Layering Lighting: Illuminate Your Home
Highlight the beauty of your space.
Layering lighting enhances and balances the visual interest of a space while ensuring there is enough light to fulfill certain tasks, like reading or working. Read on for designer strategies on how to layer lighting in your space.
Types of Lighting
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the core lighting that illuminates your space. It should provide uniform and glare-free lighting throughout the day.
To achieve the right level of ambient lighting, designers tend to use larger lighting fixtures placed in the center of the room – think chandeliers, pendants, and flush mounts – all of which work with natural light to add greater depth and dimension. These fixtures are typically positioned closer to the ceiling for better light diffusion.
Designers use task lighting for more localized illumination – for example, task lighting may be integrated in a space that needs specific light for reading, working, cooking, or painting.
Unlike ambient lighting, task lighting tends to be a more intense light source since its purpose is to eliminate shadows and prevent eye strain. Depending on the location and need, designers may use table lamps, floor lamps, pendants, wall sconces, under-cabinet lighting, and recessed lighting to create specialized task lighting.
For refined points of placement, designers often use accent lighting to accentuate a specific feature, such as artwork or unique architectural features. Depending on your space, there are a number of ways to integrate accent lighting, from wall sconces, floodlights, recessed lights, and track lighting to unique installations. For example, wall sconces can be placed above a china cabinet or on either side of a painting for maximum visual impact. Accent lights are an opportunity to build upon your existing layers of illumination with a stylish, well-lit centerpiece.
When used all together, ambient, task, and accent lighting fulfill specific functions for various parts of a room while providing a refined glow. For example, a chandelier may be used to anchor a space with uniform ambient light, while table lamps placed on nearby side tables add convenient task lighting for reading or working. As a finishing touch, recessed lights or wall sconces positioned on either side of framed paintings provide accent lighting that adds visual drama and draws attention to the details of the artwork. All three types of lighting illuminate the elegant characteristics and dimensions of the space.
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