Let’s Chat Lighting!
Lighting plays such a huge role in interior design and can oftentimes be such an easy and affordable way to update your space. Quality lighting is essential for crafting a home's desired ambiance and atmosphere. Additionally, it serves as a great avenue for integrating style and personality into your home. This Ultimate Lighting Guide will help simplify your lighting selections and help you choose the right light fixtures for your home.
3 Basic Types of Lighting:
Where shall we start? Before we really deep dive, it's important to understand the three main types of interior lighting: task, ambient, and accent lighting.
TASK LIGHTING: Task lighting refers to lighting that is specifically designed to illuminate particular tasks or activities, providing focused and directed light to aid in performing tasks such as reading, cooking, or working on a computer. It typically illuminates a specific area rather than the entire room. Think of task lighting being designed for particular activities or purposes, like desk lamps, under-cabinet lighting in kitchens, and pendant lights above kitchen islands or workstations.
AMBIENT LIGHTING: Ambient lighting refers to general illumination that evenly illuminates a room, providing overall visibility without harsh shadows. It serves as the primary source of light in a space, creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Ambient lighting can come from ceiling-mounted fixtures, wall sconces, or even natural light sources such as windows or skylights. One of the easiest ways to think about ambient lighting is for it to be the primary lighting in a room, typically coming from a ceiling fixture or recessed lights.
ACCENT LIGHTING: Accent lighting is used to highlight specific features or elements within a space, adding depth, visual interest, and emphasis. It is typically more focused than ambient lighting and is used to draw attention to artwork, architectural details, or decorative objects. Accent lighting can create dramatic effects and enhance the overall ambiance of a room. Among the three lighting types, accent lighting is the most decorative, designed to enhance architectural features or a decorative centerpiece such as a fireplace, built-in structures, or artwork.
Style of Light Fixtures:
When selecting your light fixtures, one of the first things you want to establish is what type of light fixture you want for your space. From chandelier’s to flush mounts, it’s important to understand what type of light fixture you will be select for your space. We have given a general breakdown and visuals for each type of light fixture.
CHANDELIER: A chandelier is a decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture that typically hangs from a chain, rod, or suspension system. It is designed to illuminate a room with style and often serves as a focal point or centerpiece in interior decor. Chandeliers come in various sizes, styles, and materials, ranging from traditional crystal designs to modern and minimalist styles made from metal, glass, or other materials
FLUSH-MOUNT VS SEMI FLUSH: The main difference between a semi-flush mount and a flush mount light lies in how they are installed and their appearance. Both types serve similar functional purposes, providing overhead lighting while complementing the decor of a room. However, semi-flush mounts may offer slightly more flexibility in terms of light distribution and style.
Flush Mount: Flush mount lights have a compact and streamlined appearance since they are designed to be as close to the ceiling as possible. They often have a more modern and minimalist look.
Semi-Flush Mount: Semi-flush mount lights usually have a bit more presence due to their hanging mechanism, which allows for a wider variety of designs and styles. They can range from traditional to contemporary, offering more decorative options than flush mounts.
PENDANT LIGHTS: A pendant light is a type of light fixture that hangs from the ceiling by a cord, chain, or rod. It is typically suspended by a single fixture, though some designs may feature multiple pendants grouped together. The defining characteristic of pendant lights is their ability to hang lower than flush or semi-flush mount fixtures, often providing more focused or directed illumination.
CHANDELIERS & CEILING LIGHTS
PENDANT LIGHTS & WALL SCONCES
DESK, TABLE AND FLOOR LAMPS:
Determine The Size:
Regardless of the style of light fixture you desire, selecting the appropriate size is essential for maintaining visual harmony. Opting for a fixture that's too large can disrupt the balance of your decor. In reverse, selecting a fixture that is too small can create an eye sore and make the rooms very unbalanced. I have highlighted the top general rules for lighting sizing for the kitchen and bathrooms, as these are our most popular spaces in design.
Kitchen Island Lighting
Kitchen lighting is one of the top places decorative lighting is being placed or updated. Whether installing pendant lights or a linear chandelier, it can sometimes be confusing how many lights to get, what height to hang them, etc. I have created 2 easy quick reference guides for you to follow when selecting and installing light fixtures over your kitchen island that are considered a “go-to” source for all our projects.
Vanity Lighting:
In addition to kitchen lighting, vanity lighting is another very popular place that people add decorative lighting. Whether it be wall sconces or a vanity light, this is a quick and affordable way to make your bathroom vanity pop. I have created 2 easy quick reference guides for you to follow when selecting and installing light fixtures for your bathroom vanity.
Light Bulbs Matter Too!
Not only will updating your lighting, make the space feel new, but it’s important not to forget the style of light bulbs for your fixture. The style and shape of a lightbulb can make the fixture fit into a different style. Selecting the appropriate type of light bulb for your space can significantly enhance your the overall look and feel. Two key metrics for light bulbs are kelvins and lumens. Kelvin (K) measures the color spectrum of light, indicating its warmth or coolness. Higher kelvin values correspond to cooler, bluer hues. The lower the kelvins, the yellower and more warm-hued the color will be.
Of course there is so much more to lighting than what we covered today, but I really hope these tips and tricks have inspired you to update your lighting fixture in your home or next interior design project! Thank you for reading along, until next time!
XOXO - Monica King of King Concept Interiors
