You might invest all your effort in creating the home of your dreams, paying particular attention to each and every piece of furnishings, and that’s all fine. However, if you don’t take lighting seriously, you mightn’t be able to tie the space together properly.

As I explained in the getting the light right post, I’ve been called many times to add ground-breaking changes in interior décors and managed to pull them off with a simple change of these fixtures, much to the surprise of clients. Don’t think of lighting only as the crucial element for your home’s functionality – it’s just as essential for transforming its aesthetics and feel.

Since the range of options of fancy home lighting is vast, my guess is you could be encountering some difficulties when choosing your ideal fixtures. To make matters easier for you, let’s first consider the types of light categories there are.

The Three Categories of Light Fixtures

Though there’s a vast array of designs, mainly there are the task, accent, and ambient lights. Usually, a room requires all three nicely layered together to get the suitable brightness, as well as the decorative outcome.

With this thought in mind, my advice is to take your time picking your fixtures and fittings, and then master the art of layering for a more opulent living space with a pop of interest. This would truly make a difference in your home, especially when the sun sets.

Task

Judging by its name, we might suppose the type of task lighting has to do with functional pieces strategically placed where we want and need more light to finish off tasks accurately. And, we’d be right. You have models of them available for every room, considering they sure serve their purpose of being an extra source of brightness.

In the kitchen, handy light fittings such as pendants can help you out with making cooking easy by being able to prep your meals to perfection. In the bedroom, swing arm lamps can be your glare-free book-reading buddies reducing eye-strain.

In the bathroom, vanity and under cabinet lights can provide you with the extra light you require for grooming. In the hallway, adjustable floor lamps can make for a grander entrance and supply enough light for tying up shoes and hanging coats.

Accent

Think of this lighting type as the decorative type, or rather the accessory to your home’s outfit, adding much-needed visual interest. Besides its efficiency, you should mainly focus on its beauty which is the very property that draws the attention to the object or feature you’re trying to highlight.

Often, accent home lighting, in the example of track lights, sconces, wall lights, and floodlights, accompany decorative elements such as architectural details, furnishings, and most importantly, artworks for a polished look. This could be anything, from wall prints, decals and paintings, and souvenirs, to wood and ceramic garden planters and plants, vases and even rugs.

Ambient

As the very foundation of the lighting in your abode, this type is also known as the general lighting type. Think of it as the base that creates the ambient, or mood, in your home, which is why it’s available in all sorts of colours, temperatures, and brightness, in addition to the variations of aesthetic designs, sizes and shapes.

Examples of this type include chandeliers, pendants, track, ceiling and recessed lights with wide light beams for optimal visibility. Considering ambient lights that online lighting and homeware stores can supply you with set the tone, you’d mostly find them with soft light. And, if you’re in need of more control over the level of brightness and intimacy, that’s what you’ve got dimmers for.

The Layering of the Three

To achieve a uniform outcome seamlessly, you should incorporate the different pieces in the same, or at least similar, style, material, and finish.

Let me exemplify: an eye-catching industrial chandelier in a brass finish is nicely teamed up with another fixture, like wall lights from accent, and table lamps from the task category, in the same warm finish. Even if they’re in another style, like Scandi. This is so because both have similarities, as in the example of clean lines and minimal ornamentation.

Once you have your chosen set, vary them in size and location instead of grouping them in the same area in the room. Now, even though I’m giving you ideas for incorporating lights from all three categories, you don’t necessarily have to do so if the space doesn’t demand it. Lots of homes on the smaller size, as well as those that don’t have the open concept, could do with only two types of convenient home lighting.

In terms of giving you more pieces of advice, unless you’re aiming for a dramatic result, you should steer clear of acquiring light pieces with bulbs that have strikingly different colours, temperatures, and brightness. This would ensure you don’t get anything that would end up causing you decorative mess or visual damage from glare.