Lighting Types

For those itching to make a change to their homes without breaking the bank, or for people who like to change their surroundings with their moods, consider the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. With so many options available, from recessed lighting to track lighting to ambient lighting, homeowners can literally alter their rooms with the flip of a switch.

However, with a wide variety of choice often comes confusion. Which lighting is best for you? Just glancing at the vast amount of lighting types, fixtures, and designs (and then figuring in the electrical capabilities of your home) can be intimidating. But once you get over this feeling, you'll realize that the best way to light your home is to mix and match. And that's where it gets fun.

Recessed Lighting: Casting a Soft Glow

Recessed lighting is popular because of the mood that it can instill. This type of light projects a softer glow that is great for creating a mellow atmosphere. It can be installed virtually wherever you please, and can highlight anything from a piece of artwork to an entire room. Often, recessed lighting is tucked into the ceiling, so there are no visible fixtures or lampshades to worry about.

How to Use Them

A great way to highlight a room is to install recessed lighting around the border of the ceiling. If you have a smaller ceiling, use smaller bulbs to achieve the look that you desire. Putting light bulbs closer together will make the room brighter, while spreading them farther apart will soften the glow.

No need to limit recessed lighting to interior lighting plans, however. Install some around your deck, porch or any outdoor entertaining space. Front porches are an especially good area for this type of light because it will draw attention to the front of your home in a softer, inviting way, instead of the overused spotlight-on-the-front-door trick.

Track Lighting: Focusing Your Power Another popular technique is track lighting. This is often more focused and bright, and used in areas where you really want to accent something, or need a light to complete a task. As the name suggests, track lighting is set on a track on the ceiling, allowing your lighting options to be wide and varied. This is especially great for homeowners who rearrange their furniture and artwork on a whim, since they can rearrange the lighting to match by customizing track style, placement, and sizing. Track lighting is perfect for highlighting countertops, walls, and artwork.

Words to the Wise:

This is a particularly good choice if you have an older lighting fixture in your room, but need additional light to be pointed on specific areas; since there is already an electrical box in your ceiling, this will be easy to install.

Be sure to buy all of the necessary parts from the same manufacturer since they may not be interchangeable.

Keep in mind that track lighting is for specialized areas, and not necessarily intended to light an entire room.

You may want to consider another option if you have low ceilings, as it would be a real nuisance to catch your head on the fixtures on a daily basis.

Ambient Light: Light up the House

The most common type of light comes from ambient lighting. This is the most general lighting? everyone has it somewhere in their home. This can range from the ceiling fixtures to chandeliers, and is the type of lighting that casts the widest glow, so to speak. Ambient lighting is what offers the general illumination of your home, and forms the foundation for your lighting design.

With all of the different options, you can make a lighting design that is catered exactly to what you want. Accent your ambient lighting with a track over your kitchen counter, and some recessed light along the ceiling in your kitchen. You living room is a virtually a playground with unlimited possibilities for lighting. If you toss in a few lamps, and add dimmers to your switches, you could make your living room go from reading room to party area in one second flat. Talk about changing the feel of your space without much effort.

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