Property
Get to Know Layered Lighting
Use dimmers. A dimmer on every light
switch is a relatively easy change to
make, and it can have a big effect on how
your space is lit. You may have thought
of putting a dimmer switch on the living
room, dining room and bedroom lights,
but dimmers are great in the kitchen and
bath as well.
Having a dimmer switch allows you to
create a subtle shift in mood from cooking and prep time to mixing and mingling
during a party. And when you are hoping to unwind with a nice soak in the tub,
softly dimmed lights are so much more
pleasant than glaring overheads.
Make light switches convenient. Think about
how you most frequently enter each
room, and be sure there is a light switch
near the entrance. The only exception is
in the bedroom, when you may need an
additional switch near the bed especially
if you choose to forgo the usual bedside
lamps in favor of a pendant light.
Imagine a scene in a bad movie, where a single bulb dangles from the ceiling in a police interrogation room that’s what happens when you don’t layer lighting! Drama aside, it’s a fact that the
fewer the light sources, the more shadows there will be in a room and shadows are decidedly not
flattering.
To build a warm, inviting, well-lit room, you will need to layer three kinds of light: ambient, task
and accent. The three types of lighting work together to cast a warm overall glow, provide brighter light where needed, and enhance the style and architectural features of the space.
Ambient lighting. This is the light you are most likely to flip on as soon as you enter the room and
it nearly always comes from an overhead source. Ambient lighting can include pendant lights,
chandeliers, sconces, and lamps, as well as architectural lighting such as cove, soffit and recessed lights.
Task lighting. When you need to
see what you are doing, task
lighting is there to help think
of the reading lamp in the
living room or undercabinet
lights in the kitchen.
Task lighting also can include
pendants, sconces and recessed or track lights directed
at a work surface.
Accent lighting. When your am-
bient and task lighting needs
are met, consider adding
accent lighting to highlight
the architecture or a favorite
feature, like a book collection
or artwork.
Accent lighting can also take
the form of string lights, small
lamps, recessed or track
lighting, and other architectural lights such as soffit, cove
and valance lights.
13 | Choice Options