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Lighting is, of course, very practical and allows you to illuminate even the darkest areas of your home, especially in those dark winter months, but there is so much more to lighting than the simple practicalities and your choice of lighting can make a massive difference to the look and feel of your home.
Lighting typically falls into one of three categories: Task lighting, ambient lighting and accent lighting.
Ambient Lighting
Often, we would call this the main light and its function is to give enough clear light in a room to allow anyone in there to navigate around the room safely. When considering what ambient lighting to have and how to position it, you need to understand how much natural light you receive in the room, what shadows are cast in the room and so where the dark spots are. You can then arrange your ambient lighting to give a good spread of light throughout the room.
Although this type of light is very functional and practical, it doesn’t need to be boring. A great option for kitchens and bathrooms is in-ceiling downlights they can be strategically placed to ensure even the most shadowy nook receives light. Pendant ceiling lights which come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, we particularly liked this ide reaching LED 3x frame ceiling light from Lights.co.uk or for smaller rooms this colour changing light is a light statement that won’t soon be forgotten. You can really make your ambient lighting a showpiece whilst at the same time providing enough light in the room to ensure there are no dark and dingy corners of the room.
Task Lighting
These lights are exactly what they say and they are there to provide light for specific tasks. These would be used where the main light is either not localised and specific enough or simply not needed. One example is that ever dark cupboard under the stairs. You don’t really need ambient light in there but try getting the hoover out in the dark. Why not invest in a re-chargeable, PIR activated LED light for this area? What about doing your make-up? Sometimes the lights in your bathroom or dressing room just don’t cut the mustard, do they? The solution is to have make-up lights integrated into your mirrors. Who wouldn’t love this lit up Hollywood mirror for their dressing table or this illuminated bathroom mirror? For those annoying nooks and crannies in the kitchen, you can invest in some under cabinet lights, such as these bright LED strips which will chase away those shady areas. One very useful type of task light is the motion sensor bedroom lamp for that annoying trip to the loo at night. The last thing you want is to crash and bang around in a dark room, but, equally, you don’t want to put the main light on. These motion sensing floor lights that fit neatly under your bed are ideal and will help you find your way without waking the whole house.
Accent Lighting
These lights are there simply for that extra wow factor and to create extra character and drama to your home. These lights are there to draw attention to certain areas of your room such as special pictures and photos or feature walls. Accent lights are often used very effectively outside the property in the garden to bring some life and light to trellises or decking. If you want to highlight a special painting or a specific family photo, then a picture light is perfect. We liked this antique brass picture light as it is has some beautiful curves and looks timeless. For a real wow factor, why not try this bubble water wall with colour changing LEDs? We think it fair to say that this would be a real talking point with your guests.
Lighting is more than a simple way of giving you enough light to see, by mixing and matching your lighting styles you can create a truly unique ambience in your home.
