Team Décoration

Signature decorative lighting: Flos, Artemide, office scenography

At the workstation, aim for 500 lux illuminance, a UGR below 19 to limit glare and a CRI above 90 for decorative zones where colour rendering matters.

Across 35 headquarters delivered since 2020, decorative lighting only pays off in 22 of them: NF EN 12464-1:2021 requires 500 lux at the workstation and UGR < 19, not a Flos signature piece in reception. Decorative lighting shapes the visual identity of an office floor according to measurable criteria: 2700 to 3000 K temperature in reception, CRI above 90, DALI or Casambi dimming mandatory for the OPERAT -40 % trajectory in 2030. Kytom sizes 8 to 15 signature light points per 850 m² floor, with 4 to 6 approved suppliers and a lead lighting designer. Budget 80 to 180 € excl. VAT/m², a range aligned with the project typology, the surface area and the chosen finish level, delivered in 12 weeks since 2006.

Decorative lighting addresses three measurable challenges: visual signature, ocular comfort, energy performance. The NF EN 12464-1:2021 standard sets the following thresholds for tertiary offices:

300 lux in circulation areas, 500 lux at the office workstation;
CRI above 80 in functional zones, above 90 in decorative zones;
UGR below 19 at workstations equipped with screens;
temperatures 2700 to 3000 K in reception, 3000 to 3500 K in meeting rooms.

According to ADEME (Key figures for tertiary buildings, 2023 edition), lighting accounts for 11 to 16 % of the electricity consumption of a tertiary building. A dimmable LED installation reduces this share by 30 to 50 % compared with fluorescent (ADEME, High-performance lighting in the tertiary sector, 2022), with a luminous efficacy of 80 to 130 lm/W. On a typical floor, Kytom integrates 1 to 3 signature pendants in reception, 4 to 6 linear luminaires in meeting rooms and 8 to 12 ambient sources in informal spaces. The manufacturers Flos, Artemide, Vibia, Foscarini and Louis Poulsen report a LED lifespan of 25,000 to 50,000 hours (manufacturer technical data sheets consolidated by Kytom, 2024). The tertiary decree (ADEME OPERAT) imposes a reduction trajectory of -40 % by 2030, which makes DALI or Casambi dimming indispensable from the design stage.

Our reading differs from the manufacturer discourse on this precise point: the light signature is not meant to illuminate. The industry orthodoxy spontaneously associates decorative luminaires with photometric performance. Across 35 floors delivered since 2020, we measure the opposite: signature reception pendants deliver 80 to 200 lux at floor level (lux meter reading), insufficient for a workstation. They play the role of a daytime architectural object and a night-time scenographic waymarker. Reaching the 500 lux of NF EN 12464-1:2021 at the workstation goes through a separate functional lot (recessed linear or technical pendant CRI > 80), distinct from the signature layer. Confusing the two leads either to decorative oversizing (10 to 15 € excl. VAT/m² wasted) or to workstation under-lighting flagged at handover.

When this approach is not the right one. Signature decorative lighting is not justified below 250 m² of floor space nor on short leases under 3 years: the ratio of 8 to 15 signature light points becomes marginal and the ROI exceeds 8 years (internal Kytom calculation, 2024 energy tariff assumption). On industrial sites, in dense open spaces above 12 workstations per 100 m² or in a call centre floor, homogeneous direct/indirect functional lighting at a uniform 500 lux is enough: scenography creates counterproductive contrasts on screens and degrades the measured UGR.

What budget should be planned for decorative office lighting?

80 to 180 € excl. VAT/m² on a tertiary floor, a range aligned with the surface area, the finish level and the building’s constraints, including 8 to 15 signature light points, a DIALux study, DALI or Casambi dimming and installation. The extra cost compared with functional lighting alone is paid back in 5 to 7 years through -35 to -45 % consumption (ADEME, High-performance lighting in the tertiary sector, 2022).

Which manufacturers does Kytom integrate on the signature layer?

On the signature layer, Kytom integrates a selection of European designer luminaire manufacturers, chosen project by project. The criteria cover photometric quality, colour rendering, material durability and consistency with the decorative direction. The selection remains adjusted according to the use of the spaces and the client’s expectations.