When it comes to drawing attention or creating space, a little light goes a long way! Accent lights can be used both indoors and outdoors to create focal points for your guests and also for your own personal enjoyment. Let’s look at how these handy lights can transform a room from bland and flat into your favourite room of the house!
The right light
While we have so many different types of light fittings, fixtures, bulbs and the like to pick from, when it comes to lighting a room, everything falls into one of three broad categories regarding interior design. These three key types of lighting are ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting.
Ambient lighting is the most common of the three and is often called general lighting. It is also the most essential as this type is responsible for illuminating the entire room for quick, safe navigation. Ceiling lights, chandeliers, floor lamps, down-lights and the like all fall in this category and allow you to use a space at night or with the curtains closed.
Task lighting does pretty much what you expect of its name. If you are reading in your favourite chair with a lamp that shines light specifically so that you are reading in a well lit area, that is task lighting. Lights that you use when cooking, reading, or doing work at a desk or any workspace are all task lights, providing illumination to a specific focal point, or on an adjustable arm so that the light is just right for what you are busy with.
Accent lights breaks away from the utilitarian nature of the other two categories. This lighting type is used to create an atmosphere. Accent lighting draws attention to an artwork, a plant, a texture on a wall, an architectural feature or a collection of objects. This type of lighting is made to draw attention, exalt something or start a conversation.
Why it works
What makes this lighting type so good at transforming a space? Interior designers have been using this type of lighting for decades to draw the attention of the viewer. Creating bright focal points draws attention and keeps the eye moving through a room. This gives the illusion of a space being much larger than it actually is. These lights can be used to create an effect, from romantic to theatrical, layered to moody.
Accent lights are around three times brighter than a room’s ambient lighting. As a result, they work like a spotlight, drawing attention to whatever feature you want to display. Whether you shine a light on your child’s trophy collection or an antique chair that has an interesting story behind it, accent lights will become the focal point for many eyes.
Accent lights tend to have adjustable fittings to allow for precision in focusing on smaller objects. This also means that the space isn’t forever limited to one single item, as you can change what it on display and adjust the fittings so that your latest trinket or award is well-lit and displayed prominently.
Types of accent lights
So what kind of light can you use for accents? Several lights work for this, depending on what you want to achieve. Common options include wall lights, recessed spotlighting, track lighting and wall-mounted picture lights. These lights can also be used outdoors! Draw attention to a feature in your garden, or the shape of your yard or your architecture. You can even play with different colours of light to really draw attention.
If you want to create a magical room with focal points and topics of discussion, or to highlight precious memories with some clever lighting, we are happy to help you pick and install accent lights with the correct fittings to make sure you don’t damage your precious collection and that those lights only turn on for special occasions.
Contact us today for Expert Electrical Service.
