The first thing to understand as you think about your interior lighting is the types of lighting that are available. Experts generally group lighting into three categories: general, task and accent. General lighting provides an area with overall illumination. Task lighting gives you the light you need to accomplish a specific task, such as reading or cooking. Accent lighting creates visual interest, generally by highlighting an object.

sconce

Next, and in conjunction with understanding the types of interior lighting, you have to ask yourself this question – what are you going to do in this room? Is this a family room where people will gather to talk, read or relax? Is it a working area where lots of tasks will be carried out (think kitchen/dining area)? Knowing the answer this question will inform your lighting decisions.

Once you know how the room will be used, you can begin the fun of choosing fixtures. This is where creativity can play a big part. Chandeliers are traditionally a dining room fixture but many designers choose to add them to bedrooms, foyers or even living rooms. They will give you overall illumination. Wall sconces are decorative fixtures. Illuminating upwards and they add a splash of light which can be a dramatic accent in a room. Illuminating downwards and they spotlight a cherished object. Pendant lights, as you’d expect from the name, hang from the ceiling. Anywhere you need task lighting, a pendant light might be the answer. They prove particularly popular choices for the kitchen and with a seemingly endless variety of shades and globes, you can let your personal style shine. Track lighting can provide both general or task illumination for an entire room. This makes it a popular choice for the family room. Ceiling lighting or recessed lighting is ideal for use in hallways and stairways. Fluorescent light fixtures can be perfect for the kitchen. The variety of housing for fluorescent lights means that your kitchen won’t look like an office! Fluorescent light can be general, in other words placed overhead or task, as in under the cabinet lighting to illuminate countertops.

As you can see, the types of fixtures seem endless! Let’s end with a few general rules. When you begin to design the interior lighting, start high as in the ceiling. Ceiling fixtures can be chandeliers, track lights, hanging pendant lights or lights recessed flush into the ceiling. Make sure that you’re sure before you install them because it’s not so easy or cheap to move ceiling light fixtures. Next we move to the floor level. Lamps such as table lamps, floor lamps, and torchieres can add general light, task and accent light to a room. Talk about versatile! Lastly, consider the walls. Do you want a sconce? Is there something in the room that you want to highlight or a spot that needs a splash of light? Again, consider carefully how this fixture blends with the overall light design. Once you’ve looked at all three – ceiling, floor and wall – you will have a great gameplan for your interior lighting. Thanks for reading.