LIGHTING, FIXTURE AND BULB TYPES

THE 3 LAYERS OF LIGHTING

Interior light falls into three categories: ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. For the most effective lighting scenario, use a combination of all three for a layered effect.

  • Ambient lighting provides general lighting that should beautifully radiate from the center of the room.
  • Accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual excitement while casting light on a specific point or object in the room.
  • Task lighting illuminates an area used for specific tasks such as cooking, working or reading. The key is to ensure a glare-free workspace that is easy on the eyes so that you can focus on the task at hand.

FIXTURE TYPES

Any good lighting plan incorporates an array of different types of lighting fixtures and can make a small room look open and airy, and a large room appear cozy while adding beauty and drama. It should complement your lifestyle and suit your individual needs and those of your family. When planning your lighting, look at the activities that occur in each room, the atmosphere you want to create and the decorative elements you wish to emphasize. Shades help each fixture control light. The shape, material and opacity of the shade will all affect the direction and the diffusion of the light by casting it up or down and reducing any glare.

Below is an overview of the different types of lighting Surya has to offer.

PORTABLE LIGHTING

Portable lighting includes table, floor, ceiling or wall lighting that can be picked up, moved and plugged in wherever there is an electrical outlet. It does not need to be hardwired by a professional.

  • Table/Floor/Task: Desk, table and floor lamps are largely used as task lights because they’re flexible and can be positioned in various locations as needed (like adjacent to a reading chair, or atop a desk for work). They typically provide light in a downward direction, illuminating the surface directly below it rather than providing a general glow, which prevents them from often being used as ambient lights.

CEILING/WALL-MOUNTED FIXTURES

This broad range of fixtures is, as its name implies, mounted directly to the ceiling or wall by a lighting professional, and typically features a glass, fabric, or plastic shade that conceals the light bulb to help diffuse light more evenly. Mounted fixtures tend to be used to provide ambient light in a room as opposed to accent or task lighting because they provide more general, dispersed lighting.

  • Pendants/chandeliers are lights that hang from a cable, cord, or pipe from an attachment at a ceiling, ending in a shade enclosing a light bulb that primarily provides light in a downward direction, known as a downlight. Pendants are often located over a table or kitchen island because they provide ambient or task lighting, and usually have strong stylistic elements that bring character to a space because they’re so visible.
  • Wall sconces are some of the most decorative fixtures in the lighting market because they are frequently installed at eye-level in most rooms. They can be either uplights or downlights, providing ambient or task lighting, depending on the fixture, but are rarely powerful enough to provide enough illumination alone to light a large space. They’re often found on either side of a fireplace or bed for additional illumination, highlighting these visual focal points in a space.

BULB TYPES

  • Candle: The candle bulb transports us to another time, one with a very warm and intimate lighting environment. Candle bulbs can add a touch of nostalgic beauty to any room.
  • Compact Fluorescent Bulb (CFL): These bulbs consume a quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs do and last 10 times longer. The one hesitation with CFL bulbs is that they contain traces of mercury, so, if broken, it’s very important to dispose immediately and keep away from children.
  • Edison: The Edison bulb is a carbon or tungsten filament light bulb that carries a vintage look reminiscent of the turn of the 20th century.
  • Globe: The globe bulb is named after its shape. A big burning globe gives a bright and heightened feel to a room.
  • Incandescent: Incandescent bulbs, the most common household light bulbs, are also the most affordable type of light bulb. This type of light is warm, inviting, and was made for the home. Incandescent bulbs usually last between 700 to 1,000 hours and can be used with a dimmer; however, they’re not as energy efficient as some other options.
  • Light Emitting Diode Bulb (LED): This bulb is long-lasting and extremely energy-efficient. LED bulbs provide only directional light, not diffused light, so they are great for task lighting, and generally not used for ambient lighting.