Tips on Decorate or Ornament Your House with Indoor Lighting

Good lighting makes a room's inhabitants comfortable without their knowing why. That's because the best lighting design is essentially invisible, according to the Sheffield School of Design in New York City. When you're considering lighting in your home, think in terms of function, mood and harmony.

Indoor lighting is an important element in interior design because it serves two core purposes. The first is that it offers aesthetic appeal. The design and placement of the lighting should reflect the design of the room. The second is that it is practical for performing everyday tasks.

General lighting is commonly utilized to illuminate an entire space, which is accomplished through the installation of chandeliers, recessed or track lights as well as placements of multiple table or floor lamps. This type of lighting is ideal for those spaces in which tasks do not take place or in the absence of showpieces such as sculptures.

The first consideration in lighting design is function -- that is, what does the outdoor path lights need to do? Ambient lighting lets you do all the ordinary things in your home and keeps you from banging around your home at night. Task lighting allows you to do certain tasks like reading, cooking and crafting. Accent lighting adds drama by highlighting decorative objects such as art, plants and window treatments.

Outdoor Led Ceiling lights and wall fixtures provide ambient lighting. The American Lighting Association notes that ambient lighting may also serve as task lighting, as would be the case in a laundry room. Generally speaking, however, track lighting, pendants, desk lights, reading lamps and lights mounted under cabinets and shelves serve as task lighting. Accent lighting, the ALA notes, should be three times brighter than the surrounding light. Recessed and track lights, up lights and mounted picture lights are common types of accent lighting.

Mood lighting has a strong influence on how a room feels, in terms of its illumination and design. Bright lights are upbeat and stimulating. Low lights have a cozy, romantic feel. The light fixtures themselves add to or temper the mood. A very contemporary metallic light, for instance, suits a lively, bright room. Likewise, it brightens a room that you want to energize.