Home Lighting

Light Fixtures for Home Lighting

Light Bulbs for Home Lighting

Accessories for Home Lighting

HOME LIGHTING TIPS

Guiding Principle

"Light is the first element of design; without it there is no color, form, or texture." – Thomas E. Farin

General

If the interior isn't lit properly, who will notice it? Who will care to notice it? Who will want to notice it?

People are generally drawn to light like moths to a candle.

Lighting can add depth and/or excitement to an interior.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual interest. As part of a decorating scheme, it is used to spotlight paintings, houseplants, sculpture, and other prized possessions, or to highlight the texture of a wall, drapery or outdoor landscaping.

House plants can be accented by aiming an uplight at the wall behind the plant, creating a dramatic silhouette of the plant against the wall.

Chandeliers

A chandelier is often the focal point of the dining room. As such it should be hung about 30 inches above the tabletop and should be at least 6 inches narrower than the table on each side.

Color

Think about the importance of color in your interior, then use proper lighting to bring out that dramatic color.

Dimming Systems

Today's dimming systems enable you to do several things: lower light levels to conserve energy and increase bulb life, vary the mood of a room, and alter the intensity of the light to suit the activity.

Fluorescent Ballasts

When selecting fluorescent fixtures for the home try to select those that have instant start T8 electronic ballasts. This will ensure that the fluorescent lamp will turn on without flickering, that the fixture will not give off with much heat, that the ballast will not emit an annoying humming sound, and that the fixture will accommodate the new energy-efficient T8 fluorescent lamps.

Fluorescent Lamps

When selecting fluorescent lamps for the home try to select T8 lamps with a color rendering index of 85 and a color temperature of 3000K. This lamp is usually identified using the number, "830", somewhere in its product code.

Fluorescent Lighting

Fluorescent lighting is, without question, the coolest of all of the light sources and modern, high quality fluorescent lamps provide excellent lighting with very good color rendition.

General Lighting

General lighting provides an area with overall illumination. Also known as ambient lighting, general lighting radiates a comfortable level of brightness, enabling one to see and walk about safely.

Indirect Lighting

Coves, soffits and other concealed locations can also be used to provide very pleasant, very effective indirect lighting using T8 fluorescent strip fixtures.

Layers of Light

There are three basic types of lighting that work together to light a home: general lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. A good lighting plan combines all three types to light an area, according to function and style.

Low Voltage Halogen Lighting

Low-voltage halogen lighting offers a very white, crisp kind of light source that has excellent color rendering capabilities and often makes crystal and jewelry “sparkle”.

Pendants

When used over end tables or night tables, pendants free up the space occupied by table lamps. In general, pendants should be hung about 30in above the tabletop and be about 12in narrower that the table on all sides.

Task Lighting

Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks such a reading, sewing, cooking, homework, hobbies, games, or balancing your checkbook.

Track Lighting

For lighting objects on a wall with track fixtures, the track should be mounted on the ceiling in such a location that will allow each track fixture to be aimed at a 30-degree angle from the vertical. This will prevent light from shining directly into anyone's eyes (direct glare) and it will also prevent disturbing reflections (indirect glare) on the object being lit. Usually one track fixture is required for each object being accented.

Under Cabinet Lighting

Under cabinet lighting should be mounted closer to the cabinet front - not near the back of the cabinet. This helps to eliminate the possibility of your working in your own shadows.

Line voltage halogen lighting is often too hot to use in or under cabinets.

Wall Grazing

Wall grazing provides dramatic illumination that reveals the texture of special materials, such as the brick and stone used in fireplaces. Wall grazing is uneven, brighter and scalloped at the top of the wall. For the most exciting effects, use PAR lamps in small aperture downlights. Locate the downlights no more than 12in from the wall and the same distance apart. Wall grazing also lights polished surfaces, such as marble without distracting reflections in the surface.

Wall Washing

Wall washers are special downlights that direct light up to the top of the wall. They eliminate the shadows, sometimes called "scallops", which are characteristic of simple downlights. Space wall washers no more than 36in apart. For the smoothest effect, space wall washers 24in from the wall and 24in apart. Avoid locating wall washers near doors where they can glare into the eyes of people entering the room.

Xenon Lighting

Xenon lighting is long-life incandescent lighting that can be dimmed, if need be.