Mark Wilson shares tips on home lighting

Good lighting can transform any space. Tatler talks to Mark Wilson, whose expertise in thoughtful illumination has been sought out by many a design aficionado

One of the key elements of a beautiful space is being able to set a scene and create a mood through intentional lighting. For Mark Wilson, a principal at Wilson Escalona, illuminating places is more than just brightening up dark corners; a home should have properly lit surroundings that provide a more dramatic atmosphere for guests and homeowners alike. Wilson shares more about the importance of light, warmth and ambience and how to apply it in different spaces around the house.

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How important is it for homeowners to know which parts of the house need specific types of lighting?

Very important. The homeowner uses the spaces in their home for different functions, and at different times of the day, so knowing which spaces need more brightness, and which need less, is very important. A garage needs overall brightness, but a bathroom needs a different kind of overall brightness, as well as points of focal light for facial rendering, for instance.

Above A double-height ceiling living room

A double-height ceiling living room

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Should there be a limit to the amount of natural lighting that comes through the windows in specific places of the house?

Yes. Light and heat are married to each other. That’s a law of physics. Even LED bulbs generate heat. Windows in tropical countries need to be planned in accordance with the cardinal points—most open to the North, most closed to the West, with more flexibility on the East and South sides. Ideally, buildings in the tropics line up East-West, so that most of our exposures are North-South. Aircon bills can come down substantially if you limit or shade the windows on the Western facade.

Above A master bathroom in an apartment in Makati

A master bathroom in an apartment in Makati

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What can you advise owners who want to put decent lighting in their homes?

Get a lighting designer. Architects maybe take one class in architecture school on lighting? Suppliers are not trained in design and need to move inventory, so they are not the ideal people to design the lighting scheme. Lighting is complicated—there is a relationship between the bulb, the dimming control system, and the driver/transformer. Selection of fixtures is complicated—be it choosing a decorative, like a chandelier or sconce, or choosing architectural recessed fixtures. Finally designing the light to fall onto all the surfaces of the room as a functional as well as beautiful composition—that’s complicated too.

The homeowner is going to spend on light fixtures and switches—the fee the lighting designer pays itself in choosing the correct fixtures, and the correct number of fixtures, not to mention putting them correctly where they belong.

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Are there specific lighting you can recommend for homes with different aesthetics?

I have a point of view on lighting interiors: I believe in a balance between overall or general ambient light, and specific, focal points of light. This creates visual interest in a room, not to mention that our eyes are most happy with some contrast in our lighting. Flat, even, overall lighting is boring and unpleasant to our eyes. But we do need a layer of general brightness for way-finding—but within that layer, focal glow on paintings, objects you love, tabletops–that’s what provides the visual delight.

What matters more in terms of choosing lighting? Design or function, why?

Design is not separate from function. High-quality lighting design addresses both.

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Credits

Images: Wilson Escalona

Jove Moya

Senior Feature Writer, Tatler Philippines

Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.

When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.