While we all like to make the most of the day light coming into our homes, after dark we have to resort to artificial lighting. There are three kinds of artificial lighting which you can use in each room in varying degrees : ambient, task and scenic lighting.

Ambient lighting is the general lighting in a room and is usually furnished by a pendant lamp or other ceiling lighting although some ambient lighting may be provided by wall, floor and table lamps too. It is useful for providing unified lighting over the whole room and making sure that there is a specific level of background lighting to which the other types will be added. It can be used for general socializing and watching TV but not for specific tasks requiring good vision. You can make the most of pendant lighting as a decorative element in a room. Chandelier glass lamp shades or attractive contemporary pendant lamp shades enhance the overall look of the room as well as shielding the glare from light bulbs.

Task lighting is used so that you can see to carry out a particular activity such as reading or needlework. You can use desk, floor or table lamps for this. They add a pool of light focused on your work so that you can see what you are doing. In a kitchen, you will need task lighting shining onto your stove top and food preparation areas. This can come from lights positioned under wall cabinets or from an illuminated cooker hood.

Scenic lighting is designed to enhance and accentuate particular elements in a room. Picture and cabinet lights fall into this category as they are designed solely to light up your artwork and the contents of your cabinet. You can also shine light on the architectural details of a room if they are particularly attractive or position lights on the edges of large plants to make a feature of them.