San Diego Residential Lighting Tips: The Effects of Layered Light

San Diego Residential Lighting Tips: The Effects of Layered Light

Do you need better residential lighting for your San Diego area home but are unsure in which direction to go?

Whether it’s for aesthetics or preventing digital eye strain, there is no one-size-fits-all way. It’s why many people opt to go with layered light to give rooms more character and depth, using both design functionality and flexibility.

However, to make the most out of lighting in layers, you must learn the effects of each lighting type. Let’s go over how you can use layered lighting to the fullest.

 

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting is glare-free and can bring general illumination to an area. Natural sunlight counts as ambient lighting, something we get plenty of in San Diego. Depending on the amount of natural light, use a soft ceiling, wall lighting, and the floor to build upon it.

Before deciding the amount of light you need, it’s important to understand the methods of measuring a bulb’s light output. The best method is to use lumens instead of watts. Lumens measure a light sources total visible light amount.

As a general rule, adequate ambient lighting requires 20 lumens per square foot. For example, the average living room area is 250 square feet. It means you’ll need 5,000 lumens’ worth of light sources.

Here are some of the common choices to achieve proper ambient lighting.

Daylight: It’s the natural lighting coming from various sources and something that’s in no short supply in the San Diego area. Use windows, atriums, skylights, and lighting tubes to let more in. They’re effective sources of internal lighting during the daytime.

Flush Mount: A flush mount’s design is to hug the ceiling. Alongside semi-flush mount ceiling lights, these light sources are best for lower ceilings.

Chandelier: Chandeliers are the next step to the candelabra’s evolution. They use a branched frame with multiple lamps. It gives major lighting to the surrounding areas.

Layered Pendant Light: These are single shade fixtures. They hang from either the ceiling or a track lighting system. It uses a single cord, chain, or metal rod for suspension. Their bulb count is less than chandeliers. If you need more light, you need multiple pendant lights. The classic method of arranging them is in a straight line. You can also arrange them into a cluster when lighting up a dining table.

Wall Sconce: It’s attached to a wall for both support and electrical supply. To give a subtle, more ambient light, make the wall sconce face upwards. It directs more light toward the ceiling, which achieves the effect.

Torchiere: Don’t confuse it with a wall lamp even when it gives lighting for a task. It’s taller and uses an upward-facing shade. The ceiling reflects the light, illuminating a huge part of the surrounding areas.

Cove: Cove lighting is usually in recesses, ledges, high on walls, and ceiling valances. It uses slim and flexible architectural fixtures, such as LED tape lights. They’re not easy to see, but they direct light toward the ceiling.

After establishing ambient lighting, you can use other lighting methods. It further lights up the area and removes shadows. The localized illumination allows you to work better.

Task Lighting

Specialized task lights allow you to better focus on specific activities, like cooking. It gives a more appropriate level of bright, focused illumination. It enables you to do specific activities without the risk of home or workplace injury.

Here are some task lighting options for your San Diego home or office space.

Pendant: Use downward-facing pendant lights. They’re great task lights when you’re working on hobbies like plastic model kits. If you want to read your favorite novel without worrying about eye strain, these lights are perfect.

Desk, Table, and Floor Lamp: These portable lamps have lots of models. Regardless of your home or work environment, you’ll find one that fits well. A desk or floor lamp helps improve your efficiency and comfort when reading or writing. You can adjust the brightness and direction of these lights. Use the feature to get the proper light amount for your activities.

Under Cabinet Lights: Layered kitchen lighting is easier with under cabinet lights. Use it for kitchen corners and counters with insufficient lighting. It makes food prep areas brighter, banishing shadows from overhead cabinetry and lighting.

Task and ambient lighting make a well-illuminated space. It covers both general and functional lighting components. However, it can get boring without using accent lighting.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting adds more depth and character to your San Diego home or office spaces. It breaks the monotony of both ambient and task lighting.

If you want to highlight your wall decor and other unique architectural details, use this type of lighting. It helps highlight their positive characteristics and dimensions. It’s why accent lighting is usually three times brighter than ambient lighting.

Here are common options for accent lights.

Wall Sconces: These light fixtures come in all sizes, shapes and styles. They’re perfect for making focal points on your wall. Draw everyone’s gaze toward a wall decoration by sandwiching it between two wall sconces. Even without other decorations, wall sconces give both up and downward light. It makes an enchanting hour-glass shape on the wall. Their dramatic shadows are great for hallways or entryways.

Picture Lights: Do you have beautiful and expensive art pieces? Bring everyone’s attention to it with picture lights. They make the vivid colors and details stand out. Picture lights are simple to install. You need not invest in extensive DIY skills to put them up. They often come in plug-in models, meaning they require no electrical work.

Recessed: Recessed lighting is unobtrusive. In most cases, you can adjust them to make everyone focus on a certain object. It’s also for washing down nearby walls.

Track or Monorail: Build a track or rail system to house track heads and spotlights. You can adjust them to give accent lighting in various directions. If you use accent and task lighting together, you can make enough ambient light at night.

Using Layered Light in Your San Diego Home

These are some of the effects of layered light on your home. Use proper layers of lighting design to further your home’s aesthetics.

Are you looking for quality lights for your San Diego area home or office? Get in touch with us by filling out our contact form.

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