interior design: LIGHTING DESIGN IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME

There are many types of lighting that can be used in various rooms of the home.

There are many ways to light a room. And the room's function greatly determines the way it should be lit. If a room is too tall, use low luminaries that let no light out of the top to help shorten those high ceilings; skylights are also a good choice for natural light.

If a room is smaller, visually push one wall open by washing it with natural light or directed recessed lighting.

Sky lights and beams for tall ceilings.

White walls reflect light.

Recessed ceiling lights and drop lights for lower ceilings.

Natural lighting: Sunlight, candlelight and firelight; this is light that moves and is sometimes referred to as kinetic. The quality of natural light, sunlight in particular, depends on many things — time of day, weather, and season it is.

This has it all: under counter lights, ceiling recessed lights, fireplace for ambience and natural light.

Task lighting: Task lighting is just that; lighting that's used to perform daily activities such as reading, computer,cooking, shaving, putting on makeup, etc. It needs to be glare-free.

Different banks of task light are useful in the kitchen — near the stove and chopping areas are places for this type of lighting. Task-lighting sources are never seen and any task light should have a reflective shield. Ambient lighting and task lighting go hand in hand. Pools of light created by several spots produce a lovely effect.

Ambient light: A source of light that washes a room with a glow. It flattens an interior and creates very little shadow. A wall sconce is an example of ambient lighting.

Ambient lighting to set an evening mood; with daylight from unobstructed windows.

A balancing act is important in all rooms when it comes to light. Up lights, down lights and wall washers work well together. They make a good team in almost any room and if dimmers are added they can perform well in any atmosphere.