Lighting expert Ralph Peake has published his first book in the Isle of Man based on a lifetime’s experience in lighting design and technology.
“Lighting Inspiration” gathers together Ralph’s 25 years in the industry which started as a teenage schoolboy and eventually led to him creating his own company.
The book was officially launched at The Lexicon Book Shop in Douglas attended by clients, friends and family.
He said, “I have made this book short and easy to follow. I hope it will inspire readers to look at ways of improving lighting in their homes and to enjoy the results.”
Ralph Peake’s interest in lighting began when he joined his school’s theatre lighting department, responsible for the lighting of student productions and touring professionals. He later attended King William’s College where he became head of lighting in the late 70s. Eventually, he created the Luminaires company in 1991 as a retail outlet, before expanding into architectural and commercial lighting.
Ralph has achieved qualifications from the Lighting Industry Federation and the Chartered Institute of Management, and has hosted numerous lighting seminars and published articles in trade publications. Luminaires is also a corporate member of the Professional Lighting Design Association.
His book is aimed at giving his professional experience and advice to property owners who want to enhance their lighting, at home or in a commercial environment.
The book looks at lighting in all areas of the home, offering hints and tips and showing photographs of what can be achieved in areas throughout the home such as the kitchen, bedrooms and dining room.
An interesting section covers “creating scenes” in your living room, showing how good lighting can improve your use and enjoyment of the space in a variety of ways, such as reflecting light around the room to create shadow-free light, or the creation of pools of localised light through the careful positioning of table or standard lamps.
Another chapter advises on how to create your own spa experience in the bathroom, using coloured lighting and the latest in LED and fibre optic lighting systems to produce your own unique ambience and relaxed atmosphere.
Using his personal experience of advising on lighting in such buildings as the Villa Marina Arcade in Douglas, Ralph Peake also includes a section on commercial and industrial lighting and looks back at the history of the first lamps by Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan in the late 19th century.
He also offers up-to-date advice on the very latest technological advances in lighting, including the energy saving properties of LED lights and how tungsten and fluorescent lamps are fast becoming out-dated because of their high running costs.
Ralph added, “I believe that once you have experienced the transformation good lighting can make to your living environment you will want to understand this subject in more detail.”
“Lighting Inspiration” - by Ralph Peake is £9.99
