Types of Lighting
Whether it is natural lighting or artificial, lighting works best when it is used in layers. Layering light, just like layering any home decor, creates an atmosphere. The mood of an area is affected significantly by lighting alone! So, it is important to understand lighting and work in layers. There are three main types or layers of interior lighting – Ambient Lighting, Task Lighting, and Accent Lighting.
- Ambient Lighting – This is the general lighting. This is the layer of lighting that makes everything visible in the room and gives overall illumination of the space so that you can move around safely. The most common source of ambient lighting is natural light, ceiling light, wall-mounted lighting, and recessed lights.
- Task Lighting – As the name suggests, this is the layer of lighting that helps us to focus on a specific task such as writing, cooking, sewing, and so on. We check the intensity of the light required based on the activities that are performed in the area. Task Lighting can be achieved through light from sources like desk lamps or pendant lights.
- Accent Lighting – This layer of lighting is used to provide a strong visual impact over a specific area or an object. This is essentially to accentuate an object/space like painting, sculpture, or an interior feature. This layer adds a drama into the mood of the room. Usually, cove lighting, picture lights, and track lights are used to get the accent lighting.
Light Color Temperature
Now that we have set the background of layers of light going on, mixing in some colors of light sets an interesting ambiance. Color Temperature can help in determining the light’s color appearance. And Color Temperature is measured in Kelvin (K). The higher the number is, the light appears “cooler” and as the number goes lower, the light appears “warmer”. The most common color temperature categories are warm, neutral, and cool.
- Warm – Color Temperatures in the range of 2000K to 3000K have warmer tones. The warm light colors create a cozy, inviting, and relaxing atmosphere. The warm color temperatures are used in living rooms, restaurants, and for decorative purposes as well.
- Neutral – Color temperatures falling in between 3100K to 4500K are neutral white colors. This color temperature is bright and vibrant. They are used in areas that require focus and energy. Generally, this is the color temperature used at work setting or task lighting.
- Cool – Lighting in the temperature above 4500K to 5000K is the closest to daylight. This lighting temperature keeps people energized and alert. This light color setting is generally used in retail shops, garages, and warehouses.
Area Lighting
For any kind of space, the layout dictates the lighting. The size of the room, the height of the ceiling, the main circulation path are all factors to be considered to determine what works best for the given space. Keeping that in mind, here are some general guidelines for a few standard areas in a house assuming standard room layouts.
Entryway / Foyer
- Color temperature – Neutral to Cool color lighting.
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights, flush mount ceiling lights, chandelier/pendant light fixtures considering the height of the ceiling, and layout of the room.
- Task lighting – Lighting near the entry closet and seating.
- Accent lighting – table lamps on an entry table or sconces on the sides of the art/mirror.
Living/Family Room
The living room is the area that serves many purposes. It is a place where we entertain guests, watch TV, read or just hang out. Since it has many needs to meet, many layers of lighting should be planned. Using dimmer lights can help you set the mood based on the functionality of the area.
- Color temperature – Warm to neutral color lighting.
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights, track lights, flush mount ceiling lights.
- Task lighting – Overhead chandelier/pendant lights to center the seating area. Table lamps on the side/buffet tables near the sofa/armchair.
- Accent lighting – Track lighting, picture lights, or cove lighting to highlight an accent wall, fireplace area, or wall art.
Dining Room
- Color temperature – Warm to neutral color lighting.
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights.
- Task lighting – Overhead chandelier/pendant lights to center the dining table.
- Accent lighting – Table lamps on the buffet table, picture lights/ sconces for wall art.
Kitchen
- Color temperature – Neutral to Cool color lighting.
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights, flush mount ceiling lights.
- Task lighting – Pendant lights above kitchen islands, under cabinet lighting, lighting for specific tasks like above stove and sink.
- Accent lighting – Inside cabinet lights, under kitchen bar counter lights, above and under cabinets lights.
Bedroom
- Color temperature – Warm color lighting.
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights. pendant lights, flush mount ceiling lights.
