Effects of Lighting
The elements that come together when the right lighting is achieved transform a room into a seamless combination of functionality and style.
Lighting is an important aspect of interior design as it enhances the aesthetic appeal and creates the mood and ambiance of a living space. Lighting fixtures that illuminate a room creates a safe and comfortable environment besides adding style to the interior décor.
Light is the main element that gives the room a special look and transforms it into a seamless combination of functionality and style. Besides playing a functional role it creates a visually dynamic space. Lighting can make or break the ambiance of a room. Hence proper lighting is an important element of decorating your homes.
Types of lighting to create beautiful interior designs
There are a variety of ways in which lighting can be implemented in a room to create beautiful interiors.
1. Ambient lighting can brighten and enhance the glow of the rooms. Lanterns and wall sconces can render an ambient lighting effect. Using dimmer switches can also alter the ambiance of the room to achieve the look and feel you desire.
2. Accent lighting highlights the architectural features of a home like the walls and objects in the room. Halogen spotlights and table lamps create accent effect lighting. Accent lighting can be implemented to project and show off a piece of art or a photograph also.
3. Task lighting incorporated in interior design provides localized lighting in special task areas. This is generally used in work spaces to aid you in performing your daily tasks. Whereas aesthetic lighting is like a piece of decorative art and is used purely to embellish the decor of your rooms. Hanging lights over the dining tables can perfectly compliment the decor of your rooms. Recessed lighting is preferred by most home owners as it provides good illumination without affecting the interior décor of the room. Task lighting can be incorporated with accent lighting to create simply beautiful interiors.
Importance of lighting in interior design
Without proper lighting interior architecture cannot be experienced to the fullest. Good lighting assures a warm, inviting and functional atmosphere in your home. Hence selection of proper lighting is the key element in interior design as it enhances everything in a room – from the furniture, flooring, fittings to the finishes and textures.
Creative use of lighting can in fact embellish your decorating project. Implement different types of lighting to make your home a beautiful showcase. The light fittings and lamps chosen to compliment the style and décor of the room have a potential to give life to the space. Yes, selection of the right lighting can help you achieve a perfect balance between style, comfort and practicality in creating aesthetically beautiful yet functional interiors.
Colour Management
The use of lighting can add to or subtract from the overall colours of a room or from only those surfaces the light is meant to enhance. Darker colours make a room feel smaller and cramped, while light-coloured walls do the opposite. The illusion of space is defined by light reflected off of the surfaces of the walls. Some types of lighting help with this illusion by further illuminating the walls.
In addition, directional lighting, such as a track light, can soften the wall colours. There is also recessed can lighting, which has a soft, downward glow that illuminates the floors, not walls. This is opposed to lights hung from the centre of the room, which provide ambient illumination, or wall lighting. In both cases, this can affect how light or dark a coloured section can appear.
Directional Lighting
The lighting in a room either provides illumination for the entirety of the room, or it highlights very specific elements. Track lighting is the perfect example of positional lighting. Hung from the ceiling, the adjustable necks and lamps can be pointed at specific elements, such as a wall painting, the vase of flowers on an entryway table or the bar top or kitchen island.
Consider mounting them on the walls, also. Special picture and mirror frames also have built-in lighting to highlight specific areas on a wall. Recessed lighting can be used in floors and ceilings to create vertical beams of light as opposed to an overall glow from central light fixtures hanging from a ceiling.
Functionality
One major role of lighting in the interior setting is functionality. Lighting needs to serve a purpose, or it simply wastes electricity. Chandeliers are not only used in large, open foyers, entryways and rooms because of their centrally themed placement but also because they provide excellent illumination for the room.
Wall lights add length and size, visually, to an entryway hall, as well as light the way. Consider the style of lighting you want to ensure you get the best directional or luminescent type for the setting. Look into task-specific lighting for desks and other work areas where functionality is more important than overall room illumination.
Space
Both natural and man-made lighting help with the illusion of space. For a darker room, find ways to bring in more full-spectrum natural light. If the room does not have sufficient lighting, it will feel cramped. This is worsened by close-proximity furniture arrangements, such as coffee table, end table, sofa, chair and love seat combinations in a smaller setting. Corner lamps, wall sconces and centrally hanging lights on the ceiling help brighten a room if natural lighting is not available and help create a visually larger space.
This applies to any setting — home or office. Natural lighting is preferred above man-made lighting because it shows off colours better and adds to the visual space of a room by bouncing off reflective surfaces. Consider skylights or large windows if you want more natural light, or use sheer drapes and curtains to allow the maximum amount of light from your current windows.
Conclusion
Lighting is an important tool in interior designing and should never be overlooked. The way in which you incorporate lighting into your home interiors define the mood of the user of the space as it has a great impact on the perception. Employing a good interior lighting designer can increase the brightness of a space and create ideal mood sets. Yes, lighting helps in adding elegance, sophistication and style to your home or office interiors.
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