotes sculptor Barbara Hepworth as a design inspiration.  He was looking for the right balance between an integrated and disintegrate construction and wanted to ensure that the bulb would present a certain dynamic while remaining gentle.  He has clearly been successful in this and created a form that is both beautiful and elegant from every angle.

The Plumen002 uses 75% less energy than a conventional bulb and should also require replacing far less often, making them the most cost efficient over their lifetime.

Plumen is launching on Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform. The company’s stated mission is to “Help bring creative projects to life.”

Launching any new product is very expensive and because Plumen enjoys such a passionate, global community, they wanted to invite supporters to join Plumen in helping to launch their first new bulb design in three years. 

It is anticipated that the bulb will retail for £20.

For more details visit plumen.com

Jamie Hempsall is a multi-award winning interior designer and a member of BIID & SBID.  For examples of his work visit www.jamiehempsall.com

Answering your interior design queries from ugly lightbulbs to fab 50s

I recently answered some interior design queries for the readers of my Yorkshire Post column which I thought you may find useful

We love the current 50s revival trend. Have you any personal recommendations for wallpaper collections? CH, Harrogate

Trends are often cyclical and it is probably no co-incidence that this year sees the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain – which celebrated the re-emergence of the UK after a difficult post-war era. 50s design was innovative, elegant and simplistic and is perfect for the modern era which has moved away from conspicuous consumption and design excess.

Little Greene has collaborated with The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, which houses one of the largest wallpaper archives in the UK to produce their 50s Line Papers collection. The papers are careful interpretations of the original archive documents, adapted in scale and detail to honour the spirit of the period.

My personal favourite is “Herbes” which, unsurprisingly, featuring outlines of herbs accented against a rectangle of solid colours (£38.00 for a 10m roll - 0845 880 5855; http://www.littlegreene.com/)

Alternatively, Sandersons has produced a collection of archive patterns and new designs inspired by this era. The range features bold colours and strong lines. The “Mobiles” design simply shouts 50s! (£36 for a 10m roll - 0844 543 4749; http://www.sanderson-uk.com/).


We are struggling with ugly low energy bulbs that can clearly be seen in our light fittings. Do you have any suggestions that will help overcome this problem?
BB, Tadcaster

Two thoughts spring to mind to tackle this thorny issue. Halogen bulbs are now being created in styles that replicate the traditional tungsten and candle bulbs with clear glass outsides. They are perfect for use in normal lights and with chandeliers; they give a clean light and are dimmable. These bulbs are currently around 30% more efficient than traditional bulbs.

However, if you are looking for an alternative to a true low energy bulb Hulger has just launched the Plumen 001. This stunning design looks good on its own, but also works beautifully when visible in overhead and table lamps. It has been nominated for Product Design of the Year and Overall Design of the Year by the Design Museum, London.

It is currently available only in an 11w version (equivalent to a traditional 60w bulb), but comes in both screw and bayonet fittings. Bulbs are £19.95 each (0207 650 7882; http://www.plumen.com/).


We are considering wallpapering our hallway, but are worried that it may become easily marked. What would be your advice? ME, Thirsk

I personally love wallpaper and think it gives a rich and welcoming finish to any room. It is particularly important to create an immediate welcome feeling in your hallway as it sets the tone for your entire home, so I would always recommend a paper where possible.

You will tend to find that gloss finish or woven wallpapers tend to be more hardwearing in this sort of environment and will cope with a degree of “wear and tear” as they are usually able to be wiped. Some can even cope with washing – although ensure you have checked the manufacturers details before attempting this!

However, a lot of people prefer a matt finish (particularly those with a penchant for designs that look more hand printed). If this is the case – or if you already have this type – then, once you have hung your wallcovering, you can use a protective water based decorator’s varnish which can be applied on top of the paper to provide a surface more resistant to marks and scuffing. The varnish is available in three finishes – satin, gloss and dead flat and is ideal for wallpaper, plaster, fabric and wood (£9.20 for 500ml - 0845 017 1671; ww.polyvine.com).


We want to prevent our wood furniture from marking the floors in our home?
NW, Attercliffe


With more homes opting for natural, tiled and laminate flooring marks from the wooden legs of furniture are becoming a much bigger problem. The damage is actually not just restricted to your floor, but also to the furniture which may also show signs of scuffing over time.

The simplest solution is felt padding, available from most DIY outlets, which can be cut to size and fitted to the bottom of your furniture legs. Treating your furniture in this way also helps to ease movement of these pieces.

