Lighting can make or break a space. Good and apt lighting can transform a simple room into an elegant space. Here’s a guide for you on different kinds of lighting. 

General and Ambient lighting

General lighting is functional lighting that gives amble light to a space. It helps you carry out your everyday activities without any hindrance. General lighting can be direct that you might need to adjust it (on/off or dim) depending on the time of the day. 

Ambient lighting is also functional lighting but, it can be softer than the general lighting that you don’t need to adjust it now and then. It can provide natural light as much as possible hence best suitable for spaces where you entertain people. 

Though these are functional lights, it doesn’t mean that they have to be plain and simple. A grand chandelier or a pendant light can provide direct/ambient lights. You can also go for practical ones like a ceiling light. 

Task lighting

Task lighting – as the name suggests, helps you to do a particular task. Consider tasks like reading, writing, cooking, or even doing your hair and make-up where you need a good amount of light to concentrate on your work – task light is the right one for that. 

One important thing to consider while using task light is the contrast. The other part of the room should be dimmer (not fully dark) for the task light to work better. 

Some of the lights you can consider for task lighting are swingarm/balanced arm lamps for your office space, under cabinet/ pendant lights for the kitchen, and vanity/mirror lights for your grooming area. 

Mood and accent lighting 

Mood lighting can be used along with the general and ambient lighting to make the room inviting and to avoid shadows. Generally, table lamps and floor lamps are used for mood lighting. So the style and appearance of the light are as important as the function of the mood light. 

Accent lighting is similar to task lighting – it accentuates a particular feature of a home. It could be a painting, artifact, collectibles, bookshelves, or even a piece of furniture. Accent lighting highlights the feature by shadowing the surrounding areas. It is used outdoors also to focus on the pool, yard, and the likes. 

Now that we know different kinds of lighting, let’s see the general types of lights used. 

Ceiling and recessed lights

Ceiling lights are lights mounted on the ceiling. They can be simple or have some accents and designs as well. They are used for direct and ambient lighting. 

Recessed lights are also ceiling lights but, it’s mounted inside the ceiling so that the light fixture is not visible outside. It can add aesthetic value to a space. Recessed lights can be used on walls and the floors also as accent lights. 

Wall lights 

Wall lights are mounted on walls for accent lighting. Wall lights come with various designs that other than using them for their functionality can be used as a design element as well. 

Track lights 

    Track lights can also be used for accent lighting but they can cover a larger area. It gives a nice modern, contemporary feel that if your house has an overall modern vibe going on, you can use it in any room at your house.