A well lit living room will have three different types of lighting.
General lighting living room. Ambient lighting is also called general lighting and it s the most basic of the three types of lighting. Not only are can lights used for general room lighting recessed lighting can be used for for accent lighting depending on where you place them. The optimal angle to reduce glare when spotlighting art is 30 degrees. Is the option you choose to be used for general or accent lighting to improve the aesthetic value of a room or perform both functions.
It can include a mix of ambient accent and task lighting chandeliers wall sconces table lamps floor lamps recessed lighting and even candlelight to illuminate the room for differing atmospheres and purposes. Place them in your ceiling or in your floor close to the wall to create a wall washing affect to illuminate a beautiful brick texture a colorful paint design or display a huge bay window. There are several questions to ask yourself here e g. It doesn t highlight any particular aspects of the room.
General task and accent these are used at different times of day and for different purposes and key to a functional lighting scheme it to know how and when to mix and use them. When you want to brighten up a room that sees a lot of traffic like your kitchen or living room. If general lighting then you would be better off with the larger 6 inch size as it will spread light over a larger surface area. After selecting lighting for the living room s main activities the next step is accent lighting.
It just provides overall light that shines down and illuminates horizontal surfaces. Different activities require different types and levels of light. General lighting provides a uniform level of ambient illumination in a room or space. Living room lighting bedroom lighting guide choosing the right lamp shade 5 types of bathroom lighting.
When determining how to layout recessed lighting for even light distribution a good guideline is to average a minimum of one light for every 25 square feet of living space. Let s assume that you are trying to layout recessed lighting for general or ambient lighting in a room with even light distribution. If your living room is used primarily for tv entertainment consider the following layers of light for your space brush up on layered lighting basics here. A well lit living room ideally should have layered lighting that illuminates all four corners to create balance and a pleasant atmosphere.
For avid television watchers dimmable overhead lighting is the way to go for general illumination. If you re building a living room from the ground up or planning a major remodel adjustable recessed lighting offers a variety of integrated accent solutions. The first step when lighting any room is to ask yourself.