If you are looking for a more long term solution, I would consider the Quickclick multi-part system. This uses a base cup that you attach to the leg of your furniture which can then accept four different glider types (specifically designed for wood, tiled or carpet flooring with a fourth offering anti-slip). The gliders are easily removed and interchangeable so that if you alter your flooring you can swap the glider without making a mess of your furniture. From £2.99 for 4 gliders (08454 706670; http://www.stroolmount.co.uk/).

Jamie Hempsall, BIID is winner of the Best Interior Design - North Award 2010 in the UK Property Awards in Association with Bloomberg Television.

Want to avoid hideous low energy lamps for your chandelier or wall light? Go Halogen!

We all know it is increasingly important to do your bit for the environment with recycling and energy saving around the home now commonplace. Recent legislation regarding the phasing out of the traditional incandescent bulb makes common sense and no doubt those of you who have invested in energy saving bulbs (known as compact fluorescent or CFL bulbs) will have noticed the energy savings that they provide.



However, there is no getting away from the fact that CFL bulbs are not attractive and provide a more muted glow, rather than the clear light required for wall lights and particularly chandeliers that have traditionally used bare, candle bulbs.


It has taken some time, but manufacturers have now woken up to this fact and are just beginning to introduce Energy Saving Halogen Bulbs. The likes of Philips and Osram have developed bulbs that look exactly like their clear incandescent cousins – even on close inspection. There is no frosted outer or huge white base to spoil the aesthetics of your fitting.


These new bulbs are not as energy efficient as CFLs, but still use around 25 – 30% less wattage than traditional bulbs. Manufacturers also claim you should expect them to last twice the time of an incandescent bulb.


However, the main advantage of Energy Saving Halogen Bulbs is that they light up immediately and give off a clear light which is essential to ensure you gain maximum impact from decorative pieces (such as chandeliers) that have traditionally used the refractive qualities of glass to provide dramatic effect.


They are also fully dimmable, a luxury we have all grown used to over the decades to provide maximum flexibility in our lighting schemes.


The ranges feature small screw candle versions, which are perfect for historical chandelier fittings and come in equivalents from 60w to 15w.


One word of caution, they do need to be handled more carefully as they run hotter than incandescent bulbs and should not be used if the outer coating is scratched.


You can also get Energy Saving Halogen versions of the traditional shaped bulb; a suitable alternative for use in areas such as hallways or cupboards, where CLFs have traditionally been impractical due to the time they take to provide full light.


With these new options, there really is no need to have to compromise the look of your lighting to ensure a more energy efficient home.


Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design and one of the leading designers in the region. Visit his website at www.jamiehempsall.com.

                           

Turn on the light and transform your home!

Yorkshire Post Mid-Week Life & Style Section - 3rd March 2010

Interiors

"How do you brighten up a gloomy room?"  Interior Designer Jamie Hempsall comes up with some bright solutions to dark problems

We are frequently faced with rooms that suffer from a lack of light. Hardly surprising given that England is not blessed with sunshine for most of the year. If designing from scratch I opt for big windows, but this is not an option on most of our projects!



Dark rooms are actually not too difficult to work with. Whilst I do not profess to be able to make each one feel like a sun-drenched lounge in LA, I know that a few tweaks and a bit of investment ensure most rooms can be made to feel comfortably light.


Before investing a penny look at your light source. It may seem obvious, but keeping your windows spotless inside and out has a dramatic effect. Prune back overhanging foliage to maximise the light let into the room.


I know curtaining really makes a room and dresses a window, but the finish has a major effect on the light available. In rooms that suffer from lack of light, you need to ensure that as much of the window is exposed as possible.


A traditional curtain finish, such as a pencil or goblet pleat, results in a very full curtain that will cover the window. Try opting for dress curtains coupled with a blind to allow you privacy. The dress curtain will give you the same look, but block less light and be considerably cheaper.


Alternatively, an Eyelet heading will allow your curtains to stack back into a relatively small area. Combine these with a pole that extends beyond the extremes of your frame to allow the curtains to be drawn back away from the window; maximising light and still providing a terrific finish.


Colour is next on the list. Decorating in a dark hue will aggravate your problem as it they absorb light. However, you should also avoid beige, cream or off-white as these can feel cold and stark in poor daylight. Choose something with a definite colour in it (such as light green or earthy stone). Do not be afraid of adding interest with details in deeper colours as these will add warmth to the room.

