Importance of Lighting in an Interior Design Project

Whether you're designing a kiddie room, a baby room, a home theater area, or even a bathroom, there's always one element present, one element that you need to consider above all else: lighting. The colors, room scheme, or the general design of a room is all dependent on what kind of lighting conditions you have.

The kind of lighting conditions that you allow to enter a room is in turn determined by your desired room scheme and the position and circumstances surrounding the room. Every room in your house, and every house for that matter, has lighting conditions that is unique to its own. Because every room might have different wall color, different color scheme, unique windows, or different area, you can't say that what's good for one room will be the best thing to do on another.

There are different kinds of lighting conditions. Each lighting situation can create several moods during the duration of the day. The room lighting conditions might be vibrant, lively or full of life and color during the early parts of the day but suddenly changes to nostalgic in the afternoon and somber during the evening. When you think of the lighting in your rooms, you need to understand that the type of lighting is something that is part of the overall planning stage. It is not ideal to adjust for a specific lighting conditions when everything has been fitted, painted and installed. You don't want to have a wall stripped off the paint and wall paper just because you needed to lay down a new wiring systems to accommodate the lighting mood you are going for.

Natural light is not the only source of light and not the only way to express your self or make design scheme. You can move your schemes and moods about other light sources like lampshades, specialized light bulbs, reflectors and the much more. But regardless of what equipment you use, there are three basic types of light, the natural lighting conditions, accent lighting, and task lighting.

The natural lighting conditions refer to the general lighting and ambient lighting situations. In this set up is is necessary to keep the center of the room well illuminated to ensure that the rest of the room has a good level of brightness for everyday use. The accent lighting, on the other hand, involves the use of lights or specialized equipment to highlight or focus the attention of lookers on a a specific area only. These areas might include paintings and other display items, alcoves or fireplaces. The task lighting, meanwhile is a much more specific lighting condition wherein you are designating a certain lighting area or equipment to perform specific tasks like lights intended for reading or working at home.

It is usually the right combination of these three kinds of lighting conditions that will create exquisite designs and bring forth expressive moods. However, although everything is your personal preference, it is important to have balance and not overdo things.

Aside from the three lighting conditions, there are some commercially available accessory equipment that you can use to supplement your present lighting setup. These include downlighters which are mounted on the ceilings or walls and are direct source of lights and can cast considerable shadows; the uplighters which are installed on a wall or be outfitted with stands to make them movable are used to “wash out” the colors of your ceiling; the wall washers which are pointed on walls; and various decorative lights that adds visual interests in your rooms.