Do you know the secret to models and celebrities looking flawless in professional photos? If your first thought is the tons and tons of make-up, you’re wrong. It’s all about good lighting. And the exact same trick can be applied to your home as well. Just as in professional photography, the right choice of lighting can help create a stunning look that highlights all the right features and eliminates the harsh shadows. To accomplish that in your home, you need to combine three different layers: ambient, accent, and task lighting. Here’s what they’re all about.
Ambient Lighting
The goal of ambient lighting is to provide an even, overall illumination in the room. This is very important for the functionality of the room as it offers visibility and eliminates shadows. Ambient lighting is usually accomplished with a variety of ceiling lights such as pendants, chandeliers or oyster light fittings Australia lighting stores sell. While ambient lighting isn’t very dramatic, it can still influence the mood of a room when used together with dimmers. This way you can adjust the brightness of the lights depending on the time of day or the atmosphere you want to create. If you have multiple lights in a room, you can dim some and keep others bright for a more interesting effect.
Accent Lighting
While ambient lighting is used to create mood and set the scene, accent lighting can help highlight certain points in the room you want to draw interest to. This can be a painting, sculpture, a textured wall or architectural features. Usually, accent lights are mounted on the wall in the form of wall sconces, but they can come in the form of track lighting, lanterns, downlights, uplights and other fixtures. Even ambient lights such as pendants or small oyster light fittings Australia interior designers suggest can function as accent lighting when placed above a key feature you want to accent.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is usually an addition to some rooms and not a must-have. It’s there for the sole purpose to help you perform specific tasks, like for instance cooking, reading, or applying make up. With that being said, task lighting is usually found in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. In the kitchen, under cabinet lighting and pendant lights can help illuminate the cooking and prep areas. Task lighting for the bathroom often includes bath bars and mirror fixtures. Stylish table lamps and floor lamps can provide you with illumination while reading and bed.
