Light Fixture Types and Styles
Create an Interior Mood with the Right Type of Lighting
Chosing the right light fixture for your home starts with knowing the basics.
Lighting in a home can make it bright and cheery or dark and romantic. The right lighting can highlight your favorite treasures or it can help you hide some structural flaws. If you’re looking to change the look and feel of your home, sometimes all it takes is new light fixtures.
Before you decide that a switch is what you need, learn a little about lights so you can make the best decision.
Ceiling Fixtures – These are lights which are attached to your ceiling and generally focus the light downward and out. They’re fairly typical and do a good job of lighting a large area fairly evenly.
Pendants – Pendant lights are hung from the ceiling and mainly focus the light downward. They’re great for dining tables or other work areas. Chandeliers are a type of pendant light, but they’re usually much showier and they can cast light in every direction.
Portables – This term is used to cover a wide variety of lighting options from inexpensive clamp on lights to expensive Tiffany desk lamps. Basically, any light that is easily moved is considered a portable.
Track Lighting – These lights were a fad in the 80’s but are now used more sparingly and with purpose in mind. They’re great for displaying artwork or highlighting certain areas of your home. They also work well as task lights. They are easily swiveled and can be adjusted and readjusted to give you just the right effect.
Recessed Lights – Recessed lights continue to be very popular, especially in new homes. They can provide a lot of light and can be placed over areas where tasks are performed, such as a kitchen countertop. They’re actually a fairly inexpensive alternative to some ceiling fixtures and give a cleaner, more modern look.
Sconce – These light fixtures are affixed directly to the wall and can be designed to cast light either upward or downward. They work best in repetition.
Skylights – Skylights use natural light to warm the interior of a home. They bring the sunlight into a home and filter it downward. Obviously, more expensive than buying a lamp, but the overall effect is dramatic and beautiful.
Outdoor Lighting – Outdoor lights can actually affect your interior decorating and should work to complement the effect you’ve created inside. They can also shed light on your interior so consider this before making any outdoor lighting decisions.
Once you’ve decided what sort of light fixture will create the best atmosphere in your home then it’s time to consider all the options of your light source and what bulb is best suited for your needs. You can select incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, or new energy efficient CFL lights.
