The Three Lighting Types
A common mistake when renovating is thinking that only one type of lighting will suffice for an entire room. However, lighting can impact more than just brightness in your home. Decorative lighting manufacturers recommend using a lighting plan to add depth and dimension to your home. Illumination scientist James Nagal says, "The important objective in creating a good lighting plan for your home is understanding the function of each room. This way you can consider tasks performed in a space and provide functional and creative lighting."
Every lighting plan includes three key components: ambient, task, and accent lighting. Let's explore how each element impacts the ambience of a room.
Ambient
Ambient lighting is the main light source in every room and should be the starting point for any lighting plan. It will determine the atmosphere within your space and mimic natural light to support everyday tasks. You will commonly see ambient lighting in communal rooms, such as the living room, dining room or kitchen. Pendant and ceiling lights make for brilliant ambient lighting as they are typically installed in the centre of the room and produce an even glow of light that will fill your space.
Task
Task lighting is focused light that will support a particular task or activity in the room. For instance, when reading or working in the office, an adjustable desk lamp will direct light exactly where you need it. Another example is spotlights installed above the kitchen island, which provide excellent visibility when preparing food. When thinking about your lighting plan, consider what tasks are specific to each room and how you can best support them with lighting.
Accent
Unlike task lighting, accent lighting focuses on style over functionality. It is used to highlight features in the home like wall art, bookshelves, and fireplaces. Be creative with your accent lighting by emphasising a unique element in your home or making the accent lighting a focal point with a dramatic display of light and shadow. Cove lighting is a perfect example of accent lighting because it enhances kitchens with high ceilings. You can accentuate details on the top of your cabinets or ceiling by installing LED strips to add a contemporary touch to your home.
Domestic Lighting Fixtures for Your Home
With a broad choice of lighting products available on the market, it can often become overwhelming when deciding what product is best for your home. That is why decorative lighting manufacturers in the UK suggest homeowners understand what lighting fixtures are best for each room before making their purchase decision.
Pendant Lights
Pendant lights are ideal for creating a focal point in the room, as well as being the central source of illumination. If your ceiling heights permit, install pendant lights above the kitchen island or dining room table, as these are great spaces to display statement lighting. To further enhance your interior, try installing a cluster of pendant lights and create a dramatic feature in your home.
Flush Ceiling Lights
Flush ceiling lights are a more functional form of ambient lighting as they offer a compact design ideal for homes with lower ceilings. Due to the versatile design, flush (and semi-flush) ceiling lights are a staple for every room and come in various styles to complement your home.
IP44 flush ceiling lights are ideal for the bathroom. Typically, bathrooms have little exposure to natural light, so ambient lighting acts as a replacement to brighten the space.
Spotlights
Spotlights are an optimal form of task lighting due to their adjustable lamp heads. They offer excellent focused lighting ideal for food prep when installed above the kitchen island or as an adjustable reading light when used as bedside lighting. Spotlights are also a great addition to the bathroom as they provide focused lighting, ideal for getting ready in the morning.
Top tip: Ensure any lighting fixture intended for bathroom use is IP44 rated and suitable for wet environments.
Wall Lights
With the ability to provide task, ambient and accent lighting to the home, wall lights are the most underestimated lighting solution. They can illuminate hallways and small rooms or direct light to highlight the dramatic features of your property. Try installing wall lights next to your dressing table to provide focused lighting for getting ready each morning.
Table Lamps
As the most versatile lighting option, table lamps are found in almost every room. They are the perfect choice when looking to create a soft lighting atmosphere and, due to the variety of design styles, can become a statement piece within the home.
Furthermore, table lamps are often adaptable to allow for efficient task lighting, offering dimmable functions for living room lighting and adjustable designs for desk lighting. Finally, table lamps are portable and can be moved from room to room with ease. Revamp any room in the house at no extra cost by switching your table lamps around.
Floor Lamps
Floor lamps are a multi-functional lighting solution ideal for creating mood lighting and focused lighting. Commonly found in the living area, floor lamps are perfect when layering lights for a welcoming atmosphere and providing a direct light source when reading and unwinding in the evening.
Interior Lighting Techniques
Many domestic lighting manufacturers agree that the key to excellent lighting is understanding what techniques you can incorporate into your home. Since lighting dramatically impacts the overall feel of an interior, using trusted lighting techniques will help you create the desired atmosphere.
Layering Lights
Layering lights is how you create an environment in a room and bring it to life. Light is functional, practical, and decorative, so we must utilise this in every room. By incorporating multiple light sources, such as ceiling, wall, and table lights, you can transform a room into a functional space designed to offer lighting for many occasions and achieve your desired atmospheric effect.
The Rule of Three
To create a dramatic display with your lighting, consider the rule of three. Grouping together three objects is a technique used by interior designers as objects arranged in odd numbers are more attractive and eye-catching.
Pendant lights are perfect for applying the rule of three when used above a kitchen island or dining table as they create a dramatic focal point to enhance the room. If you cannot install pendant lights, try applying the rule by using different lighting types. The mixture of a ceiling light, table lamp, and accent lighting will create a balanced room with a relaxed feel.
What Lightbulb to Use
Decorative lighting manufacturers in the UK do not just want you to know about lighting fixtures. Learning about lightbulb types and picking the correct lightbulb is key to successful interior lighting. There are three main types of lightbulbs you should look out for when considering which to choose: incandescent, LED, and Smart lightbulbs.
Incandescent Lightbulbs
Incandescent lightbulbs have previously been the most common type. They have always been the go-to choice as they were the cheapest lightbulb on the market and made up the majority of what was available. However, incandescent lightbulbs are slowly being phased out because of their inefficiency and replaced by LED alternatives.
LED Lightbulbs
LED lightbulbs are becoming increasingly popular in the lighting industry. Offering increased energy efficiency, better lighting quality and a longer lifespan, LEDs are an obvious choice over other lightbulb types. By replacing your lighting with LED technology, you can reduce your lighting costs by as much as 90% while providing beautiful lighting for your interior.
Smart Lightbulbs
If you’re asking yourself “What is smart lighting?”, these are lighting fixtures that have integrated LED components similar to LED lightbulbs, but with enhanced technology. By connecting to the home's network system, you can control the Smart lightbulbs throughout your house through an app on your phone or voice control. Smart lightbulbs enable you to adjust the colour temperature and brightness levels, set timers and many more functions! Get creative with your interior lighting by replacing your existing lightbulbs with Smart lightbulbs.
Remember, if you want to elevate your style and add a personal touch to your interior, you should consider decorative lightbulbs. Extra-large or retro-style lightbulbs are perfect for adding a dramatic flair to your interior lighting, while colour changing LED lightbulbs allow you to create fun and creative lighting in every room!
Transform Your Home
Lighting can drastically impact the overall feel of your home. When planned well, it is easy to transform your interior into a welcoming space for the whole household to enjoy. Using the advice provided by our decorative lighting manufacturers, you can elevate your interior style and light up your home like a professional!
Do you want to learn more about our lighting products? Please contact us at EGLO UK anytime.