When I choose lighting fixtures for my home, I’m not just picking out bulbs and lamps. I’m selecting the instruments that will define the space around me. Think of lighting fixtures as the silent conductors of your home’s atmosphere; they orchestrate the light to set the stage for your daily life.
Ambiance isn’t just about setting a mood; it’s a crucial element of home decor. The soft glow of a floor lamp can transform a reading nook into a cozy haven. In contrast, bright overhead lights might energize a kitchen workspace. It’s all about how the light interacts with the colors and furniture around you, creating an environment that feels just right.
We sometimes forget the practical side of lighting. Fixtures must ensure our homes are navigable and safe after the sun sets. Hallways, staircases, and entrances require fixtures that offer bright, clear light to prevent trips and falls. I always ensure these areas of my home are well-lit not just for safety, but for ease of movement and peace of mind.
Good lighting isn’t just about seeing where you’re going. It’s about creating spaces that make us feel at ease. The right lighting can soothe after a stressful day or invigorate when you need a dose of energy. Scientific studies even show that lighting can affect our sleep patterns and mood. So, when I look at lighting fixtures, I see it as an essential step in caring for my well-being at home.
But crafting these perfect lighting scenarios isn’t just about the fixtures themselves. It’s also about how they control and shape the light. As we transition to the next section, consider how your home could be transformed—not just by different fixtures, but by mastering the art of optical control.
Mastering the Lights: Techniques for Optimal Optical Control
Optical control is the bread and butter of effective home lighting. It’s how you direct light to where it needs to go and create the mood you’re after. But what exactly is optical control? At its core, optical control is about managing how light is emitted and distributed in your space. This includes the intensity of the light, its spread, and the direction it’s headed.
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. There are three main lighting techniques to be aware of: direct, indirect, and diffused, and the fixture you select will perform these techniques. Direct lighting points light in a single direction, creating a concentrated beam. It’s perfect for tasks that need focus, like reading or cooking. Indirect lighting, on the other hand, throws light towards ceilings and walls, or reflectors, to reflect back into the space in an even wash of light. This creates a soft, even glow, cutting down on harsh shadows. Then there’s diffused lighting, which spreads light softly across an space, offering a calm, uniform light that’s easy on the eyes.
Direct Lighting
Effect: Most of the light travels in one direction. More intense beams, focused beams, very dramatic
Typical Fixtures: Recessed, track, some pendants, task lighting
Applications: Task/work area lighting, highlighting architectural features and textures, art lighting, accent lighting; can be oppressive if focused down onto people.
Indirect Lighting
Effect: Most of the light reflects off of the ceiling or walls or uses a reflector for he same result. It minimizes shadows but also mutes texture.
Typical Fixtures: Uplight cans, fluorescent fixtures aimed up, track lights aimed up, torchieres, silver bowl bulbs in a metal pendant.
Applications: Ambient lighting for areas of relaxing or a space people move through, such as a hallway.
Diffuse Lighting
Effect: General illumination cast evenly in all directions. Limited textural rendition.
Typical Fixtures: Pendants, chandeliers, surface mount, table lamps
Applications: Most rooms that require general light, can cause glare if too bright.
Don’t overlook the significance of shadows and highlights either. These aren’t just aesthetic choices; they add dimension and a sense of depth to your rooms. By strategically placing lights at different levels and angles, you can accentuate architectural features, artwork, or guide the eye to focal points within a space.
Selecting the Perfect Fixtures for Your Home
Selecting the right lighting fixtures can dramatically transform the feel of your space. It’s not just about choosing a light that works; it’s about finding one that fits perfectly with your home’s style and your personal preferences.
You’ll encounter numerous fixture types, each with a specific purpose. For general illumination, ceiling fixtures and chandeliers are a classic choice, fitting well in living rooms and dining areas. Task lighting, like under-cabinet lights in kitchens or study lamps, focuses light where you need it most. Accent lighting, including wall sconces or track lighting, can highlight artwork or architectural features, adding layers of visual interest. Let’s take a closer look at the different types.
Decorative
Decorative fixtures help establish the style of a room. Is it formal or informal? Relaxed or a work area? Is the home’s style traditional or contemporary? They can reinforce the room’s style, and often fall into the Diffuse Lighting distribution type. They are meant to be seen, therefor the light output should be low enough to avoid glare. To avoid shadows, layer in architectural and/or portable lights.
Fixture Types: Chandeliers, surface mount or close to ceiling, wall sconces, pendants
Architectural
This is a broad term for “built-in” fixtures chosen more for their function and purpose than their style. They often provide indirect lighting for a space, or direct lighting to highlight architectural features. As the workhorse of fixtures, they serve a valuable purpose to support the decorative fixtures. Not to be confused with architectural style, which can be any decorative fixture that tend to be clean lines with no adornments.
Fixture Types: Downlights, uplights, strip lights in a cove, valance lighting, luminous ceiling, and some wall brackets.
Portables
Lighting that has a cord and a plug, not permanently fastened and electrified
Fixture Types: Table lamps, floor lamps, uplight cans, piano lights, some picture lights, S.A.D lamps, and craft lamps.
Bath
Bath lights are application specific, and perform better if damp rated, or wet rated when in a shower. For example, vanity lights light the mirror area of the bathroom.
Fixture Types: Wall strips or sconces at the mirror, water tight surface or recessed over the shower, fan/light combinations. Decorative lights can also be used as bath lights with proper ratings and distance from water.
Low Voltage
Low voltage refers more to the light source than the fixture type. It can be landscape, accent and task lighting. It does require a transformer to drop the incoming voltage from typical residential 120v to 12v or 24v. And, consideration needs to be made for how far the furthest fixture will be from that transformer, and adjust the wire size accordingly. They’re often used when trying to get light into tight spaces or where you don’t want the source to be seen.
