DINING ROOMS TO FORGOTTEN CORNERS, HOME THEATRES TO GRAND HALLS, DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE EFFECT OF LIGHTS
A “lighting chef” is what Tejas Doshi likes to call himself. Creating an ambience, saving energy, using the right colours… it’s a new recipe each time, he smiles. Calcutta boy Tejas, 28, grew up with his family business of selling fancy switches but, one day, he decided that “switches are something people install and forget about. I should move on”. Move on he did, arming himself with a lighting design degree from the US. Back in Calcutta, he started his own firm, Tejas Lifestyle Products, in 2003. The switch from switches paid off: Tejas now works with the likes of L.N. Mittal, Vijay Mallya, K.P. Singh of DLF, Sunil Khaitan of Khaitan Fans, AN John Hair Studio, The Fort Group and hotels like ITC, Oberoi and The Park. His current project is a 5,50,000 sq ft mall and hotel in New Town. Tejas tells t2 how to get your space glowing with some exclusive snapshots to help you see the light…
Top shot: At Sunil Khaitan’s house in Calcutta, a height of almost 30 feet from floor to ceiling had to be kept in mind. “I had to climb right up to place lights around the ceiling,” says Tejas. Notice how the mirror reflects light elsewhere and the orange of the pillars has been subtly highlighted. Don’t miss the core lighting skirting the ceiling.
Cosy corner: At Vijay Mallya’s Calcutta home, Tejas has brought alive an insignificant corner with the play of shadow and light. A single accent light from the ceiling brings out the vase, casting a shadow on the floor. It almost looks like the base of the table stand is lit up.
Get the glow right…
And it might even improve relations at home! If your better half and you have been tearing each other’s hair lately, the solution could lie in the lighting in your house. “I’ve asked so many clients if family relations have improved after my job is done and the answer is always yes. We don’t realise it, but dull lighting affects the mind. If the lighting is right, say goodbye to fights,” signs off Tejas.
Art smart: Ever wondered why a painting or sculpture looks great in the gallery and so drab at home? It’s the lack of right light. “Light should be UV and infrared free because the colours of the painting will otherwise fade. Go for track lighting, i.e. a rod with attached lights that can be adjusted. For those who have small art galleries at home, lighting has to be very flexible. Maintain a lux level (measure for intensity of light) of 50,” says Tejas. Remember that every piece of art has its own character.
Dine in style: Majestic, isn’t it? Notice how the chandelier lends a candlelight effect and how the light is reflected from the wooden ceiling onto the dining table, while the rest of the space is in semi-darkness. The fireplace lends a warm glow and glare-free lights light up the leaves and painting on the right. Two lessons to learn: The placement of lights and the kind of lighting used (glare-free, sidelights, florescent or automated) are very important.
Home theatre: “Sound and light go together,” says Tejas. Dimming lights are, of course, a must in any home theatre. A touch panel that controls the lights is luxury at your fingertips and the experience is incomplete without a universal remote.
Dine in style: At Cinnamon on Park Street, another of Tejas’s projects, the idea was to create a space where lighting would be the invisible bar for privacy between one table and the next. A task light, just above the table is used to light up the centre, throwing just the right amount of light.
Posted By: June 28th, 2019