It is important to decorate and furnish your room in a way that will make the most of any natural light that you have available. Consider wallpaper and fabrics with sheen finishes to them as they pick up any lighting (natural or electric) that you have in the room adding a comforting reflective glow. I am not talking Dynasty glitz (unless that is the look you hanker for!), just something with a softer finish.

Mirrors (and mirrored or eglomisé furniture) are a particular interior designers friend in this circumstance. Place a mirror opposite your window or light source (be that a doorway or even a fireplace) to amplify its effect.


Of course, electric light is always a helpful (if sometimes costly) solution, but is something you ideally want to use in the evening, rather than throughout the day to avoid oppressive, forced light.


Create pools of light with reading or table lamps strategically placed around the room at different levels to add interest. Couple these with picture lamps which are a great way of adding indirect light and highlighting individual pieces of interest. Also consider wall lights for general glow that is less harsh than overhead lights.


Placing uplighters in dark corners will give a soft, comfortable glow reflected from the ceiling. Alternatively, if you have cupboards, consider fitting hidden recess lights that create colour wash over the wall above, emphasising the illusion of natural light.


With these tips in place the light in your room should feel comfortably natural.


Send your interior design queries to Jamie Hempsall, BIDA at studio@jamiehempsall.com or call 01777 248463

Get turned on to feature lighting

As the nights draw in, lighting becomes ever more important in any room we are living in: not only from a practical, but also a decorative perspective. The amount of light and its positioning will drastically affect the look and feel of any room – and during a long winter this can also considerably alter your mood for good or bad. A floor (or standard) lamp is exceptionally important as a lighting option in the home – most notably in general living areas where is can be useful in providing more general light than a table lamp, without the harsh glare often found from overhead lighting.

Uplighter floor lamps feature an inverted shade that, as the name suggests, cast light upwards making a great alternative to a ceiling light, giving a warm glow that provides a softer, more forgiving background for your room. These can be particularly useful in the working environment as an alternative to neon bulbs and may help those who suffer from headaches or eyestrain.
Floor lamps are particularly useful in dark corners or in areas that other lighting may not reach.

The Monochrome Standard Lamp from The Baobab Tree is a great example of an updated corner classic, using recycled lamp bases in black gloss teamed with traditional lampshades recovered with a patchwork of luxury fabrics (£165; www.thebaobabtree.co.uk – 0845 388 1475).

Where more direct light is needed, they also make practical task lamps: perfect for reading by. To give the best possible reading environment ensure that the light is cast from behind the reader’s shoulder to provide optimum light, with the bottom of the lampshade roughly at seated eye-level to minimise glare.

The Pimlico Tripod Boom Arm from Artemis is a beautiful example of an adaptable, contemporary task lamp. It comes in three metal finishes to suit any scheme and simply oozes modern chic (from £620; contact Jamie Hempsall Ltd for details – see below). For task, with a hint of “tongue-in-cheek”, look out for the 70 year anniversary edition of the Anglepoise lamp in Anthracite Grey. At three times life size it does require a little more room than your standard desk lamp, not to mention a slightly larger bank balance (£1,909; www.anglepoise.com – 02392 224450: pictured at the top of the article).

If you have the luxury of re-planning your electrics consider including some floor recessed plug sockets in the main body of your room. These allow you to position floor lamps away from walls without the trip hazard of snaking cables. Hide your sockets under pieces of furniture for minimal visual impact.

A great floor lamp to use within a room is the Blenheim Wooden Standard Lamp which also features an integrated table top to hold mugs or your current favourite read (£185; www.jim-lawrence.co.uk – 01473 828989).

Of course, floor lamps can also stand alone as a tremendous piece of lighting sculpture serving no other purpose than to complete your scheme or to add an intriguing talking point. If this idea appeals you should consider the intriguingly named “Light Shade Shade” lamp from Rume. The outside shade is a one way mirror that reflects its environment when not illuminated. However, when turned on it reveals a hidden vintage lamp to give comfort and character to any room (£1,652; www.rume.co.uk – 01273 777 810).

Alternatively, enthusiastic equestrians simply have to adore the Moooi Horse Designer Floor Lamp. At 16 hands it is about the size of a thoroughbred and is sure to keep everyone talking throughout those long winter evenings! (£2,980; www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk – 08456 448022).
Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Interior Design Association and one of the region’s leading interior designers. Visit him at www.jamiehempsall.com or contact him on 01777 248463.