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Planning new house lighting design schemes with layers and figuring out which house lighting ideas to incorporate can feel like a lot of work. It’s difficult to know exactly where to begin, which can make the project feel tedious.
In this article, we’ll explore the role of layered lights in your interior lighting design, as well as how to incorporate those light layers into your home.
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What Are The Main Light Layer Types?Â
Lighting in layers ensures well-lit, well-balanced illumination throughout an entire room. By combining these layers together, you can ensure each room is safe and easy to use.
There are three light layers that make up layered lighting schemes: ambient, task and accent.
Ambient lighting
Ambient light is the main lighting layer in a given room. It provides the primary source of illumination and is complemented by the other layers to create a uniform appearance. With ambient light, you can provide ample lighting across the room to allow for ease of movement and functionality.
Popular ambient light styles include:
- chandeliers
- recessed ceiling lights
- surface mounted ceiling lights
- natural light from open windows
Task lighting
Task lighting provides dedicated illumination in specific areas. The purpose is to provide focused lighting that makes it easier to perform certain activities and complete various tasks.
Focused task lighting helps reduce eye strain while performing activities. Most commonly, they are used for tasks such as reading, working, grooming or cooking. Task lights come in a number of forms, including:
- desk lamps
- under-cabinet kitchen lights
- bathroom vanity lights
- reading lights
- pendant lights above a kitchen island
Accent lighting
Accent lighting is a type of decorative lighting style. It is used to draw the eye to certain elements in a room, highlighting them and making them a focal point. Good accent lighting creates plenty of visual drama and intrigue to give the room some depth.
Accent lighting is used to highlight artwork, plants, architectural features and more. Lighting fixtures for ambient lighting can include:
- wall mounted picture lights
- track lights
- directional recessed lights
- landscape lights
- spotlights
General Tips for Layered Lighting DesignÂ
Incorporating layers of lighting design into your space can make it a balanced and beautiful place to be. In order to ensure you are getting the details right, keep these tips in mind.
- CHOOSE THE RIGHT BULBS. It doesn’t matter what fixtures you have or where you place them if the bulbs aren’t up to snuff. Choose high quality LED bulbs in the colour temperature your space requires. For most residential lighting applications, these will be bulbs that are 3000k warm white in colour. Various lumen counts for different rooms and needs should also be taken into account.
- UNDERSTAND THE ROOM. Take a moment when planning out the lighting design to really think about the functionality of the room. Figure out what areas you want to light for tasks, and what areas could use some focal lighting. It’s not a bad idea to sketch out your ideas on paper. Getting a rough visual in place can help you bring your vision to life.
- BE MINDFUL OF LUMENS. Lumen counts are a way to indicate the brightness levels of a bulb. Higher lumen counts indicate brighter lights. Interior lighting will usually incorporate many different lumen counts, since each layer tends to require different levels. For instance, ambient and task lighting often requires brighter lights. Accent lighting, on the other hand, tends to have fewer lumens.
- STICK TO A THEME. To create a cohesive look, it’s a good idea to have the fixtures in each layer made from the same material. You should also be sure the finishes match up. Sometimes, you can strategically mix and match finishes and materials and achieve an artistic feel. Just be sure you are doing so with intention and not just throwing lights together haphazardly.
- EXPLORE CONTROL OPTIONS. Being able to control the layers of light individually is an attractive prospect for most people. Individual light operation allows you to turn your accent lighting into mood lighting, for one. Sometimes, you may not want the overhead light on and would prefer relaxing by the glow of nearby task lighting.
There are various ways to control your lighting layers, together or individually. Some control options include manual switches, dimmer switches and smart lighting voice operation.
Lighting Techniques for Layered Lighting
When working on your layered lighting interior design, there are a few techniques to keep in mind.
Vertical Layering
This layering style arranges lights at different heights in the room. As its name suggests, this sort of orientation spreads light vertically and draws the eye up or down, creating depth and dimension. It is especially effective in rooms that have high ceilings.
To add vertical layering, add pendant and downlights overhead to create the ambient light. Wall sconces, accent lights and table lamps at eye level will help bring the illumination from top to bottom.
Horizontal Layering
In this style, you are distributing light at a horizontal orientation. It is best for rooms with lower ceilings to spread light evenly across it, creating a wider feeling. On long stretches of walls, add wall sconces or track lights. In kitchens, you can use above-cabinet and under-cabinet lighting to achieve this effect.
Depth Layering
Create focal points and areas of interest between the background and foreground of a room with this style of home lighting design. It creates dimension and depth by hanging fixtures at different heights and wall sconces at various intervals. Backlighting works well here, especially when used in recessed shelves. Install them behind furniture to bring depth and shadow between the pieces and the wall behind them.
Layered Lighting by Room Â
Each room has its own potential for layered lighting. There are different kinds of fixtures you can include in various rooms, depending on the space and its unique purpose.
