A guide to interior lighting

When it comes to a home, the mood is definitely created by the lighting. You can have the most spectacular decor and furniture, but if the lighting is wrong the entire look and feel is wasted. It is only obvious that we should avoid (if possible) any electrical light during the day; large windows and skylights are essential in maximizing the influx of natural light.


True ambience is however created in the evenings and at nighttime when we cannot rely on natural light. There are three main types of lighting that you need to consider and understanding these is vital.

There is generally the main lighting within an area and responsible for the functional lighting of the space. It is obviously advisable to look at energy saving options throughout the various kinds of lighting, but especially with ambient lighting that is responsible for most of the light. Some variations of this kind of lighting are listed below.


Up-lights point illumination toward the ceiling. Up-light fixtures include torchers and wall sconces.
Down-lights cast light down from the ceiling or wall. Popular down-lights include recessed lights (small low voltage and now the more popular LED varieties) and track lights.
Some lights, such as table and floor lamps, are both up- and down-lights because they cast light toward both the ceiling and the floor.

Task lighting
Task, or work, lighting illuminates smaller areas where more intense light is needed. Task light should be three times as bright as general lighting. Be careful of using overly bright lighting in areas where you are working as this can cause a lot of strain on the eyes and even cause headaches. This kind of lighting is essential in kitchens where functional light is required when preparing food as well as reading recipes or even the evening newspaper.




Accent lighting
Accent lighting adds brilliant shimmer to make your precious objects, paintings, sculptures, and outstanding architectural features stand out. Use a bulb that’s no more than three times as bright as the surrounding general light. Position the fixture so that the light doesn’t block your line of sight and so that no glaring reflections bounce back.
If you’re using track lighting for wall washing (lighting a non textured wall) or wall grazing (lighting a textured wall), aim the beam of light at a 30-degree angle from the vertical to prevent glare and hot spots.


There are a host of LED versions currently available and although very subtle, colour changing LED strips are exceptionally popular in bulkheads and under counters.

It is also a great idea to have as many lights as possible on dimmer switches or more advanced control panel, where the entire ambience of the room can be controlled.


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