Working from home with comfortable lighting

How can we achieve appropriate lighting in residential work areas?

Strategically chosen lighting intended to meet the needs of a particular workstation has been shown to increase employee productivity by up to 10%.

Our homes are often not designed as future workplaces, neither in terms of space, design or acoustics nor, of course, in terms of lighting. Consideringthat teleworking, in whole or in part, is here to stay, and that inadequate lighting has a significant impact on eye strain, fatigue and stress, how can we achieve appropriate lighting in residential work areas?

The best strategy is clearly to make the best possible use of the available natural light and to supplement it with lighting designed to meet the specific needs of the tasks to be carried out. To this end, we will take into account the basic elements to be considered:

•Colour temperature: Lighting that respects circadian cycles will ensure the well-being and comfort of the worker, improving productivity. The colour temperatures of natural light vary according to the time of day and atmospheric conditions, and can range from 2,000 K to 10,000 K. We will therefore design the lighting system according to the amount of natural light available in the space, although, as a general rule, we will seek to achieve a cooler light in work spaces than in rest spaces.

•The UGR (Unified Glare Ratio): This index is essential when designing appropriate lighting for the activities to be carried out. The aim is to ensure clear vision, without harmful glare and with a UGR never higher than 19.

These two criteria provide the basis for the design of appropriate general lighting, which will provide a wide view, without accentuating any particular point, with the correct UGR and colour temperature.

Ceiling-mounted lighting is ideal for this purpose and, depending on the spatial organisation and the workstation, a linear lighting strip can be considered for more specific applications.

The FENIX model by Novolux Lighting is specially designed for work areas. With a simple and minimalist aesthetic, it is lighting that stands out for its versatility and capacity for integration in all types of environments. It provides uniform illumination, with values of UGR ≤ 19, in accordance with European regulation EN 12464. FENIX is available in a direct light version in three models: suspended, recessed and ceiling surface. In its suspended option it also offers an indirect light version. Importantly, all FENIX configurations incorporate a low glare diffuser.

It guarantees the absence of glare and a homogeneous light contribution, without unwanted shadow zones.

Once we have ensured adequate general lighting, we can complement it with specific lighting fixtures according to the type of task and choose the most suitable light beam.

Displays: how to avoid annoying reflections?

If you work mostly with a computer or screen of any kind, the main objective is to avoid unwanted reflections by ensuring adequate illumination of the whole area.

If the project includes a false ceiling, we invite you to discover our range of VIP. They allow the light to be directed with greater intent thanks to their sharper beam, rotating capability and anti-glare attachment.

If you prefer a suspended option, the SIGMA family is discreet and slim. It is available in two lengths, designed to efficiently illuminate a work surface or office desk. This range has been designed as a suspended lighting fixture as well as a recessed version. SIGMA lighting fixtures are dimmable, which also makes them ideal for residential environments.

Video conferences: how to adapt indoor lighting for optimal meetings?

Video conferencing from home has become a regular activity. We have all taken care to arrange, as far as possible, the space that is visible to our interlocutors, but the lighting has often not been adapted. The result on screen is a professional image that can be improved, full of shadows. We need to take care of the forms in the virtual world so that the sensations are as similar as possible to those in person and to transmit professionalism.

Shadows and backlighting are common problems in these cases. The user should avoid facing away from windows or side lights. Ideally, if you do not have natural light or, if you do, to complement it, you should have a warm light source, placed on the wall in front of it.

On the other hand, switching on the general lighting of the space will avoid strong contrasts and unwanted shadows.

Ideally we will also implement a soft light beam behind the user, in order to give three-dimensionality to their outline, thus enhancing their presence and conveying professionalism.

Residential vs Professional: matching styles

The work area should be adapted to the home, not the other way around. It is therefore important to take the interior design of the house into account when choosing lighting fixtures.

The very wide range of Novolux Lighting fixtures presents technical lights that are not only functional but also aesthetically adapted to every home and interior design.

Do you need to sectorise? You can do this by lighting

A separate room exclusively dedicated to teleworking is not always available. In most homes, part of a daytime room such as the living room is used for work, or even a makeshift office has been set up in the bedroom. In these cases, if the spatial organisation cannot be reconsidered, we will use lighting strategies to achieve an effect of spatial sectorisation adapted to the use given to the space at any given moment.

An appropriate lighting strategy can help to define spaces at any given moment, accentuating or not a specific area and personalising its lighting according to the use we make of it. In this way we will improve the well-being of the inhabitants, making it possible to better separate family and working life, despite the fact that they share physical space.

The first axis of reflection is once again the general lighting. This creates a unifying effect, which is the opposite of what we are looking for in this case. We will therefore multiply the number of light points, which will illuminate strategic areas and will give a hierarchy of zones according to use and time, defining them with their own but changing identities.

If it is undesirable or impossible to multiply the lighting fixtures, other functional alternatives such as bi-directional lamps, track spotlights or a lighting installation with different light sources for different scenes can be used.

Remember that it is not always a question of a total renovation, but rather of rethinking a lighting check of the home and work area. Light interventions can be transformative. Easy-to-install pendant lighting fixtures, wall lights or the addition/relocation of floor or table lamps are easy and efficient solutions that will increase the user's well-being in everyday life.

The style of the user and their home, as well as their needs in terms of workspace, will be key in the decision making process. We will try to intervene in a minimally invasive way with the aim of making the office fit naturally into your personal residence and privacy.

In new projects or renovation works, remember to consider from the outset the possible multiple uses of the same space in order to provide an appropriate response to the needs of its inhabitants.

In Novolux Lighting we have a Projects department that offers you a personalised consultancy service to always give you the best lighting solution for your purpose. Contact us at: proyectos@novoluxlighting.com