Lighting, at its most basic, is simply a means to illuminate a room so that we can see our way around. When used imaginatively lighting can highlight features, define shapes, reveal colours, enhance textures and create a feeling of space.
Your chosen means of lighting a room can make or break the overall effect you have worked so hard to achieve. If the lights are too bright you automatically lose the intimacy. If the lights are too dull, a room can become gloomy, and you lose the beauty of carefully chosen furnishings. Successful lighting must be carefully planned and considered.
Lighting must of course be in keeping with the general decorative style of a room. It should enhance not overpower and it is best to aim for lighting to be practical, adaptable and subtle. Firstly it should be functional and secondly it should be decorative.
Before chooses any lighting you should assess the degree and quality of existing natural light and then the layout of existing electric light sources and switching arrangements.
Lighting has five main categories. They are; general lighting which needs to be supplemented with complementary lighting, task lighting which is specifically designed to illuminate activities/hobbies, purpose lighting which are lights installed in places where no light at all would be dangerous i.e. a staircase, design lighting which can highlight treasured objets d’art and lastly decorative lighting which has fittings chosen mainly for their attractive appearance.