Lighting is an essential aspect of your home. The presence of light makes it possible to move around the house and to carry out tasks such as cooking and reading. Incorporating different types of lighting also adds to the aesthetic of the house since you have the option of adding lights that complements the interior design of your home.
It is for such reasons that you must ensure that the kinds of lights installed are consistent with your needs and uses of each space within the home.
The three basic types of lighting that you should consider installing in your home are ambient, task, and accent lighting.
Why You Should Familiarize with the Three Types of Home Lighting
As an electrical technician, knowledge about the three types is key to satisfying your client. It ensures that the lighting fixtures provide sufficient light to the rooms. It also makes sure that your electrical work compliment the interior and exterior design of the house.
As a homeowner, familiarizing with the lights will allow you to choose the most suitable one as opposed to waiting on the contractor to make all the decisions. The knowledge will give you the power to demand quality work from your electrical contractor. This will protect your home from been ruined by poor electrical design and installation.
Understanding the Three Types of Lighting
1. Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting or general lighting is the primary source of lighting within a home. It ensures there is an even distribution of light in a given space.
Ambient lighting is soft. This means that it is only intended to provide enough illumination to give a person a clear view of the room. Since it illuminates a whole room, it influences the overall mood of the space. Thus, when designed and used appropriately, this type of lighting can create the perfect atmosphere.
Ambient lighting can be created through the use of chandeliers, recessed lights, pendants, track lights, and ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures.
2. Task Lighting
Task lighting is used to illuminate a particular part of a room. It is more concentrated and brighter compared to ambient lighting. It is meant to help a person carry out tasks that require brighter light such as reading, writing, drawing, cooking, and carrying out electronic projects.
Task lighting prevents eye strain, which can cause discomfort and also make it difficult to concentrate on a task for long. Sources of task lighting include portable lamps, desk lamps, pendants, under-cabinet lighting, and track lights.
3. Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is used to illuminate specific objects within or outside the house. At the same time, it is designed in a way that makes other parts within the same space appear dull.
This ensures that your eyes are drawn to the illuminated items, which is usually something that adds beauty to the given space. For example, it can be a work of art, plants, photographs, or even a collection of objects.
When operating in the same room, accent lighting is always brighter than ambient lighting. It can be provided using track light, downlight, wall-mounted fixtures, outdoor spotlights, and landscape lights.
The Takeaway
Ambient, task, and accent lighting are key to creating a beautiful home. Each serves a different purpose within the home. Ambient lighting offer uniform illumination to a room. Task lighting provides concentrated light to a particular area, while accent lighting provides focused illumination on specific objects.
Hence, given their different function, the three types of lighting can add to the aesthetic of a house when designed and fitted accordingly.