A Little About Interior Lighting

After sunset, homes are illuminated by a selection of lights. These lights are positioned in such a manner that they add to the aesthetics of the home interior. The conventional method of interior lighting using pendant and bulb hanging from the ceiling and operated from wall switch is a thing of the past. In recently built constructions and renovated homes, dimmer switches and automatic movement sensor switches have substituted the wall switch. Some buildings have solar light detection systems that switch on lights as soon as dusk falls.

Be it a hotel or a showroom, the interior decorator uses interior lighting as the fundamental feature to enhance the beauty of wall paintings or furniture. These artificial lighting equipments are placed at different angles and at proper heights which enhance the ambience and mood of the environment. Mood lighting beautifies the rooms which are decorated with simple furniture and makes it an appropriate setting for social meetings.

It is essential studying the already available ambient lighting in the room before installing new fixtures. The room located on the east will have direct sunlight in the morning; the afternoon lighting will be glaring while evening lighting is very dull. Morning light for the west room will be less while in the evening bright sunlight enters the room.

Table lamps, clamp lights and spot lights are some of the varieties of illuminating space in the home. The usage of specific variety of interior lighting fixtures depends upon the dimensions and shape of the rooms. The interior decorator specializes in this study. The choice of bulbs and shades is the outcome of the designer’s creativity. The intensity and direction of the lighting should support the kind of activity that will take place in that room. Studies show that a normal eye likes matching brightness between the illumined surface and the light source. The inmates of the house prefer more lighting at the work spot than its surrounding area. For example, in the dining hall, the dining table should be brighter than the place where audio and video gadgets are played.

Similarly, in the hall where visitors gather and sit around, the furniture with the seated visitors should be more illumined than the center table. Chandelier can be a beautiful piece of interior lighting with chrome finish that can be hung on the ceiling at the center of the hall area where guests are seated. This elegant model of lighting is covered on top and on the sides with an ivory or crystal colored circular shade, surrounding the 60 watts incandescent bulbs of six to eight numbers fixed on the holders. When the chandelier is switched on, the bright light is focused exactly on the seating area and does not scatter on the side walls of the hall. This exquisitely designed chandelier is worth $900 per piece.

By changing the color of the light source, the walls and the furniture can be made to look different. Three types of interior wall lights are taken into account by the interior designer. With general lighting, overall brightness in the room is accomplished. In reading rooms, task lighting in the shape of table lamps take the lead role. Table lamps focus more light on the reading table than the surroundings.

Drawing rooms have antiques or wallpapers of landscapes. Accent lighting uses focused beams of halogen light on these items and highlight the theme of the environment. Space can be made to look dramatic by varying the intensity of the above types of interior lighting fixtures. A small transparent fish tub with multicolored fishes can be beautifully illuminated by soft lighting so that it becomes a point of attraction for the visitors.
Children’s rooms can be made vibrant with bright lighting so that positive energies flow into the room. The lighting should match the color theme of the space. A pink walled room should have graceful lighting whereas the room with blue walls should have modern interior lighting that creates a cool impact. Reading and painting rooms should have white fluorescent lights for clarity of prints and recognition of true colors.

Bathroom is a place where people spend a lot of time. Bathroom should be lit by a combination of ambient and task lights. Diffused light spreads all over the space when recessed lighting fixtures are used at strategic points. The brightness can be reduced to required level with the help of a dimmer switch. Strip lights can be fixed on either sides of the mirror for increasing visibility during shaving or makeup. Use of frosted vanity strips with the globe bulbs inside, minimize shadows.

Kitchens should be brightly lit by halogen lamps used as task lights on the food preparation platform and counter tops. Shadows should not be created due to wrong placements of interior lighting. Strip lights fixed under the cabinets provide background lighting for the lower half of the kitchen.

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