3 Easy Ways to Find the Right Lighting Solution for Your Space

Lighting plays a significant role when it comes to designing your space. It determines how you perceive a space since it drastically affects the way the geometry or design appears, indirectly impacting the mood and emotions as well. Imagine a room with best-in-class furniture and classy interiors, would any of it make a difference in the absence of lighting? Even the best of the best architecture would need light for it to be visible to our eyes. Hence, emphasizing the importance of lighting would never suffice.

Although lighting is one of the most significant aspects of a space, no amount of lighting can make your place look lively if it is covered with dull hues all over. Similarly, artificial lighting will be effective only to a certain extent in the absence of natural lighting. However, in modern times given the structure of apartment, natural light cannot penetrate everywhere, it should not be overlooked at places that receive it in abundance. To cut it short, before proceeding to look for artificial lighting solutions, analyze the inflow of natural light at your place.

Lights can broadly be classified into four criteria viz. Direct lighting, Indirect lighting, Accent lighting, and Decorative lighting. Selecting the right lighting solution involves several factors to be undermined including, but not limited to, purpose, amount of light, area, type, etc. For the sake of making this guide beginner-friendly and easy-to-implement, we have shortlisted three key aspects to finding the right lighting solution for your home.

Basics of Lighting Solutions

Lighting features must correspond to the purposes a specific area is being used for. It could be for working, relaxing, partying, etc., so each purpose should be commensurate with the right kind of ambience. A single source or type of light will never be capable of keeping up with the likes of all needs. So, it is always better to have different kinds of lights, depending on the use, installed in a specific room. There are three basic types of lighting – ambient, task, and accent lighting.

• Ambient Lighting – Also known as general lighting, this lighting solution is widely used to light up the complete area of the room. It offers a uniform distribution of light across the corners of the room without any other lighting being lit.

In ambient lighting, there is indoor as well as outdoor ambient light. Some of the indoor ambient lighting sources that ca be used for homes are chandelier, ceiling and wall-mounted fixtures, downlights, track light, table lamps, etc.

• Task Lighting – As the name suggests, task lights are used to fulfil a specific task. These lights provide additional light where there already may be an ambient light installed to accomplish a specific purpose along It could be reading, cooking, etc. or cooking, and alike.

For such tasks, a bright light is required from a smaller focal point in the room. Some of the fixtures that can be used for this purpose include pendant lighting, desk lamp, slim line bar and undercabinet, downlight, etc.

• Accent Lighting – Specialty lighting as righty said, these kind of lighting solutions are used to focus specifically on a particular point of interest to draw attention or provide a said effect. Usually, it is used to highlight an architectural feature, painting, plant, a sculptor, etc.

By and large, for increased effectiveness, accent lightings need mounted 3x times more light on the focal point than ambient light. Some of the fixtures that can be used for accent lighting are track light, wall-mounted fixtures, tape and extrusion, etc.

Now that we have covered the basic segregation of lighting solutions, let us dive right in and explore the three easy factors to consider before choosing the right lighting solutions for your space.

Area of Your Space

It is important to choose lighting solutions that go well with the area of your space. Too small or too big fixtures can impact the overall look of the space along with improper light distribution. Depending upon how spacious your area is, you can choose from a wide range of lighting solutions available like accent lighting, sculptural fixtures, low-hanging fixtures etc. However, measuring the area is not enough. Visual weight also needs to be considered to ensure that the area looks well-balanced and equally lit whilst keeping the aesthetics intact.

Various Roles of Space

One room can serve multiple purposes and it is important to take all those roles into consideration while choosing the lighting solutions. It is recommended to use more than one type of light in a specific room. You may want to have a romantic dinner or study in the same room. Hence, the space should be able to offer both the experiences for which you may want to use different lighting solutions. Each room should have a blend of lighting solutions including accent, task, and ambient lighting.

Aesthetics of Space

Determine the vibe and feel you want the place to boast of before proceeding to choose the right lighting solutions. You can choose lighting that directly admires the aesthetics of your room or go with the fixtures that create some contrast. If you are looking to create a space particularly stylized, a completely different set of lighting rules will apply. You can have a variety of levels of lighting in the same room by having overheard fixtures, lamps, and even dimmers in a single space to elevate the illumination and aesthetics.