When we are considering the decoration of our homes, it can be easy to get inspiration for colour schemes, furniture and the layout of the room. There are many places to see aspirational rooms in interior design magazines, on home improvement television programmes and by visiting showrooms in a variety of stores. Whilst these may give us an idea for a lamp or lightshade, it can be more difficult to recreate the effect of carefully positioned light sources in our own homes.
With the right lighting, an interior can be really enhanced, but equally, if it is insufficient or excessive, the colours can become distorted and the effect of other interior design features may be reduced. Whilst most people can’t afford the services of a designer to assist them with their decisions, investing a bit of time in planning the lighting of your space can help to get the right result. The good news is that it is the positioning, rather than the price tag that gets the best outcomes.
Firstly, it is important to consider the full range of activities that will take place in that particular room. Your choice of lighting should be tailored to match these activities. For example; whilst a general light may be suitable for most bathroom activities, you may choose to add wall lights next to, or above the bathroom mirror to make it brighter and therefore easier to shave, or apply make up in that area. In this example, wall lights would also eradicate shadows that would be cast by a ceiling light.
In most rooms it is advisable to use multiple light sources in order to create the right feel. Interior designers often refer to these multiple sources as layers of light. These start with general ambient lighting, with task lighting and/or accent lighting adding additional layers. Let’s explain this in more detail. Ambient lighting is the general illumination of the space. Natural sunlight provides good ambient lighting during the day, but ceiling or wall lights are usually used for ambient lighting when the sunlight has faded.
Task lighting is brighter lights positioned in areas where specific tasks will be undertaken that require clear vision. This could be in the form of a reading lamp, or spotlighting above kitchen worktops. Also providing additional light to a specific area is accent lighting. These are lights that highlight a particular feature in the room, such as a painting on the wall and making it a focal point. Accent lighting can help to distract the eye away from less desirable areas in the space too!
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