When it comes to decorating your home, lighting plays an intricate part. It is the element that sets the entire mood of the room causing a range of emotions for you and your guests.
American artist, Louis Comfort Tiffany u
nderstood this concept when handcrafting his beloved Tiffany lamps. He had a fascination with illumination and his revelatory work in stained glass led him to find new ways to meld electric lighting into his recognized designs. In 1885, while working on the Lyceum Theatre in New York, he managed to use electric lighting and his creative designs for a unique lighting experience. In 1899, he introduced his nature-influenced, intricate Tiffany lamps that have set the mood in homes for many years.
With Tiffany style lighting, you can create a number of different moods in your home. Tiffany’s dragonfly designs offer an enchanted feel for any room of your house. His early works lend a more stately attitude to a room. Other Tiffany lamps project classic, feminine beauty emphasized by floral patterns. Be creative and consider how each room in your home will be used. This will help you to decide what type of lighting best suits your mood and the room while still fitting into your budget.
There are four general types of lighting to consider, and they each have their purpose.Ambient lighting provides light for the entire room. When choosing ambient lighting, you may want to think about installing a dimmer for flexibility.
Ambient lighting includes: recessed downlights, cove lighting, valance lighting sconces, track lighting, chandeliers and portable fixtures.
Task lighting is well named. It assists you in completing the task at hand such as cooking, school work and grooming. The best task lighting should be glare free, and effective without cause strain on the eyes. Task lighting includes: valance lighting, pendant lights and portable fixtures such as desk lamps.
Accent lighting focuses on illuminating a specific object like a painting, a statue or an architectural element of your space. It is provides more illumination than ambient light. Wall washers, sconces and track lighting are examples of accent lighting.
Natural lighting comes through windows and skylights depending on the time, season or weather. It varies in brightness and intensity.
Lighting makes you feel safe and comfortable in your home. When modifying the lighting in your home, you should develop a plan covering the purpose, the desired mood and how you want to emphasize architectural and decor elements. The style of lighting such as sconces and lamps can add to any room. This concept was at the core of the works of Tiffany, and his vision still influences the way we light our interior world today.
