Lighting options
Understanding the different lighting options
Many people have an instant reaction to a particular room or decorating style, either positive or negative, but just can’t put their finger on what it is. When creating an attractive room interior the most important element to its success is proper lighting.
You will find that well designed lighting plans eliminate “hot spots”, draw your eye to key elements of the room, and are overall pleasing to the eye. To achieve your optimal effect you will need to use a combination of several different lighting applications.
Ambient Lighting
This is the term for the general room lighting which is used to make the space safe and comfortable. One common type of ambient lighting is recessed lighting. These lights feature cans which disappear into the ceiling with trim pieces that can be found in a wide variety of styles and colors. You can make adjustments to how the light is spread throughout the room when using recessed lighting. The power source is connected to the cans through the attic. There are also other types of light housings which can be used when it is difficult to access the attic. Fluorescent ceiling panels are another example of general ambient lighting.
Task Lighting
This is the additional light that is needed for specific tasks, such as chopping vegetables, reading, or paying bills. Commonly pendant, recessed, or track lighting fixtures are used to provide the task area with additional light. Often kitchen designers use under cabinet lighting to give adequate light to countertops without having visible light fixtures. You will get warmer light with either low or line voltage halogen or xenon bulbs than you would with fluorescent ones. You will need a transformer to convert the power source from 120 volts to 12 volts when you install either low voltage halogen or xenon lighting fixtures. Depending on the fixture itself you may have the transformer including in the fixture or separate.
Accent Lighting
This lighting needs to be about four times as bright as the ambient lighting in the room in order to be effective. You can draw attention to special features in the room through the use of accent lighting. While many people choose either incandescent or fluorescent fixture for this purpose, you will actually get a brighter appearance from halogen lighting. You want a lighting fixture that allows you to aim the light exactly where you want it. There are some museum quality fixtures that allow you to pinpoint light with great accuracy.
Wall Washing
This type of accent lighting works great if you have a grouping of photos or paintings that you want to wash with light. You will also create a nice ambient light effect in the remainder of the room.
Wall Grazing
This is the opposite of wall washing as it highlights a specific feature of a wall, such as bricks, curtains, or stones. You can highlight the three dimensional effect of the light by placing ceiling light fixtures close to the wall.
Display Lighting
This type of lighting often consists of low voltage lighting used to highlight cabinets, bookshelves, etc. Often the same types of fixture used for under cabinet lighting are used here. You will get the most flexibility from xenon fixtures used on a “mini” or “linear” track. You can place the tiny fixtures anywhere you would like along the track. There are also many different choices when it comes to bulb brightness, allowing you to choose bright task lighting or a subtle glow. Often the bulbs are hidden by a baffle which also holds the track.
Cove Lighting
This type of lighting illuminates the areas where the walls and ceilings meet to give the room a more open appearance. The halogen or xenon track lighting is often concealed within a soffit or large crown molding placed around the room’s perimeter. You get the best appearance when there is a smooth wash of light. You will need to determine the proper spacing and bulb wattage based on the distance and brightness level desired. A room that is dark will often need more light than a bright room.
Installing functional and attractive lighting is a great investment in your home. You can find displays of many of the fixtures listed above at your local home improvement center. There are so many choices available it pays to do your research and only purchase your lighting fixtures from a reputable dealer. You can also find very competitive prices on a variety of top name fixtures from online retailers.