Good lighting, in a home or business, is one of those things that’s invisible – if it’s done well. You only notice the lighting of a room if it’s too bright or too dim, not if it’s just right. Our goal in offering this series of articles on Lighting is to give you some concrete advice on how to light a room so effectively that no one notices whether you’re using florescent or incandescent lights, track lighting or standing lamps. They’ll notice only that the room feels comfortable, and that they want to come back again.
Consider first the various functions of the lighting you will provide. Most importantly, you need illumination in certain areas of the room for specific tasks, such as reading, writing or playing a musical instrument. This type of lighting is referred to as task lighting.
In addition, you need sufficient overall illumination so people can simply see where they’re going, and so they don’t trip over that great furniture that you have carefully placed in the rooms. This general lighting is referred to as ambient lighting, which is the overall lighting that permeates the entire room.
Of course, it’s hard to separate the function of the lighting from the function of the room, and the two should work together. For example, if the function of a home study is to provide a place for reading, working on the computer, and sitting at a desk, you want to have lighting that will help with those functions; you’d want some kind of soft ambient lighting, with reading lamps strategically placed.
Almost all interior lighting designs will involve the use of artificial illumination. These electrically-powered fixtures produce light via incandescent bulbs, fluorescents, or LEDs (light emitting diodes). Compact fluorescent bulbs have gained immense popularity as an easy way to save on energy consumption and costs, since they install just like traditional light bulbs. Common types of lighting applications include:
* Ceiling-mounted fixtures – such as chandeliers, recessed can lights, track lights, and pendant lights.
* Portable lights – like table lamps, torchieres, and floor lamps.
* Wall-mounted fixtures – such as sconces and cove lights.
Lighting plays a big part in the usefulness and mood of a room. An interior design lighting tip for a space that really shines is to ensure that all three lighting levels are covered. Illumination is classified as one of the following:
* Accent lighting – These lights are mostly for a dramatic touch, such as up lights or spot lights that highlight art pieces and leafy plants.
* General ambient lighting – A room’s main light comes from recessed lights, chandeliers, floor lamps, or other ceiling fixtures.
* Task lighting – Targeted light for reading or working includes table lamps and under cabinet lights for the kitchen.
Next, let’s look at the types of lamps. First, in talking about “types of lamps” we’re not talking that thing sitting on your desk or standing behind your easy chair. What you and I call a “lamp,” meaning a table lamp, or a chandelier, or a floor lamp, is referred to in the world of interior design as a “fixture,” and the word “lamp” is used to refer to the bulb.
There are two basic types of lamps — incandescent and fluorescent. Each has particular advantages and disadvantages.
Incandescent lamps are the ones that you’re most accustomed to seeing used in residential lighting, and yet they have really only one major advantage over fluorescent lamps: the light they produce has a warm cast that is soft, natural, and flattering to skin tones.
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