In the realm of exceptional home design, the harmonious convergence of all the pieces of your home transforms the space atmosphere into something so special and unique that it can only be perceived as ‘home.’ No one piece on its own makes it feel like home, but it’s the way they integrate to create the perfect balance between form and design.
A Home That Adapts To You
Your home needs to adapt as fast as you do! One moment, we need a warm and inviting ambiance. This is perfect for cocktail parties, family nights and winding down after a long day. However, in an instant, as it becomes time to be more productive, your home needs to transform from a relaxation space into a concentration space. An area that once promoted togetherness and unwinding suddenly needs to become a haven for productivity and attentiveness.
While most items in your home will always stay the same, a quick space shift can be difficult! Rearranging furniture or altering interior finishes on a whim isn’t practical. Fortunately, there is an elegant solution to change your home to your lifestyle: lighting.
Lighting By Design specializes in crafting personalized lighting plans that help your home seamlessly adapt to your changing needs. The key is using the right blend of ambient, task, and decorative lighting.
Ambient Lighting – Setting the Overall Mood
Ambient lighting (also known as decorative lighting) is your general home lighting that brings light throughout your home. The light sources are designed to be discreet and unobtrusive. It should just appear as if there is light magically in your home. The light is meant to be soft and should feel like it’s at a comfortable brightness. Ambient lighting is evenly distributed throughout the room and generally illuminated by in-ceiling fixtures called architectural lights. These architectural lights can dim and even warm dim to help set the appropriate atmospheric tone for your home.
Ambient lighting offers a high degree of customization, allowing us to create a solution tailored to you and your home. You can choose from different trims to seamlessly integrate fixtures into your ceiling without disrupting the design. The light itself is soft and calming. Additionally, ambient lighting fixtures can be angled or styled to create a wall-wash effect. Wall washing helps your home feel properly illuminated by gently splashing light onto your walls. This ensures your home feels uniformly lit without any dark, unlit areas.
Task Lighting – There To Help You Get Things Done
Unlike ambient lighting, which creates a warm and comfortable atmosphere, task lighting is designed to deliver precise and concentrated illumination where you need it most. You’ll commonly find task lighting in work areas such as offices and kitchens. Task lighting is designed to keep you focused and alert in various activities around the home. For example, a reading lamp next to a couch that you can use to shine light on a book you’re reading. The light is bright to reduce eye strain and is focused on a tight area (the book) to minimize distractions. Task lighting could also be a desk lamp that you can aim at whatever task is at hand.
In lighting design, task lighting comes from your ceiling or cabinetry. It is strategically aimed to provide comfortable task lighting that keeps you more productive. For example, task lighting could be bright undercabinet lighting in your kitchen to help you cook. Alternatively, task lighting can also be an intense light aimed at your kitchen island to help prepare food. Rarely are hanging fixtures from the ceiling considered task lighting. They may give the impression that they are, such as a light fixture hanging above a kitchen island, but these are decorative lights.
Decorative Lighting – Light That Grabs Your Attention
Decorative lighting is made up of lighting fixtures that are added for aesthetic and design reasons. These fixtures are put in because they help the design. Generally, the quality of the light is a secondary concern for designers. It makes sense. Many kitchen islands look better with a lighting fixture above them! The same could be said for dining rooms and chandeliers. However, we feel it’s good to pair these areas with some discreetly placed task lighting. That way, you can have quality task lighting in these busy areas but enjoy the aesthetics of the decorative lighting.
Get a Lighting Plan That Can Do It All
Creating a lighting system that seamlessly adjusts to your diverse lifestyle can be complex and daunting. Our experienced team is dedicated to ensuring your home lighting not only meets your practical needs but also enhances the overall design of your living spaces. Lighting By Design can help you take your home’s lighting to a new level. If you want to make sure your home lighting plan can perfectly adapt to your lifestyle between relaxation, concentration and decoration, give us a call at 415-883-7700.