- Task lighting – Table lamps or sconces for nightstands. Lighting for a study desk, vanity set.
- Accent lighting – Lighting to highlight headboard or pictures above the headboard.
Bathroom
- Color temperature – Neutral to Cool color lighting
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights, flush-mounted ceiling lights.
- Task lighting – Lighting around the mirror.
- Accent lighting – Pendant lighting over the bathtub.
Home Office / Library
- Color temperature – Neutral to Cool color lighting
- Ambient lighting – Natural light, recessed lights, flush-mounted ceiling lights.
- Task lighting – Table/Floor lamp near the main work area or reading area.
- Accent lighting – Cabinet lighting in the storage unit.
Types of Light Bulbs
As we are already in the topic of lighting, we can dig in a little deeper and get some confusing-technical matters understood and out of the way. No matter how the lighting fixtures or lamps are designed, the source of light is generally through a light bulb. The type of bulb determines many factors like light color, energy consumed, and so on. Some of the most common types of light bulbs are LED, CFL, Halogen, Fluorescent, and Incandescent bulbs :
- Light Emitting Diode (LED): LED bulbs are the most energy-efficient type of bulb available. The pros of using LED bulbs definitely outweigh the cons. They emit bright light using the least amount of electricity and can have a variety of colors. They do not radiate heat. They do not contain mercury (which is hazardous). And they last for a long time (up to 50,000 hours). LEDs are also available in strips which can be so versatile for many kinds of lighting such as cove lighting, cabinet lighting, and so on. The downside of using LEDs is that it is pricier when compared to other types of lighting.
- Compact Fluorescent (CFL): CFL lights were designed as a compact version of Fluorescent lighting and to replace incandescent bulbs. As the name suggests, CFL bulbs are compact and more energy-efficient than fluorescent lights. They emit the same amount of light consuming less energy. They take a while to warm up and get bright. They have a long life span (10,000 hours) and they are inexpensive too. But CFL bulbs contain mercury and they need to be handled carefully.
- Fluorescent: Fluorescent lights generally come in tube forms. Light is produced by charging up mercury and other gases filled in the tube. They take a while to warm up and emit light. They are generally used in places like laundry rooms, warehouses, schools, and commercial buildings.
- Halogen: Halogen lights are an improved version of incandescent lights. In addition to the filament, these bulbs have a small amount of Halogen gas which increases the lifespan of the bulbs. These lights are smaller in size and they are generally used for recessed lighting and pendant lighting. These lights are dimmable as well. The downsides of these lights are that the bulbs get warmed too quickly and they also don’t last long. They generally burn out after 9-12 months of regular use.
- Incandescent: Incandescent bulbs are the most commonly available bulbs. The electricity passing through the tungsten filament glows and emits the light. Any irregularities in the electricity can burn out the filament making them the type of bulbs with the lowest lifespan. They also warm up too fast. These bulbs are not energy-efficient as they need a high amount of electricity.
Light Brightness
When we are shopping for a light bulb, we generally see Watts and Lumens on the label and wonder what that is all about. Here is a brief explanation :
- Lumen – The brightness of the light that comes from a bulb is measured in Lumens.
- Watts – This is most commonly seen on the labels of bulbs. Watts is the measurement of electricity consumed to produce light.
Generally, the higher the wattage, the higher lumens is. More power consumed gives more brightness. Different kinds of bulbs, that we have seen above, use different amounts of electricity to produce the same brightness. The chart above shows the wattage to lumens conversion. The lesser wattage used, the better the light bulb is in energy-efficiency. Clearly, LED lights are the winner here.
So, this was a bit technical part of the design world to understand how even as simple as lighting affects our everyday lives. It is good to have this information prior to new construction, renovation, or even when you have to replace a burnt-out light bulb. I will soon be posting the creative or fun side of lighting like light fixture designs and pictures of ‘lit’ places that are inspiring. Do let me know through comments if this article was helpful for your general lighting decisions.
Love,
Add a Comment