Lightings - The Basic Types

There are many types of lighting is available. Whether you're looking to light your home or business or anywhere in between there is a type of lighting designed for it. You can break up lighting into two broad types: outside and inside. Inside lighting is such a broad term that can be hard to talk about all the different types in one article. So what I'm going to cover here is the basic types of lighting that every home should have.

There are three basic types of inside lighting: general lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. Each of them are important in their own ways.

General Lighting

General lighting is used to provide a large area with a good amount of light. General lighting also goes by another name - ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is the general light that fills the entire room. It should produce an overall glow and should be inconspicuous and blend in. Its use is just to provide lighting to the entire room.

Task Lighting

Task lighting is the next basic type of lighting which is used to help individuals perform a certain task. Lamps are a good way to provide this type of lighting but it can also be provided by recessed or track lighting and even pendant lighting. A good example of where to use this type of lighting is for a desk or nightstand where one might read.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting highlights a particular aspect or part of the room. It can also be used for certain objects like art, posters, trophies, wall pictures, drapes, plants, or anything else that you would like attention drawn to. As a general rule of thumb, accent lighting requires at least three times as much light as the surrounding area. Many different types of lights can be used to produce accent lighting but in general most is provided by recessed or wall mounted light fixtures. This is one of the most dramatic types of lighting that you can have in your home.

The final basic type of lighting used in most homes is decorative lighting. Decorative lighting is like accent lighting in many ways but should be treated like a design element of the home. An example of decorative lighting would be chandeliers, pool table lighting, wall sconces, and aesthetically pleasing lamps. The point of decorative lighting is not to give out light but to provide a decorative touch.

But those are just the major types of lighting not the actual types of lights. You can choose many different types of lights for your home:

Up lights or Torchiere lamps

These lights fixtures are used direct light upwards i.e. uplighting. This is to provide soft and diffused light.

Wall sconces

These types of light fixtures are mounted on walls to provide background lighting or ambient lighting. Use these types of lights when you want the light to blend in.

LED lights

LED lights can be used inside and outside your home but are more popular for outside use. They can be strips of lights, spotlights, or even regular bulbs.

Low voltage lights

Another popular type of lighting fixture available that is great for lighting your home is the low-voltage lights. These can come as just about any of the other types of lights including wall sconces, light rail systems, studio lighting, recessed lighting, and many more. They have become popular because they save not only energy but also money in the long term.

Pendant lighting

This is just another term for lights that hang down and provide task lighting. They are what you would see hanging over a dining room table.

Spotlights

Spotlight can be a great way to revive accent lighting just about anything. In particular spotlights are great for highlighting a particular piece of art or artwork and can be used to draw attention to a specific object. They can be used inside or outside - it doesn't matter.

And these are only a few of the many types of lighting available to you. Most of these were only for the interior and there are many many more for the outside as well. Just remember to provide the major types of lighting listed above and your home will set a great mood for your guests and convey your warmth towards them.