Many people may not know that different types of lights have different functions and uses. The two main categories when it comes to lighting are indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, but there are many different types of indoor lighting. Here’s a look at four types of lighting that you can use and your home and the best times and places to use them.
#1: Accent Lights
What They Are
Accent lights, also known as highlights, are usually small because they’re used to focus on a specific point. Different types of accent lights include wall-mounted fixtures, under-cabinet lights, track lights, tape and extrusion lights, slimline bars, downlights, and directional recessed fixtures.
When to Use
Many people use accent lights to make a room appear larger since the lights focus on one specific area. Use accent lights in your home when you want to draw more attention to a certain area of your room. This can be an entrance, a painting, pottery, architectural features, a kitchenette area, or even an accent wall. They may also be used to save energy because they don’t use as much power as ambient lights.
#2: Ambient Lights
What They Are
Ambient lights are also known as general lights because they are the most commonly used lights, both indoors and outdoors. It’s very popular outdoors because at night it lights up a huge area, deterring wrongdoers. As for indoors, the different types of ambient lights include wall-mounted fixtures, traditional recessed fixtures, table lamps, floor lamps, chandeliers, and ceiling-mounted fixtures.
When to Use
Most homes are constructed with ambient lights in all of the rooms, although some rooms may not have ambient lighting or any lighting at all. If you need to light up a room in its entirety, choose a type of ambient light. You can also add more ambient lighting to the outside of your home, particularly in very large, dark areas.
#3: Natural Light
What It Is
Natural light is also known as sunlight, as it comes from a natural source: the sun. The sun can also be used to power your entire home through solar panels. Solar panels use the light particles from sunlight to create electricity. This may be the more expensive way to use natural light, but you’ll save money in the long run by using a natural, renewable source of energy.
When to Use
You can use natural lighting whenever the sun is out. Some people choose to open their curtains/drapes/blinds during the daylight hours and use their other lighting at night. If you choose to switch back and forth like this, consider hanging your curtains on KS recessed tracks to make it easier to open and close them throughout the day.
As for solar panels, these can be used in place of or in addition to other sources of energy. Some people may not be ready to power their entire home with solar panels, but they use them to power other types of lights.
#4: Task Lights
What They Are
Task lights are used to illuminate a specific spot, similar to accent lights. However, the main difference is that task lights aren’t always permanently fixed. Examples of task lights include tape and extrusion lights, slimline bars, pendant lighting, directional gimbal recessed downlights, and desk lamps.
When to Use
These lights, like accent lights, are used to illuminate something specific, but accent lights are used to highlight something for aesthetic purposes. Task lights, as the name suggests, are mainly used when you’re performing a specific task. They’re also smaller so that you can place them on a desk or nightstand (lamps), underneath your kitchen cabinets (under-cabinet lights), or wherever you’ll need a smaller, focused type of lighting for a short time.
As you probably noticed, many of the specific types of light fixtures fall into more than one category of lighting. This is because these types of lighting can serve more than one purpose. Some types of accent lights can also be used as ambient lights, and some types of task lights can also be used as accent lights— it really depends on what you’re using the light for.
You can also use a combination of different types of lights in one room, as well as throughout your house. Just keep in mind that using natural lighting and other types of lighting might make it easier for outsiders to see inside your home.