Fixture Types: Track, recessed, landscape spots, in or undercabinet, strips, small portables.
Surface Mounted
These are commonly referred to ceiling fixtures. The can attach flush to the ceiling or semi-flush being on a short stem or set of stems. They provide a diffuse, or general light, or semi direct, and the semi-flush offer a nice indirect lighting as well.
Fixture Types: Generally any fixture that is close to the ceiling, not on an adjustable chain, stem, cable or wire.
Wall Mounted
As implied, these mount to the wall. They can be interior or exterior, decorative, architectural; diffuse, indirect, direct or both. They brighten the perimeter of a room or highlight architectural features. They are my preferred choice for vanity and accent lighting, and can be used as design elements in a variety of ways.
Fixture Types: Sconces, urns, lanterns, utility, brackets
Pendants
Pendants hang into a space from the ceiling. Chandeliers do as well, however pendants refer to a single central light where chandeliers have multiple. These too offer direct, indirect, or both, or diffuse light. They can provide task light, and in groupings provide a design or architectural element.
Fixture Types: Can have shades of glass, metal or other material, bare bulb, or bulb accented with a disk. They hang by adjustable chain, stem, cable or wire
Built-In Lighting
Generally refers to lighting equipment built into a cove or cornice, behind a valance, inside cabinets, bookcases or other furniture. It provides accent lighting highlighting precious art or tableware, or indirect light into a space.
Fixture Types: Pucks or strips of lights
Recessed (or Downlights)
Another workhorse of lighting fixtures, these are found built above the ceiling plane or into a floor. They provide a direct light on work areas, art, architectural elements, and can be used to graze stone or brick walls adding interest and excitement to a space. They are meant to put the focus on squarely on the object being lit, and you only see the aperture (or hole) of the fixture. Positioned properly, you also don’t see the bulb itself. They can be used for general lighting, but care needs to be taken to understand the overlap of the beam spread to ensure even coverage in a space. They cause the ceiling to feel shadowed, and without accent or diffused lighting to supplement, a space will feel cold and institutional.
Fixture Types: Recessed cans can be 1 or 2 piece construction consisting of the can and a trim, retrofit or new construction, round, square, or a channel of multiple light sources. They come in a variety of aperture sizes, more light coming from larger bulbs. Because they are built into floor and ceiling, be sure to match the fixture to the environment, such as ratings for insulation contact when installed in an attic.
Track Lighting
Track lighting is a popular choice in areas where you need more light than a single electrical box can provide. It provide flexibility to put light exactly where you want it by placing a track or cable in any direction from the power source for multiple fixtures. You can also mix and match your fixtures and not be tied to single choice
Fixture Types: Rigid track, rail or cable, typically carrying power to spot lights, flood lights or pendants. Can be line voltage or low voltage.
Utility Lighting
Ceiling or wall fixtures that are plain and durable. They usually feature plastic lenses or diffusers, and be surface mounted or recessed. Definitely not created for ambience, but great where you need a lot of evenly distributed light.
Fixture Types: Troffers, strips, wrap-arounds, available in fluorescent or LED.
Step Lights
These are exactly as they sound, lights to light up the steps. Important for safety whether interior or exterior. They can be mounted into the riser or a side wall, and sometimes under the edge of the tread. They can be great nightlights for finding your way in the dark without turning on bright overhead lights.
Fixture Types: Recessed boxes into a wall or riser, or LED strip light under the tread.
Accent Lights
Fixtures or portable that point the light in one direction to highlight or focus attention on an object. They can be mounted on a variety of surfaces or recessed.
Fixture Types: Pucks, track spot lights, recessed cans, picture lights, floor uplights
Putting it all Together
As you consider all of the options for your space, keep in mind that layering the light is the most visually satisfying and effective. Having a single light source requires that source to be so bright it will be uncomfortable to the eyes. Only installing recessed cans in a space creates shadows whether you want them or not. A good lighting plan identifies how the space will be used, any priorities for focusing attention, then ensuring the space is comfortable on the eyes. It offers flexibility for how the space is lit, for how the space is being used at any given time.
Let’s think about a family room. It’s where you relax and read, watch television, maybe you have a table where you play board games, and let’s say you have a piano in the corner and a favorite portrait on the wall. Place portables by where you sit to read by, wall sconces on either side of the TV to balance the shadows created by the television screen. Use recessed cans to direct light at the portrait, the game board table and the sheet music holder on the piano if you know your table and piano will always be in the same place. Additional recessed cans can be used for general lighting, but never over the heads where people sit. I personally prefer a ceiling fixture for diffused general lighting, but others prefer recessed cans. Ultimately, you need to make choices that work functionally and for your aesthetic.
When you have multiple sources, you’ll want to be able to control which are on when and at what light levels. There is an array of control systems to avoid “wall acne”, long banks of light switches. We’ll dive deeper into those systems in a later article, but for now, remember you’re not going to want all of the lights on the same switch.
Thinking about trends, in 2024, smart home compatibility is huge, offering the convenience of adjusting your lighting from your smartphone or through voice commands. Industrial designs with exposed bulbs are also a popular design trend, adding a chic, urban vibe to your space. The rustic farmhouse look continues to be popular as well.
And remember, the right choice is not just about style. Energy-efficient fixtures like LEDs can save money and reduce your carbon footprint. So can dimming, which has it’s own set of requirements to consider. Prioritize both style and sustainability to ensure your home’s lighting is a smart, forward-thinking investment.
With all of this to consider, it’s likely you have lots more questions. Rest assured, we’ll dive deeper into laying out a good lighting plan, lighting controls, placement, etc., and now you’ve got a start in thinking about what to consider amongst the numerous options.
As always, add a comment or shoot me question!