Different types of lighting

Lights are an essential feature in any home. Not only important for their practicality, using different types of lighting is a great way to inject some style into a room. Different types of light can bring a whole new aesthetic, and this can create a huge impact on the look, feel and mood of your space. 

Functionally, lights are placed there to illuminate the room and light it up so you can see what’s going on in the area around you, but it’s not all just about practicality. Great lighting can be used to create space and atmosphere. You can use lights to draw attention to specific things and with the right balance of light and shade, transform the whole room into something completely different.  

Types of lighting and their uses 

Decide the purpose of each room before you begin. What will the room be used for? Will you need multiple lights for different things? Then you can start to think about what lighting types you will need for each room’s purpose – different rooms will require different things after all. You’re not going to be cooking in the bedroom or getting ready for bed in the home office.

That being said, whatever your room is being used for, there are only a few proper ways to use lighting in interior design. These different types of lights can be broadly broken down into three main styles; Ambient, Task and Accent.  

Ambient Lighting 

Often referred to as mood lighting, ambient light is one of the most common types of lighting used in the home, and usually, it will be the primary source of light in any given room.

This type of light is used to ensure a room is well lit, so you are able to move around safely and at ease. Done well, ambient light will be able to bounce off of walls and illuminate the entire space properly.

Ceiling lights, wall-mounted fixtures and stand-alone pieces like floor lamps are frequently used to provide ambient light as they offer a soft glow, are easy to install and can be decorative which helps to add some personality to the room.

This sort of lighting, however, is not good for everything – that’s where our next type of lighting comes in.  

Task Lighting 

Task lighting is a much smaller and more concentrated type of light that is usually used to illuminate spaces for a specific task, hence the name.

Whether you are using that space for reading, writing or any sort of activity, this type of lighting helps you to see finer details more clearly, therefore enhancing productivity. It should also aim to reduce harsh shadows as these can often be a hindrance to your output. This, in turn, should allow you to be more alert and concentrated – so this lighting type is the perfect choice for brightening up a home office, for example. 

Task lighting is also often used to light up workspaces such as the kitchen counter or a dressing table in the bedroom.

Many types of light fixtures work well for task lighting – pendant lighting, vanity lights and desk lamps are great pieces to provide the right amount of light and again, can be decorative and ornamental at the same time.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is also a more concentrated type of light than ambient lighting, and it is usually used to illuminate things on display. The aim is to create a focal point in the room and bring attention to a unique attribute. 

If you have something you’d like to show off within the room, such as a new piece of wall art, a bookcase filled to the brim or a certain piece of furniture, these are all great examples of places where you might like to use this type of lighting. Other features like the texture of the walls or interesting architectural design features are also good places to put in accent lights. 

Accent lighting draws the eye in and makes people focus on the subject in question. This is a great type of lighting for when you are looking to create a sophisticated atmosphere.

Track lighting and wall sconces can add drama and personality to your home and are the ideal types of lights to use when working an accent light into your room. Directional recessed fixtures can also work well as getting the angle right is particularly important with this type of light.

The right type of lighting will differ from room to room, but doing some research and putting a little effort into the room design by working out which types of light work will work is a task well worth doing. Equipped with this knowledge, you will be able to make a few small tweaks to transform your home into a beautifully sophisticated and atmospheric space. The right types of light will bring a room to life.