Choosing Indoor lighting

You don’t always notice good lighting but you can feel it when there isn’t enough or too much light in an area. Having the correct amount of light increases your level of comfort and allows you to use your home to its full potential.
A useful concept to keep in mind when choosing lighting for your home is the concept of layering. There are three different layers of lighting; Ambient Lighting, Task Lighting and Accent Lighting.
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Ambient Lighting 

Ambient Lighting is the base layer of light that provides an area with an overall level of illumination. It is usually provided by a ceiling light, chandelier or pendant. Ambient lighting is functional and allows you to use the room for its purpose. Dark corners should be avoided and some light should shine onto walls. There are a lot of options, so choose a light that suits your taste and the overall design of the room.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is used to draw attention to the focal points of a room. The area of interest may include an architectural feature such as stonework. It is aimed at a specific area and can be achieved through use of spot lights, track lights or table lamps. An example of Accent lighting that is commonly used it in the use of a picture light to highlight a piece of artwork. 

Task Lighting

Task lighting is used in conjunction with Ambient Lighting and is used in areas where additional light is necessary to perform tasks such as cooking, doing homework or reading the paper. Task lighting is vitally important in rooms such as the kitchen or home office. It can be achieved with under cabinet lighting, spot lights or with portable desk and floor lamps.  On occasion ambient lighting and task light can be achieved with the one light flitting for e.g. a florescent ceiling light in a kitchen.

Simple Tips

  • Deal with one room at a time
  • Think about the use of the room
  • What height is the ceiling
  • What colour or design - traditional or contemporary - will suit the overall design of the house
  • What is your budget