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When properly executed, lighting solutions can totally transform the atmosphere of a room. Whether it’s in an interior or exterior space, good lights play a critical role in determining how good the area looks. It’ll be a great injustice to invest hugely in decent decor and not pay enough attention to the lights that will actually make your designs pop.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Lighting Solution
1. Functionality
Ask yourself what exactly it is you normally do in that particular room. The answer will help you decide the kind of lighting you need for the room. For instance, if it’s a place like a kitchen where there are many activities, you’ll want bright and accurate lighting. This will help you chop your groceries and cook your meals with ease.
On the other hand, your home movie theater and gaming rooms don’t require bright lights. Dim ambient lights function much better in this space.
2. Decor
As we’ve already pointed out, lighting plays a significant role in showcasing the decoration of your home. Therefore, before you settle on any particular lighting, consider your interior design. Think about everything from the color of your walls to the furniture in the room, then find the perfect lights to complement your design.
3. Size Of The Room
The lights you choose should be enough to illuminate the space you want. This is very important to consider especially if you are trying to light a big living room or an outdoor space.
4. Durability
Unless you want to call your contractor every other month, buy durable lights that can withstand the harsh outdoor conditions for the longest time possible.
5. Efficiency
Finally, you have to think about your energy bill. Talk to your contractor and get energy consumption estimates of the type of lights you are interested in. It would also help if you could install some of the latest bulbs since they are more energy-efficient.
Types Of Lighting
1. Ambient Lighting
Also referred to as general lighting, ambient lights are meant to be the base of illumination in a space. That shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that ambient lights need to be bright. On the contrary, the perfect ambient lights will provide sufficient illumination without causing glare. It’ll also enhance the overall warmth and feel of the space.
Some good examples of ambient lighting are track lights, pendant lights, chandeliers, recessed ceiling lights, torchieres, wall sconces, etc.
There are many fixtures on the market that can give you the perfect ambient lighting for every space in your home. So many that choosing the appropriate one can be a daunting task. That’s why you must work with an experienced company that can meet your designer lighting needs. The experts will help you identify the perfect solution to complement your unique home decor.
Benefits of Ambient Lighting
- Ambient lighting provides enough illumination to light the entire room. This is really important in a fairly busy space. It’s also useful when you are trying to find a missing item like your remote.
- The lights can be customized to be dimmable. This allows you to reduce the lights’ brightness when it’s not needed. In other words, it allows you to change the mood of the room at any time.
- Good ambient lights do not cause glare. They’ll highlight the space well enough to perform the tasks you want without causing eye strain and migraines.
You should know that ambient lighting is not intended to work alone. It merely provides a base for the other two types of lighting.
2. Task Lighting
Task lighting sheds a bright beam of light, allowing you to perform tasks like reading a book, applying makeup, etc. They are better than ambient lights in this regard since they help you see more clearly without straining your eyes.
The beauty of task lighting is they’ll concentrate the bright light in a specific area. Therefore, they do not distract other people in the room.
Examples of task lights are desk lamps, desk lamps, reading lamps, pendant lights, swing-arm lamps, piano lamps, under counter lights, vanity lights, etc.
Benefits of Task Lighting
- A desk or reading lamp will help you read a novel or write your checks without having to light up the entire room.
- Most task lighting fixtures are portable.
- Task lights are more energy-efficient than installing brighter ambient lights.
3. Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is more of a decoration lighting solution than anything else. They are installed to show off valuable features and objects in the room. Smart home designers would also use them to concentrate the attention of the people in the room to a specific area.
Accent lights do a phenomenal job in creating a mood. They look gorgeous and are dim enough not to distract other activities in the room.
Some examples of popular accent lightings are candlelights, picture lights, niche lighting, spotlights, can lights, up lights, recessed lights, light bridges, some wall sconces, etc.
Benefits of Accent Lighting
- They are perfect for enhancing the mood.
- They can be used to highlight key features of your home.
- They may also be installed in places where the other two layers of lights could not cover.
- Since they draw attention, accent lighting can also hide design errors in other parts of the room. But, this only works at night and with the other two layers of light turned off.
Hopefully, now you know what you need to boost the atmosphere of your home. It’s highly advisable to install all three layers of lighting. They compliment each other to deliver the best functionality and experience.