Functional lighting: Designing your lighting with purpose

Lighting a room properly is not as easy as selecting a fixture. There are a few questions that need to be answered in order to create the perfectly lit room. For instance, what is the function of the room? How much of the room should be lit? Do you want to create a certain ambiance? Reading and Studying Areas Study and reading areas should be moderately bright. Task lighting, such as a 100-watt desk lamp, will shine directly on the subject, while track lighting will help create a study zone. Direct light from a recessed fixture will reduce glare and increase brightness, but Home Depot designer Michelle Flores says light coming from several balanced sources is best for reading because it reduces shadows and minimizes eyestrain. Living Areas and Kitchens Table and floor lamps provide enough general lighting for most living rooms. Fixtures with 3-way bulbs grant added flexibility while lights directed up help brighten and enlarge the room. “A lamp directed at the ceiling will provide a softer, more evenly distributed light and give the room a warm, inviting atmosphere, while lighting a single wall with a pair of lamps can create an entirely different look,” Flores says. The kitchen should be one of the brightest areas in the entire house. For lighting fixtures located directly over cooking areas, Flores recommends using removable clear lenses that can be taken off and cleaned regularly. Try under-cabinet fluorescent lights to create bright work areas for the countertops or incandescent task lights to illuminate a range top or cutting board area. It’s also a good idea to use fixtures with sealed lenses to prevent moisture from penetrating the inside of the fixture, helping to prolong the life of the fixture. Dimmers There’s more to lighting control options than just switching a fixture on and off. Dimmer controls are perfect for adjusting the intensity of light in a room. This flexibility allows you to alter the brightness of a room to suit different activities. There are three basic kinds of dimmers: dial, sliding-lever and push-button controls. Because each of these performs the same function, pick the one you like the best. Some dimmers can also be operated with a remote control like the one you use for your television. In most cases any standard single-pole switch can be replaced with a dimmer control. When thinking of changing the lighting in your home, remember there are plenty of options for you to choose from that don’t require a lot of work. Ask your local home improvement expert for planning tips or product recommendations that will make your room functional and attractive. News Canada