Artificial lighting is one of the most important parts of interior design. Whether it’s for your bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom, artificial lighting is a necessary factor to consider.
Below, we’ll be tackling five tips to improve your use of artificial lighting.
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The Types of Lighting
First on this list is the essential art of artificial lighting. Mastering 5 of the more common types of lighting, which are: Ambient Lighting, Perimeter Lighting, Accent Lighting, Task Lighting, and Architectural Enhancement, is a must.
Learning their differences and the intricacies that give them their pros and cons helps you apply the right technique to the area you’re working on. For example, ambient and task lighting are two types that are great at achieving a balanced look for the room, while accent lighting focuses on making certain decor stand out and highlighting them.
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Artificial Lighting is a Complement
If possible, artificial lighting should never be your main source of lighting for every part of your home. A home with a lot of natural light is usually where people feel most comfortable and homely. If that isn’t possible, your next best goal should be to create some sense of natural lighting with artificial sources. This doesn’t specifically mean replicating how the sun lights up the room you slept in as a child or those indoor enclosures for animals, but making sure it feels natural is something you can achieve if you think of artificial lighting as a compliment.
On another note, think of artificial lighting as a way to complement your entire design. Think of it as a way to enhance the colors, emphasize texture, and define certain volumes.
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Control
One important thing to consider when it comes to artificial lighting is its significant difference from natural lighting. As opposed to natural lighting having abstract appeal where the weather and climate decide your ambiance daily, artificial lighting can be as constant as you want it to be.
This is important when considering how to improve your use of artificial lighting. Although you have unlimited use of lights, that doesn’t mean you should keep them on all the time or that everything in your house should be lit up bright. Control is important. Striking a balance is what matters the most. Will a bright LED light complement your design? Will a series of fairy lights enhance the colors of your kitchen? Think them through and envision what you want them to look like.
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Choose Wisely
Choosing wisely is another generic yet extremely important tip. There are a lot of things you have to choose with regard to artificial lighting.
Choose what type of lighting to use, what combination will work out for you, and what brand. However, no matter what you decide, anything LED should always be prioritized. (Reduced carbon footprint, lowered energy consumption, overall better technology).
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Keep It Simple
Last but definitely not least on this list is to make sure you keep it simple. As is everything else in life, things will only turn out horrible if you overcomplicate them. The same can be said for artificial lighting.
When deciding what type of light source to use and how many types to incorporate, it’s important to stick to only 2-3 (sometimes even just one type works) per area. With fewer types of artificial light sources to work with, it’ll decide where to place them and how to layer them more easily.
Whatever design you choose, or whatever way you choose to approach when it comes to utilizing artificial lighting, the most important aspect would be to go with the decision you feel most comfortable in. Practicality, efficiency, and aesthetics come in second.