Lighting is a critical aspect of any space design, as it can be utilized for tasks, create dramatic accents or just provide ambient illumination. Familiarizing yourself with the forms of lighting can help to distinguish between which types not only complement your space, but are in taste with your design concepts.
Interior Lighting Design Forms:
Alcove Lighting: Indirect uplighting used to provide ambient or generalized illumination. The bulbs are typically fluorescent.
Chandeliers: Provide decoration and elegance to a space while emitting ambient light. Bulbs can be incandescent or tungsten-halogen. Typically used in dining rooms, foyers or living rooms.
Pendants: Shaded or globed illumination used for task and general lighting. Reduced glare. Used over dinettes in kitchens or in work areas.
Ceiling Fixtures: Provide ambient illumination in high-traffic areas such as foyers, bathrooms, hallways and kitchens. Incandescent and fluorescent bulbs are common in these forms of lighting.
Portable Lamps: Utilized for general, task or ambient lighting. Table and floor fixtures are portable. Tungsten-halogen, incandescent and energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs common. Different fixtures include uplight cans, desk lamps and piano lamps.
Track Lighting: For general, task and accent lighting. Adjustable fixtures can be aimed, swiveled and rotated to direct light in any direction. Cable lighting is an updated form of track lighting, where lights hang independently from cables. Incandescent, fluorescent or tungsten-halogen bulbs are common.
Recessed Lighting: Unobtrusive illumination for task, ambient or accent. Ideal lighting for low ceiling areas such as kitchens or work spaces. Can come in the form of accent lights, downlights or wall washers. Can provide narrow beams of illumination or wide pools of light. Incandescent, fluorescent, high intensity discharge (HID) or LED bulbs are commonly used.
Under Cabinet/Under Shelf Lighting: Used for task and accent illumination. Installed to light countertops in kitchens or workshop tables. Discreet, slim lighting fixtures. Energy-efficient fluorescent is the type of bulb typically used.
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