Weekly issue: The geometry of light

On light and living

Light is the first architect.
Before walls are drawn or furniture is placed, light defines the shape of a room.
It traces the edges of surfaces, fills voids, and shifts our sense of proportion.
To design with light is to design with time; every hour draws a different geometry.

I. The Architecture of Light

We experience architecture not through objects, but through the way light touches them.
A morning beam across a limestone floor.
The soft shadow under a floating shelf.
These are the quiet moments that give a home its rhythm.

When designing a space, start with an observation and ask yourself:

1. Where does the light fall?
2. How does it move between seasons?

Still feels too vague? Try spending some time in one room as the light changes.
Notice where the sun touches the floor, or how it moves across a wall.
That spot could become a natural highlight, the perfect place for your favourite chair, a plant, or a quiet moment in the sun.

A house that receives light from two directions feels alive; light meets shadow, shadow softens tone.

II. Natural Light. Orientation and Reflection

Natural light is directional.
Its quality depends on geography, orientation, and the materials that receive it.
A north-facing window gives a diffused, painterly light; ideal for calm living spaces.
Southern light, by contrast, is sharp, architectural, revealing texture and edge.

Surfaces act as reflectors.
Polished travertine bounces light with a warm haze; brushed plaster absorbs and softens it.
Think of material not as decoration, but as a lens: each texture refracts the daylight differently.
A single, well-placed reflective plane can transform the depth of a small room.

To help you a bit further here is a list of best functions that fit a northern facing light and a south facing light:

 North = quite light

 South = active light

Living room

Kitchen

Bathroom

Dining rooms

Office

Veranda

Atelier


 

 

Bedrooms are fitting for both light directions, it depends on your preference. If you prefer a calming bedroom that is a place of rest and calmness than choose for a room that faces north. If you like a vibrant bedroom with soul and character, choose a south facing bedroom. However be prepared to invest in high quality curtains to reduce unwanted warmth and lighting during the day. 

 

III. Artificial Light - Geometry and Form

When the sun fades, geometry continues through lamps.
Artificial light is not only about brightness, but direction and proportion.
A pendant draws a vertical axis; a floor lamp elongates the corner of a room; a wall sconce frames the passage between two spaces.

Architectural lighting is an act of drawing and highlighting.
Each fixture defines a line; horizontal, diagonal, or radial, that shapes how we inhabit the space.
Avoid uniform light. Instead, let darkness be part of the composition.
Shadow defines contour; contour creates calm.

 

Choose forms that resonate with the architecture: cylindrical, conical, or linear structures that echo ceiling lines and material junctions.
The lamp becomes a small piece of built geometry.

 

IV. Designing with layers of Light

Good lighting is never singular.
It is a composition of layers; ambient, task, and accent light, each with its own tone and role.

  • Ambient light gives the overall glow, often indirect and soft.

  • Task light defines zones of function; a reading corner, a countertop.

  • Accent light creates intimacy and rhythm, drawing the eye to texture or art.

The goal is balance, not symmetry.
Vary the intensity, height, and temperature.
Warm light invites tactility; cooler light defines clarity.
Together they build an atmosphere that breathes.

V. Light Objects - Sculptural Applications

Lamps can act as micro-architectures: they frame, cast, and anchor space.
A sculptural fixture can become a focal point, not by dominance but by quiet presence.

1. Flos “IC Lights” Table Lamp, by Michael Anastassiades
A balancing act of sphere and line. The opaline glass diffuses light evenly, while the brass structure introduces geometric tension, like a moon held in suspension.



2. Lambert & Fils “Laurent 09” Pendant
Milk glass discs connected by a linear brass spine. Its modular geometry allows repetition across a long dining table, creating rhythm through light.

3. New Works “Kizu” Table Lamp
Marble base and acrylic dome form a mirrored silhouette, solid meets translucent. Perfect for night light or hallway reflection.

Each of these designs demonstrates how geometry and light coexist, not as style, but as structure.

 

Inspired and ready to buy new lighting? Take a look at the selected products listed below.