There are many interior design tools that you can work with when you want to create an interior design scheme. One of the most important yet often overlooked tools is proper lighting. Many homeowners only realize the importance of this design element once they go into their rooms. They then think of other ways they could have transformed their home. Since lighting is too important, why not learn Home Lighting 101 now?
Distinguish Natural from Artificial Lighting
Keep in mind that the clarity and beauty of natural lighting is hard to replicate. Another factor on the quality of lighting is the climate. Where you are makes a huge difference on the amount of natural light that you get inside your home. Of course, Malibu sunshine cannot be expected in New York City throughout the entire year.
Artificial light, on the other hand, has different degrees of intensity and hues. Find out which one will invoke feelings of relaxation (when installed in the bedroom) or create a more active room (in the case of living room or kitchen).
Find Efficient Lighting
After considering the amount of space that needs to be lighted and the kind of lighting that you need there, the next step is to find an energy efficient light. LED lights are a good option; while they are more expensive than the regular kind of light, they tend to save you more money in the long run.
From a financial point of view, it would make sense to invest in LED lighting than to keep buying incandescent light bulbs over and over again in the next, few years.
The best kind of lighting must be able to set the tone or atmosphere inside a room. The laundry room should have a glare-free light so that you are ensured of task completion each time. The lighting is different inside the dining room since there isn’t much of a task that needs to be done there.
Lighting fixtures must not just control glare but also provide great aesthetics. It is also important to consider the color that will be produced by the lighting fixture that you choose. Fiber optic lamps offer color-changing technology that you might want to utilize.
Lighting Types
Ambient lighting should be soft and diffused yet it should be enough to fill a room. This soft kind of lighting must also be able to reduce shadows yet create a feeling of comfort and openness.
Task lighting is any bulb that offers additional light when you need to carry out a particular job or project.
Accent lighting is that type of lighting that highlights certain paintings, flower arrangements, photographs, or architectural details. This means that you are bringing the viewer’s attention onto the art where the light is focused onto. Grazing is also a method of highlighting wherein the wall texture is emphasized through a narrow beam that passes from the top to the bottom of the wall.
Decorative lighting fixtures are attractive holders of light yet they may not always provide useful lighting. Chandeliers and wall sconces are categorized under decorative lighting.
Achieving a Balance
Task lighting is needful because it provides a focused amount of light while mood lighting diffuses. These two strike a balance in lighting within the same home. In essence, Home Lighting 101 is all about placing the right kind of light inside the right room. The Golden Rule is for you to know the function of every light fitting. If you are not able to define its specific task then just remove it from your lighting scheme. Also, it pays to position your light at an angle where it can best provide brightness or highlighting. Remember all these guidelines and your home will never look the same again.
Useful Links
Lighting 101: Tips on Lighting from Kichler Lighting Experts
Layered Lighting 101: How to properly light a room for both style and function
Lighting 101 tips | Burgess Lighting
Home Lighting 101: A Guide to Understanding Light Bulb Shapes, Sizes, and Codes
Lighting 101 – Kathy Kuo Home
Lighting 101 | Traditional Home
