Fundamentals of Residential Lighting

Any discussion of home lighting must begin with five important concepts:

1. Task Lighting
2. Ambient Lighting
3. Accent Lighting
4. Layered Lighting
5. Dimming and Lighting Controls

Task Lighting

Task lighting is the lighting necessary to carry out specific activities in the home. Generally, task lighting is higher in intensity than other types of lighting. There are four primary tasks that require higher than average lighting levels.

1. Lighting for food preparation and cooking
2. Lighting for grooming (shaving, putting on makeup, etc.)
3. Lighting for reading
4. Lighting for a variety of activities in a laundry room.

Footcandles are the unit that we use to measure the amount of lighting reaching a task. A footcandle is a simple concept, and one footcandle is the amount of light reaching a surface that is one foot away from one candle when no other light is present.

The level of footcandles necessary to achieve good task lighting is approximately 50, and can be achieved in a variety of ways. Your lighting consultant can help you to better understand this concept and can help you to achieve this level of lighting.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting is a term used to describe the total amount of light that is present in a space. We can say that a room has high or low levels of ambient lighting.

How much lighting is needed or desired is often a very personal preference. In places such as kitchens and bathrooms, it is often good practice to provide multiple types of lighting that can provide high levels of ambient lighting for some tasks, and low levels of ambient lighting for other activities.

Places such as laundry rooms and closets are best illuminated with high levels of ambient lighting, although they also should be provided with dimming controls that allow the high ambient level to be reduced when desired. In spaces such as family rooms and bedrooms it is best to provide ambient lighting primarily from portable lamps and wall mounted lighting such as wall sconces.

Ambient lighting can also be provided by placing surface mounted fixtures at the ceiling. A recent trend is the use of decorative chandeliers in almost any space in the home. A chandelier is highly useful for providing high ambient lighting when necessary, or it can be dimmed to provide a very soft and low level of ambient lighting.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is any type of lighting that brings attention to itself or to an object. Most commonly we think of accent lighting as any light that focuses attention on an object. Paintings, framed photographs, posters and three-dimensional art are likely candidates for accent lighting.

Accent lighting also can be considered to be lighting fixtures or built-in lighting that has an artistic quality which brings attention to itself. Almost any hanging fixture can be considered to be a form of accent lighting since the fixture is a predominant and artistic element that brings attention to itself.

Layered Lighting

Layered lighting is the process of placing multiple types of lighting in a single space. The most comfortable lighting conditions in a home are often created when the lighting is being created from a variety of sources. Generally, three layers are a good target for achieving a good balance of lighting.

In any room, it is possible to place a combination of light sources. In a kitchen, for example, it is good practice to put three or four layers of light. Good task lighting can be achieved with a combination of undercabinet lighting and recessed lighting. Ambient and accent lighting can be achieved with a central chandelier and/or wall sconces. If the kitchen cabinets are open above the cabinets, it is often good practice to place some type of lighting above the cabinets to create a soft glow as an accent.

Dimming and Lighting Controls

The term "lighting controls" is used to define any product that allows us to turn lighting on and off and to control the intensity of light in a space. Dimmers are the products that allow both the ability to turn lights on and off and to modulate the intensity of light from a lighting fixture.

Dimmers have potential use in almost every location in the home. They are typically used in the dining room, but they will add much comfort and flexibility if used throughout the home. Especially in rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens, dimmer can add significantly to the quality of light in these spaces.