Illuminating Spaces: How Tierney Conner Uses Artificial Lighting to Transform Interiors
In this issue, we look at how artificial lighting can be as transformative as natural daylight, from integrated ceiling treatments that create movement and depth in a commercial bar to a curated selection of fixtures that define the character of a room. Winter is the right time to think about light from within.
Much of our work centers on capturing natural daylight to transform and enliven a space. But we are equally inspired by the creative possibilities of artificial light, and the short, dark days of winter feel like the right moment to share some of our approaches to illuminating spaces from within.
Lighting Design at Here's How Bar, Oakland
In our Uptown Oakland bar and restaurant project, Here's How, we used several types of lighting in concert to create a dynamic interior experience. Integrated lighting concealed within a custom ceiling treatment generates a sense of movement that draws people deeper into the space. These hidden sources, combined with carefully placed ornamental fixtures, amplify the wall colors and produce a deep, sultry atmosphere that shifts as you move through the room.
Lighting was also deployed in conjunction with translucent materials: backlighting the large resin sliding door and the glass bottles behind the bar introduces a more varied palette of color and a heightened sense of discovery. The result is a space that reveals itself gradually rather than all at once.
Noteworthy Fixtures: A Lighting Palette for Thoughtful Interiors
We weave luminaires into our projects in a variety of ways. We deliberately conceal light sources to simplify and organize a space, and in the same move create palettes of visually interesting fixtures that foster warm, comfortable atmospheres. A fixture can discreetly brighten a room, offer a focal point, link different finishes together, or be sequenced to lead a person experientially from one area to the next.
NOTEWORTHY FIXTURESLouis Poulsen - Iconic Danish fixtures where form follows function.
Secto Design - Innovative use of wood in the Finish tradition.
Apparatus Studio - Diverse lighting family highlighting the raw beauty of metal.
Juniper Design - Thin system collection of minimalist, adjustable fixtures.
RBW - Colorful glass and diffuse light for walls or ceilings.
Roll & Hill - NY based, independently designed and highly crafted
THINGS TO CHECK OUTHERE’S HOW BAR
RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO
COMMERCIAL PORTFOLIO
Tierney Conner Architecture is an Oakland-based studio founded in 2004 that integrates architecture, interior design, and landscape design in-house for custom residential, multi-family, and commercial clients across the East Bay and San Francisco Bay Area. The practice is led by partners Anne Tierney, Erin Conner, and J. Jarrell Conner, and is located at 363 17th Street in downtown Oakland.