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Article Index > Using lighting for beauty, safety

Using lighting for beauty, safety

From Dan & Dolores Baker

Lights On!

Artificial lighting is key to creating a pleasant -- and -- safe home. With the right lighting, you can recreate a sunrise, the noonday sun or the cool colors of dusk. You can evoke romantic emotions or illuminate any task at hand.

"The best way to achieve pleasing light is to use mixed combinations of lighting options," says Joe Rey-Barreau, director of education at the American Lighting Association. "These include a variety of fixtures in a collection of styles."

Mixed styles are the trend. As the 20th century comes to a close, lighting fixtures are tending toward the nostalgic, as are the lighting arrangements. Five to 10 years ago, recessed lights were the choice. While they're still popular, more varied choices and a trend toward more decorative fixtures are replacing the standard of the 1980s.

One reason is that lighting and colors are becoming more complex.

Homeowners today want a layered, decorative look that suggests comfort. A combination of ambient lighting provides overall lighting for a room. It often takes over when the natural lighting isn't enough. Ambient lighting can be achieved with: torchiere lamps, ceiling fixtures, fluorescent lighting, uplighting above cabinetry, etc.

Task lighting illuminates certain areas for specific tasks. It also can be called a form of safety lighting, especially in rooms like the kitchen and bath. Task lighting could include options such as under-cabinet lighting for meal preparation or reading lamps beside the bed. Recessed lights are one form of task lighting.

Accent lighting highlights a focal point in a room, such as a work of art or architectural detail. It focuses the eye and adds visual interest. It's often the most overlooked type of lighting in a home.

You should use a combination of all three forms of lighting.

With the right software and wiring, you can even program multiple lighting settings on a computer. You can program a room or an entire house for various activities, such as a romantic evening, family time, reading, entertaining, etc.

Consider your lighting needs before you remodel. You may need to wire extra electrical outlets or fixtures to gain that extra bit of light--you don't want to have to rip out walls later to do so. You also should realize that no two rooms have the same lighting needs--there are too many variables. For example, a dark-colored room will appear darker than a white room using the same lamp because the walls reflect less light. The dark-colored room will reflect as little as 4 percent of the light, whereas a white room can reflect up to 80 percent.

Consider your décor when planning your lighting needs. Think about how you use the room, the moods you would like to create with your lighting, and how that lighting will reflect given your decorating scheme. Discuss your ideas with your remodeler or lighting designer before work begins.

Construction By Design can help you with lighting plans or any other stage of your project. Give us a call at (401) 475-5215.