The Basic Types of Lighting You Need to Know About
A lot of people rely on a single light source in a room but the key to a more appealing space is proper lighting. Understanding the different types of lighting will help you give your home the best glow in the right places. Each room has its own function so always remember that lighting should complement the setting. A good lighting plan combines all three layers—general or ambient, task, and accent. Natural lighting should also be considered especially during daylight. Here’s a quick lighting 101 if you’re redecorating your home or doing renovations:
General Lighting
This is the basic foundation of a lighting scheme. Rather than the aesthetic, this type of lighting is meant to provide a uniform glow over the entire space, giving a consistent level of illumination to enable you to move around the area. It’s sometimes referred to as ambient lighting but the difference is that it’s more direct, like a practical light for every day and night use. Ambience lighting, on the other hand, is usually controlled by a dimmer switch so you can adjust the brightness especially during daylight.
Task Lighting
As the name suggests, this type of lighting allows you to perform specific tasks like reading, cooking, sewing, or writing. Home offices, grooming areas, and the kitchen are just some of the most common areas in need of this type of light. Remember that it has to be free of glare and shadows, and should be bright enough to prevent eye strain. Task lighting is usually achieved using portable lamps, desk lamps, and even mirror lighting for bathrooms.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is any type of lighting that’s specifically placed to highlight a specific feature or create a visual point of interest in a room. It’s either adding a spotlight to enhance visibility of an artwork, plants, collectables, or other objects. It’s particularly useful to prevent pieces from being lost in an under-illuminated space. Just like task lighting, it requires more lumens, at least three times as much light on the focal point compared to the general lighting around it.
Natural Lighting
Simply put, this is all about having natural sources for lighting such as sunlight, candlelight, and firelight. It depends on many things (sunlight in particular depends on time of the day, weather, and what season it is) but this has to be considered when designing a space as it can lead to substantial energy savings.
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