Curved wood ceiling at Here's How bar in Oakland

HARNESSING LIGHT TO BRIGHTEN DESIGN & THE NEW YEAR

We often talk about how a primary focus of our work is capturing natural daylight to transform and enliven our designs, but we are equally inspired by artistically incorporating artificial lighting into our projects. We feel that the short, dark days of winter are a fitting time to share some of our creative approaches to illuminating spaces from within, and we wish everyone a bright new year!

A collage of four images from Here's How bar, showcasing a sleek bar setup, an illuminated liquor display, a frosted orange sliding door with a shadowed figure, and a glowing wall sconce.

In our Up-town Oakland bar/restaurant project, we utilized several types of lighting to create a dynamic interior experience. Integrated lighting in a custom-designed ceiling treatment generates a sense of movement that beckons people further into the space. These hidden lights, along with carefully placed ornamental fixtures. amplify the wall colors for a deep, sultry feeling. Lighting was also used in conjunction with translucent materials, backlighting the large resin sliding door and the glass bottles behind the bar for a more diverse variety of color and a heightened sense of discovery.

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Louis Poulsen Artichoke chandelier — Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen

A collage of five modern lighting designs, including a wooden pendant, sleek metal tube pendants, a brass linear fixture, round wall sconces, and a geometric chandelier.

We weave luminaries into our projects in a variety of ways. We deliberately conceal light sources to simplify and organize spaces, and in unison create palettes of visually interesting fixtures to foster warm, comfortable atmospheres. Light fixtures can discreetly brighten a space, they can offer a unique focal point, they can be used to link different finishes together, and they can be sequenced to experientially lead a person from one area to another. Here we highlight some favorites that help distinguish Tierney Conner projects.