Lighting Projects That Make the Most of Your Home Improvements

When undertaking any remodeling, building or renovation project, the lighting design of each of the new spaces should be considered and planned as part of the construction process. Since you've gone to the trouble and expense of refurbishing or creating new rooms, it's wise to address the overall lighting scheme to accentuate the new architecture you've created and enhance the spaces with adequate and appropriate fixtures that allow you to utilize and enjoy each room.

The elements of lighting design are basic: Bring focus to activities, create ambiance and adequate brightness and add decorative features where possible to embellish the décor and establish focal points. To accomplish this we need to first talk about the various kinds of lighting available, as well as the fixtures and their placement:

Task lighting
This illuminates specific activities or tasks such as reading, working at your desk, chopping vegetables in the kitchen and performing bathroom rituals. The light source is kept nearby the individual activity and is focused in the specific direction of the user. Whether you use a table lamp next to a reading chair, or a recessed directional light, or pin spot, over the piano, the fixtures that are utilized for task lighting make certain that the light is contained in a conical shape that casts illumination on the activity at hand.

Any area of the home where specific actions require clarity should include task lights to brighten up the space. In the kitchen there are several spots, such as counters, stovetops and table, where task lighting makes the space more comfortable to use. In the bathroom, a band of vanity lights over the mirror allows individuals to see what they are doing. At a workstation or desk, focused directional lights illuminate pages being read or written. And any other room or area where tasks are being performed, from potting table to artist's studio, will benefit from a design that includes specific lighting for these activities.

The fixtures for task lighting can take many different forms. Movable fixtures such as floor or table lamps can provide task lighting, as can fixed units such as dangling pendants in the kitchen or under the cabinet strip-lighting in the kitchen. In your design plan, make certain that the fixtures you choose provide sufficient brightness and directional light, as well as fit into the décor scheme in their finish, color and texture.

Ambient lighting
This provides illumination for an entire area or room and is the background light that provides adequate luminosity for living. Ambient lighting can help create a mood and sets the tone for the environment you are creating. Whether you desire a sunsplashed effect or a romantic, muted setting, the amount of ambient light you need depends upon the available sunlight and how the space is used. In many spaces, you will be combining ambient light with task lighting and accent lighting.

Each room should be studied for its overall lighting needs, then a plan for the fixtures can be devised. If you like to walk into a room and flip on the switch for immediate results, overhead fixtures may be your best choice. These come in the form of recessed fixtures that need to be installed into the ceiling surface, or hanging fixtures that connect into ceiling wires but sit attached to the ceiling and may be a decorative feature as well. Tall floor lamps with up-lighting can spray a cone of light across the ceiling, which reflects the light around the room.

Natural sunlight is also considered ambient, but its ephemeral qualities require that auxiliary lighting be in place at the end of the day. Highly utilized rooms like the kitchen and bath benefit from overhead ambient fixtures, whereas transitional spaces such as hallways and entryways require less. Dining rooms and bedrooms, however, benefit from varying degrees of ambient light, which can be controlled with dimmers.

Doreen Le May Madden, a lighting designer in Belmont, MA, and owner of Lux Lighting, suggests that one of the most important considerations for ambient light is the amount of glare created. Wall-washing, where reflector bulbs are focused on the wall, sends off soft, directional light that is glare-free. Indirect lighting uses the ceiling, walls and even floors to create a neutral background and is essential in rooms with computer screens and televisions.

Accent lighting
This draws focus to special features in a room, such as an archway or artwork, and adds to the aesthetic elements in a room. Highlighting an intriguing architectural detail such as a cupola, focusing on a collection of masks and bringing attention to a doorway can be achieved with the proper lighting. Accent lights should be easily controlled with their own switches and are typically comprised of low-voltage, directional sources. Placement of the light source is critical, and it should be close to the object it is illuminating. If you want to highlight the accents even more, reduce the ambient lighting in the room.

Decorative lighting is often considered an accent as it draws your attention to the specific fixture and its own decorating features. But decorative lighting can also take the form of task or ambient light, depending upon the design of the individual fixture. Chandeliers are decorative lamps that create ambient light as well as accentuate the focus on the lamp itself. Tiffany lamps are also considered decorative, but they can be useful as task lighting when placed next to a reading chair. Each of these decorative elements, while providing some illumination, is essentially enjoyed for their own form, texture and color.

Whether you work with a professional lighting designer or gather suggestions during visits to a lighting store, you'll want to map out a plan to combine the decorative with practical considerations and make certain you've addressed each area of your home.

Nesting trends, which are being seen throughout the world of home design and remodeling, are soaring as customers request more restful and comforting styling that they can escape to at the end of the day. Lighting can play a significant role in setting mood and creating ambiance. Designers today can help homeowners with complicated techniques and approaches that were originally devised for commercial applications, but which are now available for home use as well.

How to choose the fixtures
There is an almost limitless choice available today of places to purchase your lighting-from gift shops to furniture stores, lighting supply houses to decorators. The challenge of selecting the appropriate fixture, for purpose, decorative appeal and size, can be daunting. Understanding the types of fixtures you can choose can lessen this burden, providing guidance in a sea of twinkling lights.

Your selection should begin with an assessment of the type of lighting you'll be creating, your design scheme and the natural lighting in each area.

Lights that are recessed into ceilings taking the light source out of view and regulate the glare. Directional lighting reflects off surfaces and broadens the space. It can play off of the color, texture and material of walls and furniture and comes in all sizes and levels of intensity (voltage).

Sconces are wall fixtures that must be hard-wired by an electrician. They can be decorative, or they can provide ambient or accent light when focused on an object directly above or below. Placing sconces to frame bookshelves, a fireplace or a doorway is a traditional approach. You may also consider using sconces as accents in an entry hall, and they are very useful when lining a stairwell.

Lamps are portable fixtures that can be easily changed to match the décor or furniture. As one of the oldest forms of fixtures, they come in innumerable shapes and sizes and should be selected for their form and their purpose. If one is to be placed near a sofa, for instance, measure the distance from the tabletop to the top of the shoulder of an average adult sitting on the adjacent sofa. Add a couple of inches and this will give you the appropriate level for the bottom of the lampshade to cast the best light for reading. If you'll be using the room solely for entertaining, you can lower the shade level a bit and create ambient light instead.

Track lighting consists of individual units fixed to a rigid track. Most often placed on the ceiling, the individual light units can be rotated and focused for directional or ambient light. Track lighting can be quite useful for accentuating artwork in a room. Multiple units on the same track can illuminate each artwork, wherever it may be placed in the room.

When you think about your lighting design, remember to plan how you will use each space, how rooms may be divided up for specific tasks and the mood you are trying to create throughout. Experiment with existing lamps and try out various lighting schemes before settling on installed fixtures. The proper design can transform your rooms into beautiful environments, creating welcoming spaces for you and your guests.