Types of Lighting - Everything you Need to Know

When it comes to designing a home, the lighting is one of the most important aspects to keep in mind, as it can have a direct influence on the look of your home. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about lighting.

Lighting can help accentuate the most important features of your home. You can even play around with it to highlight or conceal different areas. However, light also can also serve to direct your gaze toward a specific part of the room.

The direction of the light can also help to highlight colors and specific pieces of furniture. This can give your rooms a timeless feel or generate a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. The first aspect you’ll need to consider is the tone of the light.

Tone and atmosphere

We generally like to create relaxing spaces in our homes. Although many designers often focus solely on aspects of the decoration or furniture, lighting plays a fundamental role in our home decor.

A warm light tends to create a more relaxing and comfortable environment, inviting you to sit back and relax for hours on end. This type of light is normally used in living rooms.

Cool or white lighting, on the other hand, is usually more stimulating and less soothing in character. It is normally used for spaces where you don’t usually spend much time relaxing, like the kitchen.

Of course, you’ll need to increase or decrease the amount of light, depending on the size of the room. If you fill your room with too much light, it can be overwhelming. It’s better to concentrate the light on specific areas within that space.

Types of lighting 

There are several different types of lighting:

• Functional
• Punctual
• Decorative

The first type is a more general type of light, and is usually the main light source. It’s not usually focused on one particular area of the room, instead being used to light larger areas. Designers normally place it in the center of the room, often on the ceiling.

Secondly, we have punctual lighting. We often use it to highlight a specific area of the room. It is usually used in direct connection with a specific activity that is to be carried out in that area. As a result, it’s normally placed near tables, counters, sofas, etc.

Finally, we have decorative lighting. As the name suggests, we usually use this type for decorative purposes, or to highlight a particular feature or detail. It’s often used to illuminate sculptures, artwork and so on.

It can be used to accentuate the decorative style of your home or to highlight certain architectural features. Make sure that you study the lights and shadows closely so that you can achieve aesthetic harmony.

Using light to create the right environment

The tone and the quantity of light go hand in hand, as both will have an impact on your home environment. The intensity of their effect will depend on the rooms you use them in.

So, warm tones should be associated with low levels of light. If you use too much warm lighting, it can create feelings of unease and discomfort. We would recommend that you use warm lighting in moderation, and not go too over the top.

Obviously, you should use natural light whenever you can. Your eyes will thank you for it later. In fact, interior lighting should really only be used at times when there is no natural light available.

Natural sunlight at dawn and dusk is a clear example of how you can use lighting in your home to create feelings of warmth and harmony.

“Decoration decorates, but lighting soothes.”

Types of light bulb

Here, we want to highlight a few different examples to show you some of the different types of light bulb you can find at the moment, in both public and private spaces. These are some of the most interesting examples.

• Metal-halide: warm, orange lights. This is a high quality, but also very concentrated type of light. They are really useful for highlighting a specific decorative element.
• Fluorescent lighting: cold, pale and functional. We usually use them for kitchens, offices, bathrooms etc. They are energy efficient and great if they’re going to be on for long periods of time.
• LED light bulbs: highly efficient, energy saving light bulbs, which will help you to save money in the long term. They are available in two different tones: white (cold) or orange (warm).
• Light bulbs: this traditional lighting method continues to have a huge presence in modern homes. We are seeing them less and less in the public sphere, but when it comes to home decor, this warm light is a beautiful, high-quality option.

In our day-to-day lives, we come across many different types of lighting, depending on the different spaces we find ourselves in. But for your home, we would recommend that you study the location and direction of your lighting, especially if you want to create a peaceful environment. It’s not just the furniture and decor that will determine the atmosphere in your home, but also the lighting.