Types of Lighting in Interior Design
Lighting plays an important role in interior design. Often neglected, it has the power to transform your interiors, creating the required ambience, enhancing colours and textures and highlighting certain architectural features. In this blog, we will explore different types of lighting and how to choose the right light for different spaces of your home. Let’s explore types of lighting in interior design. Role of Lighting in Interior Design Lighting is not just the flick of a switch; it requires careful consideration and planning to ensure that the right fixtures and light sources are chosen to maintain the required lighting levels in different spaces according to their purpose and design style. The lighting design should complement the interior design and focus on the right elements to set the overall mood of the space, making it feel spacious and inviting. Lighting can affect our mood and behaviour as well- bright and cool-toned lights increase focus and concentration, while dimmer and warm lighting induces a feeling of calm and relaxation. This creates different atmospheres in different spaces- for example, energising white and focussed light is required for a study room, while warm diffused lighting is preferred for living rooms. Using the Right Lighting in Interior Design The use of correct lighting can transform a room from feeling flat and inviting to welcoming and fresh. By controlling the light intensity, direction and colour, specific areas can be highlighted creating a sense of drama and visual interest in a space. It is all about balance of light and shade and drawing attention to desirable areas of the design. That is the skill of interior designers- to artfully combine downlights, uplights, wall lights, floor lights, hidden lights, feature lights, pendant lighting and lamps, to create interest and depth in a room and illuminate required features. A successful lighting plan will always have a mix of decorative lighting and architectural lighting- different layers that make a space multi-functional. A good mix of ambient, accent and task lighting makes for a good lighting plan. Decorative lights refers to lighting as a dramatic pendant, interesting wall light or a feature lamp to attract our eye to the artistic fixtures or the feature it is accentuating. For example, a large chandelier instantly draws our attention in a room. Similarly, a hidden track light in a false ceiling summons us to look at the false ceiling. Types of Lighting in Interior Design Downlighting Downlighting is the most popular form of lighting in interiors that includes luminaires that throw light in the downward direction as indicated in the name. They are usually fixed into the ceiling so you see only a small part of the fitting below the ceiling. Since the light falls on objects from above, shadows are unavoidable, so downlighting needs to be balanced with adequate ambient lighting. Uplighting Uplighting is a softer alternative to downlighting, created by strategically placing lighting fixtures on the floor and pointing them upwards. It is usually used for improving the ambience of a space as a support to downlighting. Uplighting utilises the property of reflection of light to indirectly light a space. Wall Washing Wall washing is a lighting method used to illuminate a vertical surface in a soft way. It utilises vertical, indirect lighting placed at a certain distance and angle from a wall to create a smooth washed effect, that hides rough imperfections, eliminates shadows and uniformly lights up the wall. Wall Grazing Wall grazing is the opposite of wall washing, where the light source is intentionally placed close to the surface of the wall to illuminate the area while highlighting the texture of the wall. Spotlighting Spotlighting is a method of using focussed light to highlight a particular feature of a room. It is frequently used in task lighting and accent lighting, to concentrate light on a specific area or activity in a room or to accentuate an architectural or decor feature. Perimeter Lighting This type of lighting is used to accentuate a room to expand its apparent size. It is often used in corridors and narrow spaces in interiors to give an illusion of a wider or larger space. How to Choose the Right Lighting Fixture? To create a cohesive and harmonious interior design, choosing the right luminaires and deciding their placement is important. This involves selecting the appropriate style, considering the fixture size, and the intensity of light required. You could also explore energy-efficient options for your lighting design. Selecting the Style of Fixture The lighting plan should be created based on the style of the room- modern, traditional, eclectic, etc. Style of a fixture refers to its material, colour, shape and quality of light. For example, an industrial-style pendant light would not blend in a classic interior. Similarly a brass coated light or lamp would be out of place in an eclectic design. Fixture Size and Placement The light chosen has to be proportional to the room to provide the desired illumination required for the room. For example, the size of a chandelier for a living or dining room will be based on the furniture in the room. The placement of the fixtures will determine the mood of the space. Pleasant lighting creates a welcoming atmosphere as opposed to harsh, bright lighting. Lighting for luxurious interiors Pendant lights Pendant lights are a great type of accent lighting that comes in different forms for direct lighting and indirect lighting. In case of direct lighting, pendants are used for uplighting and downlighting, where general lighting is required along with task lighting. Indirect lighting plans employ lights that are suspended from the ceiling using cables- the lamp is completely hidden from below and a reflector directs all of the light up towards the ceiling. Pendant lighting can be used in any design style and any space- it can be used over a kitchen island or dining table, in your living rooms, as well as in bedrooms. Used for practical and decorative purposes, they work in conjunction with other lights to