Let there be light
The first place we really learn the power of lighting, I think, is the movies. Growing up (and now, in my adulthood), I watched a lot of vintage film noir, especially The Thin Man series of detective stories. Those old movies — noir in particular — always had a masterful grasp on how light and shadow defined a scene. The dewy soft-focus haze for our leading ladies; the thick chiaroscuro of bad guys; the stripes of slatted blinds across the silhouette of a hard-boiled PI. Light in a space changes the way we engage with that space, and the feeling that space gives us. An easy modern example: who among us hasn’t felt a little unpleasant under the continual fluorescent glow of a waiting room? Or, on the flip side, enjoyed the cozy yellow-gold of our favorite cafe in the evening hours?
Light is how we understand environments — our visual processing is defined by the reflection, absorption, and decoding of light. So when you’re considering lighting in your home, the importance of good lighting choices really can’t be overstated! Today, I wanted to talk a little about lighting: what to think about, what to look for, and how to find the best lighting for your home.
In general, there are three types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent.
Ambient lighting is your base layer — your general illumination, from things like windows and recessed ceiling lights. Chandeliers and pendants, as well as recessed lights, are the typical modes of introducing ambient light in your space. Think of ambient lighting like the underpainting in a picture. It provides the unified ground over which your other lighting choices will play, adding depth and levels.
Task lighting provides targeted light in specific areas of your house, especially in places where you want a clear view (think lighting over kitchen islands, or your bedside lamp). As the name suggests, task lighting is task-oriented. Need a clearer view over your kitchen counters? Looking for good dining table illumination? Task lighting is there to make those cutting boards and dinner plates clear and visible. Sconces, lamps, and under-cabinet lighting — all typically intended to provide ready functional light — are task lighting standbys.
Accent lighting is just that — an accent, good for picking out certain architectural or visual features in your home and creating focal points. Accent lights can be sconces or lamps, like task lights, but can also be track lights and picture lights, whose focus is more directed and can be used to spotlight art. Accent lighting is all about finding the unique features of your space and showing them off!
When you start figuring out your interior lighting, it’s ideal to layer all these lighting types to create a textured light that serves all the functions you need it to. For instance, you might have a living room with wide windows and recessed can lights, and augment this with a table lamp or two by your sofa (task lighting, for when you want to cozy up and read) and a picture light to really make that perfect piece of artwork on the wall shine.
And layering light isn’t limited to having all the lights on at once. Ideally, your ambient and accent lights are on dimmers, allowing you to more delicately shape the lighting of your space — and with variations on which lights are on and off, your space should take on new characters and reveal lovely new facets. Lighting can do a lot of heavy-lifting in terms of making a room both highly refined and adeptly functional. Cohesion in your lighting is an absolute must!
If you’re ready to talk lighting for your home, drop me a line anytime — I’d love to talk about the right way to make your space glow!
Never underestimate the value of good lighting. A little silver screen magic never hurts.