Home Design

Great Home Lighting Design Ideas

Home lighting is one of the most important aspects of interior decorating, and living space design. Lighting can be key in setting the feeling of a room, or in making a room functional. Before we get into some specific suggestions and design ideas, we should first look at the several different types of lighting, and what the proper application of each is.

Natural ambient lighting is the light that naturally occurs in a room space. Most often this would include light, which comes through skylights, windows, doors, and other openings in the room. Natural lighting is a function of the room and there isn't much you can do with it, other than to restrict it with window coverings. General room lighting is lighting which serves to illuminate the whole room space. This would be from floor lamps, ceiling lighting (recessed or track), and wall washer fixtures.

Accent lighting is light, which is used to accent something in the room. One of the best examples of accent lighting is a light fixture used to throw light on a painting. You can also use accent light-to-light bookcases, or any element in a room.

Task lighting is lighting for performing a task or work. This most often is functional lighting. Some examples of task lighting would be a desk lamp, or lights that illuminate a counter top. Usually task lighting is meant to provide enough illumination to do detail oriented work, such as reading.

Now that we have covered the basic types and applications lighting, we can now properly apply the different types to any room in your house.

Bathrooms are a great place to use task lighting. You will want to select lighting which isn't harsh, and which properly lights up areas around the bathroom mirror without casting any shadows. Bathroom lighting tends to be more functional than mood setting, although if you are trying to get a romantic look in the bathroom, you can select some up lighting wall sconces.

Kitchens are another room in the house where you will want to emphasize function over appearances. Consider installing a bright florescent ceiling light to help fully illuminate the room. Recessed can lights are also a popular choice for kitchens, but in some cases can lighting can be harsh and not sufficiently diffused. Another great idea for task lighting in the kitchen is to use halogen lights. These types of lights can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot and are easy for a do it yourself homeowner to install.

Lastly, living rooms are perhaps one of the most key areas in which to consider lighting design. Living rooms tend to be spaces, which have multi-purposes such as; reading, family time, watching television. Each use of the room requires different types of lighting. For reading, consider purchasing several lamps, which would be about shoulder height when people are sitting on any of the furniture. For general room lighting purchase some floor lamps which will throw light on the ceilings of the room. For television viewing you can select some track or can lighting - which can be dimmed to provide the proper light level for movie watching.

No matter what type of lighting you select, remember that lighting is a creative and personal decision. There is no real right or wrong way to illuminate your home. By keeping in mind the function of the room, you can create the perfect mood and feeling for every room in your home.