Lighting is one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a home. Therefore, it’s important to grasp the basics.
Ambient lighting can be considered as general lighting. It will illuminate a room in a uniform manner.
Accent lighting is good for highlighting a specific area, perhaps an area of interest like an architectural or artistic feature.
Task lighting as the name suggests is aimed at providing light for specific activities like cooking, reading or doing make up, for example.
Whether you are looking for one of the above or fixtures for all these lighting types, there are many different styles of fixtures available.
For ambient light – A ceiling-mounted fixture is the usual go-to for providing a good, even level of general lighting in a room. They can be plastic, glass or fabric shades which hide the bulb inside. Add a Ceiling Rose for a special effect. Find your ideal Ceiling Rose at a site like Creative Cables.
For ambient or task lighting – Wall sconces are a popular choice and normally installed at eye height. They come in uplight or downlight varieties and provide good general light or more task-specific illumination.
For task lighting – Desk or table lamps provide an extra level of illumination for tasks. They are flexible and can be moved wherever the need for light is. They provide a bright circle of light directly below where they are angled.
For accent lighting – This can either be provided by spotlights, recessed lights or the use of cove lighting, for example. In general, cove lighting is achieved with a row of LEDs in a niche or cove to provide focus and a boost for the ambient light.