Light Up Your World

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a room. After all, it not only provides way to see the room's features, but it can also enhance those features to their fullest potential. In fact, it is safe to say that lighting is no longer defined as simply something mounted to a wall, ceiling or pole. Today's lighting choices can range from the elegant to the quirky, and retro to contemporary. Additionally, the functions of indoor lighting are categorized as task, accent and ambient and are defined as follows:

• Task lighting illuminates an area where a specific activity is to occur and is typically an overhead light. This type of light is often used in a reading area, a food prep counter, or other task-specific location.
• Accent lighting is used more for decoration than for a specific function. It is generally used to highlight artwork or architectural features or perhaps create a specific mood.
• Ambient lighting is generally diffused lighting that gives low, or soft, light that is complimentary to entertainment or movie/TV watching.

For many of today's homeowners having energy efficient lighting is also important. Popular energy efficient light bulbs are incandescent bulbs which are great for cabinets, decoration, track lighting, or tasks light; quartz-halogen bulbs which work well for specialized light fixtures, recessed down lights, or projecting light a long distance; fluorescent lights which are ideal for shadowless work lighting and indirect light and the "natural" lights also known as full-spectrum lighting. Most professionals recommend that you select the type of bulb you want first, and then find fixtures that will work with your choice.

There are also three types of interior lighting-surface, recessed and track lights. To determine what will work best for your needs, a basic understanding of each type will be useful.

1. Surface or hanging fixtures are typically mounted to a housing box or suspended from the box by chains or a cord and they generally provide a bright central light with soft shadowy edges. In some cases, a surface light may be plugged into a receptacle, but otherwise they come with their own mounting hardware. Examples are chandeliers or sconces.
2. Recessed down-lights are often low voltage lights and spaced across a ceiling area. Depending on the type of bulb and the housing chosen, a recessed light can be focused to a specific area or cover a wide area of a room. Some types, known as semi-recessed lights or eyeballs, can be rotated. Recessed lighting is especially popular in rooms where artwork is displayed.
3. Track lights can be mounted to a wall or ceiling in a straight, angled, rectangular or even curved pattern. The tracks can be as long or short as you would like and offer an assortment of lighting positions. The tracks can hold clip-on lamps, spotlights, decorative lamps, and pendant fixtures, making them both versatile and functional in a variety of home or office situations.

For more information on lighting visit www.thelighthousede.com.

Article indpendently authored by Janet m Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflec the views and opinions of The Light House.