Lighting design is one of the most overlooked aspects when putting together a room in part because, if lighting is done well, it’s something that many people don’t even notice. Lighting should be cohesive with the rest of the room in both style and function and is just as important as the furniture you sit on.
There are a few different types of lighting to be aware of when you’re putting together a room. One is ambient, which is overall lighting that permeates the entire room. Generally they are overhead, or several placed on the wall. Ambient lighting allows for the room to be safely lit at a comfortable brightness level and can help establish the mood of the room. You can do this in a few ways.
- Pay attention to how much light you’re allowing in the room and how bright it is. A brightly illuminated room with lots of light can project a positive, buoyant mood good for entertaining guests or family activities. Darker lighting expresses a more relaxed and intimate mood.
- The light fixtures you choose express a mood. Choosing industrial style fixtures can display an urban mood or vintage fixtures can give you an old fashioned feel. Just like the furniture and décor you choose, fixtures are just as important when designing a space.
- Adding accent lighting can also interplay with the mood and add dramatic effects. It also is used for drawing attention to important things within the room. For example, adding a light above a large plant to produce interesting shadows or having lighting to illuminate photograph or work of art.
Task lighting is equally important when designing the lighting in a space. It’s important to illuminate each room according to its function. Task lighting is seen in places where light is crucial in order to accomplish a project. Fixtures above sinks in the kitchen for washing dishes or over counter space to prepare food, above a work space in a studio, and lamps on desks in offices, that direct light to exactly where it’s needed are just a few examples of the necessity of task lighting.
For more ideas and information on lighting, take a look at this article we published in our newsletter.
