You can transform any room into a beautiful space simply by lighting it according to its architectural makeup, and focusing on its visual features and blind spots. According to the American Lighting Association(ALA), Interior lighting that is appropriate will reduce shadows, highlight textures, and draw attention to the right places.
Conventional lighting used only a few types of lighting until recently to efficiently layer the lighting within a room. LED lighting has become a popular choice for lighting all areas of the home.
There are three layers of light.
Layered lighting employs three main lighting functions: accent, general, and task lighting. A ceiling light can provide general illumination with a large amount of light. You can also add decorative light with sconces or table lamps. Pendants and undercabinet lighting can be used for specific tasks. While the idea of layering all three types is not changing, it is becoming more common to layer them.
Terry McGowan, director of engineering at ALA, said that residential lighting projects should be designed in a way that you enjoy spending your time.
The lighting must be simple to use and easy to see in order for you to enjoy the space. This is typically the job of ambient lighting. In order to complement all-purpose lighting, the LED lights are used in the next layers of accent and task lighting. Accent lighting is where LED lights can be most useful.
You can take, for instance: “track lighting is often used for accent lighting so the lighted area can be easily adjusted in size, color or direction,” says McGowan. “Note that some new types of LED track lighting can be adjusted by hand to change the color or size of the light beam, and there are even fixture types with built-in adjusting systems that can be operated by a remote control or a cell phone app.
“For all layers” McGowan continues, “Consider controls that can not only dim the lighting but also turn it on and off. You can dim LEDs and control their color almost instantly to adjust the lighting to suit the time of day or desired appearance.
The use of adjustable lighting ensures that the room will retain its unique design elements, but not become too bright.
For more about how to use LED lighting in your home, please visit a local ALA-member showroom or go online to americanlightingassoc.com.