Layering Light in a Living Room
Living rooms are a place of gathering, relaxing and entertaining. They need to be well lit in order to facilitate these activities comfortably.
Ambient light in a living room will mostly consist of downlights. Recessed downlights in modern homes, pendant lights and statement lights can be a good choice here. If your ceiling cannot accommodate recessed lighting, having surface mounted lights will work just fine.
Accent lighting in a living room can be used near fireplaces, on gallery walls, in recessed shelves, bookcases and any unique architectural features. To incorporate task lighting in this room, think table lamps, floor lamps and reading lights. Task lights can be used to create a beautiful and welcoming reading nook for you to spend your evenings in.
Layering Light in a Bedroom
Bedrooms are primarily a place of rest and relaxation. The lighting in the room therefore should reflect that. Bedrooms need soft, gentle lighting that is also easy to see by.
Ambient lights do best here when installed as central pendant lights. Spreading light out from the center of the room instead of covering every inch of space with bright, direct downlights will make it easy to see without causing a glare.
Pair that with some task lighting by the bed. While lamps on bedside tables are common, a modern choice is to install reading lights. Reading lamps attached to headboards or walls beside the bed can provide gentle task lights while you wind down for sleep.
One of the best ways to incorporate accent lighting in a bedroom is to make it into mood lighting. It works particularly well behind bookshelves, around feature walls and anywhere else that you want to give an atmospheric touch.
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Layering Light in a Bathroom
Bathrooms require clear visibility to safely perform the various tasks such a space prioritises. Good lighting is especially important here, since the bathroom has a lot of water that could cause accidents.
Start with quality ambient lighting overhead. Recessed lights tend to work best in order to be as unobtrusive as possible. You don’t want to hit your head on a low hanging pendant light and lose your balance, after all.
One of the most popular task light styles in a bathroom are vanity lights. Lights around the mirror make it easier for you to perform various grooming tasks, like makeup and skincare. Shower lights are another crucial task light in this space, allowing you to easily see while showering or bathing.
Where accent lighting is concerned, you could lightly illuminate built in shelves or alcoves in the bathroom. Doing so will allow them to double as gentle night lights as well.
Layering Light in a Kitchen
Like bathrooms, kitchens are also task heavy spaces. Safety and visibility are the top priorities in this space.
Use bright ambient lights such as recessed or surface mounted ceiling lights to shine from overhead. Then, you can supplement the ambient lighting with task lights. These typically come in the form of pendant lights over islands for preparing and cooking food. Lights along the underside of cabinets also work well for task lights.
Where accent lighting is concerned, kitchens present a unique opportunity. You can install plinth lighting around the baseboards of cabinets. You can also line them along the bottom of the island at the kickplates.
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Conclusion
Layering your lighting is a necessary step in your interior lighting design. By combining ambient, accent and task layers, you can enjoy a well-lit, balanced living space perfect for any and every occasion or situation.
Home Lighting Ideas
Create beautiful task lighting in your living room or bedroom with the LSP705 5 Watt Adjustable Surface Mounted LED Downlight. These lights generate a soft 430 lumens of 3000k warm white light. The gentle glow of the lights are easy on the eyes, so they can reduce eye strain. They have moving heads that you can tilt up to 90 degrees and twist 350 degrees around, allowing you to customise their beams. These lights measure 75 millimeters in diameter and are crafted out of durable aluminium. Choose from either black or white finishes to suit your existing decor.
Add a focal point to your living space or hallways with the LWA526 8 Watt 600mm Wide LED Picture Light. This light is designed to illuminate artwork and photographs in a complementary way, making for excellent accent lighting. They shine 800 lumens of 3000k warm white light that spreads over the top of the artwork evenly. The illumination shines through an acrylic diffuser to further soften it and reduce glare. It measures 600 millimeters in width and is fashioned out of high quality aluminium. Go for your choice of either black or black and anodized gold finishes.
Perfect as ambient or task lighting, the Leon 20 Watt 600mm Wide Brushed Silver LED Wall Light is an ultra bright fixture that generates 1600 lumens of 3000k warm white light. This long fixture measures 600 millimeters and shines its bright light through opal acrylic diffusers. These diffusers are found on the top and bottom of the aluminium fixture, ensuring an even spread of light above and below. It comes complete with a stylish brushed aluminium finish.
Shine ample ambient lighting without causing uncomfortable glare when you install the LDC724 8 Watt Dimmable Recessed Anti Glare LED Downlight. This downlight features bulbs that sit far back in the fixture, eliminating glare even if you look right at it. It generates 800 lumens of 3000k warm white light that pools attractively on any area beneath it. These square shaped lights measure 76 inches by 76 inches and are fashioned out of durable aluminium. Their white frame and black internal deflector adds a modern touch to any room.
