Light moods

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A visual draw

Inside the store the different function areas can be delineated by lighting. Retailers tend to over-estimate the amount of lighting needed for general ambience. Ideally steer towards the lower end to enable the feature lighting to excel. A hanging pendant light is a good way of making the reception stand out and of acting as a visual draw, or you could use bit of cold cathode (often mistaken for neon) underneath a counter. In general areas, low voltage, ceiling recessed spotlights or even the modern, slim-line fluorescent tubes will be fine so long as they are not overpowering.

Also, be careful about ceiling-recessed, louvred fluorescent fittings - the type you get in many offices. They can create what is known as a cave effect, where the space is bright but the ceilings are dark. If you use these you may need some uplighting to counterbalance.
You might want to provide some additional spotlights for waiting areas, especially if customers are likely to be reading leaflets and magazines. Make sure the spotlights are directly over them so that shadows are avoided.

In pre-test areas where the lighting is necessarily low for visual tests but the assistant still has to take notes and ask questions, consider task lighting. That means that the note-taker can use a directional light to help them write without disturbing the ambient light levels. Alternatively, most lighting types are now highly dimmable and this may be a better solution, although it will probably have a negative impact on lamp life.
In the consulting room, function should take precedent. Here the lighting needs first and foremost to give the optician what he or she requires.

Again, dimming is usually available and for those with a budget, lighting controllers, which provide a number of pre-set positions, might be useful. For example, pre-set one could be an ambient level for general consultation, pre-set two could be a much higher level for visual examination. Simple controllers are not expensive but again make sure you don't spend too much on something that over-serves your requirements.