What Do you See?

When you think of interior design, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Kitchen and bath renovation? Architecture? Old World Style? Contemporary furniture? How about flooring and wall tiles? What about the pretty colors?! Wallpaper, paint, cabinetry, bedding, cushions, pillows, and rugs?!

I bet your first couple of thoughts did not include lighting. Yet, lighting is the very vehicle that lets you enjoy what did come to mind first. How are you going to tell the difference between Forest Valley Green and Parsley Snips? Are you going to be able to appreciate the curves of an antique column in the dark? The metallic thread on your bedroom drapery----that absolutely needs light to shimmer.

Where do we place lighting? Placement is critical to a successful lighting scheme. The key to a great lighting scheme is to layer lighting. Not only does layering keep us from being one dimensional, but it also allows us to light for a purpose.

There are three types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent. Ambient lighting is our general lighting, track, recessed, and general ceiling lights allow us to see where we are in the room and can often create a mood. Task lighting will allow us to complete specific tasks. Task lighting is prevalent in kitchens, hallways, offices, and laundry rooms. These include lights like vanity lights, under cabinet lighting, and lamps. Lastly, we have accent lighting. Accent lighting is mainly decorative. Think of accent lighting as the “jewelry” of the lighting in the room. They emit light, but you certainly could not find the earring back you lost on the floor under them. Candlelight, picture lights, wall sconces, niche lighting, and chandeliers all fall under the category of accent lighting.

Unquestionably, lighting is the key to what you see. In a future follow-up, we will go a bit more in depth into facets of lighting. For now, we hope we have you thinking differently about how to light up your life!