Lighting: The Difference Between Success and Failure in Design

Lighting can spell the difference between success and failure for a kitchen or bath design. That said, lighting is one of the most exciting parts of the design process, made more so because of the new products available to designers.

The physics of lighting are complex and beyond the scope of this article. When exploring the topic in depth, you'll run across many terms- flux, luminance, lux, footcandles and lumens- to name a few.
Unless you tend to specialize in lighting design, the following is a very simple intro into lighting.

A good overall goal for artificial lighting- i.e lighting that doesn't come from the sun- is to provide enough of the right kind of light for the occupants to function within the space. That can mean anything from being able to see the chopping block when cutting up vegetables to creating a replacing mood with the soft glow of a special lamp above a dining table. Sorted by function there are three types of lighting: ambient, task and accent lighting.


AMBIENT LIGHTING

All rooms need some lighting to enable the occupants to get around without bumping into things, During the day, natural sunlight can provide most of this general or ambient lighting in a house if there are ample windows in the right locations. Lighting at night can come from direct or indirect sources, or a combination of these. Direct lighting is the light a fixture throws directly into a room or on a task surface. An example is a ceiling fixture that lights up an entire room. Indirect lighting reaches the room after it has bounced off another surface, For example, lamps mounted in a cove below the ceiling throw light up onto the ceiling, which bounces it down into the room.


TASK LIGHTING

The general lighting that ambient sources disburse in a room may be adequate for some activities but fall short for others such as reading, writing, preparing meals and other focused activity. Task lighting includes light sources specifically designed to make up this shortfall. The swivel lamp on your desk is a good example.


ACCENT LIGHTING

Stores would sell far less merchandise without displaying it in the most favorable lighting. Commercial lighting designers go to great lengths to make sure the goods are illuminated to catch the eye of shoppers. Homes can also use accent lighting to focus attention on special items, such as artwork, china or collectibles. Lighting fixtures specialized for accent lighting throw a narrow beam that highlights the object of attention without spilling into the room.