About Lighting :- Its types and Effects

1. Assignment
On
LIGHTINGS
“It is better to light a small candle
than to curse the darkness."
Submitted By :
Yamini Soni
IInd Year (I. D.)

2. LIGHTING
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic
effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as
natural illumination by capturing daylight. Proper lighting can enhance task performance, improve
the appearance of an area, and have positive psychological effects on occupants. Indoor lighting is
usually accomplished using light fixtures, and is a key part of interior.
Light not only illuminates but define one’s path. It can change mood, hide or highlight an object, kill
or liven up a space. Light never stands in isolation, it can only be seen through its impact on the
object it falls on.
Today lighting up a space itself is a major task as nowadays light defines one’s style and
mood. There is nothing better than natural light; one should go for its maximum use. But, because
of its dynamic nature one have to go for artificial lighting which can be used in very playful manner.
Unless one sees and experiences nature and application of light in actual space, it is difficult to deal
with it. Lighting can be classified into various different methods of lighting. It can be broadly
classified as:
1. Direct Lighting
2. Indirect Lighting
3. Concealed lighting
4. Semi-concealed lighting
For any built mass, both indoor and outdoor spaces get affected by natural as well as artificial light.
It is important to play in combination of natural and artificial light. It determines functionality of both
space and style and decor of environment it creates. In homes, a thoughtful selection of lighting
schemes enhances the aesthetics of interiors as well as garden spaces.

3. Purpose Of Light
We use light in buildings for the following reasons:
• To carry out tasks or work- reading, writing, operating equipment.
• To create an area of comfort or an amenity – this is general lighting to live with either by
daylight or artificial light and direct sunlight.
• To create effects for aesthetics – displays, artworks, shadows definition.
• To ensure safety – ensuring appropriate lighting levels for all those using the facility.
How to plan lighting in your homes?
At first, there is a need of choosing a particular style and mood of whole interior scheme going up
with one’s living style and then define a schematic design to all spaces of the house so as to avoid
clutter of different spatial environments that lighting creates. Initially, one should go for planned
position of lighting points demarcated by a professional. Later on, one should go for selection of
lighting types providing a specific effect to the designated space while enhancing the functional
aspects.
Making one’s Living room more inviting
• Living room is the core space of the house,
the only place where more number of
diversified activities take place. One can
create drama and interest in the living space
to make it more inviting with lighting schemes.
• General lighting should be there but for
occasions provisions should be made to dim
the general lighting which creates different
moods according to one’s own choice with the
help of decorative lighting fixtures.
• One should avoid tube lights and rather go for lighting types mentioned to have clean walls for
highlighting decorative pieces.
• Main source of light should always spot the central sitting space then, in contrast or harmony one
can highlight special decorative pieces like plants, paintings, show pieces, just to display best of the
art work in the living room.

4. Bedroom Lighting
• The most important light one needs
in bedroom bedside lights which can be like
mounted on wall (low heighten) should be used
but best is to put table lamps aside to have an
immediate approach if needed in the middle of
the night.
• Other tasks can be completed with the help of
down lighters which provide general lighting to
the room with lower intensity.
• One can go for task lights if study table or dressing table is incorporated in bedroom.
• Also one can use decorative lights or highlighters for any decorative piece such as painting, wall
hangings etc.
• Lights should be placed such that they don’t fall on one’s face while sitting or sleeping on bed.
• One should use warm color tones with white lights which relax the eyes and give a warmer mood
to the room.
Kitchen Lighting
• First need is of general lighting which can be
fulfilled with the help of central pendant lighter
4-5 central hanging lights or down lighters
mounted with ceiling to illuminate the
circulation area. Central lights help to avoid
one’s shadow on working area.
• One can flexibly use the pendant light by
varying its height, like more the height lesser
the intensity but larger area coverage and vice-
versa.
• Then comes Task lighting to highly illuminate one’s working slab tops, dish washing area etc. This
can be done with the help of high intensity down lighters.
• One should take care that the cupboards are to be fully illuminated either with the help of
illuminates inside the cupboard or by using general lighting.
• One should paint lighter on the walls of kitchen to reflect more light.

5. Bathroom lighting
• One should avoid window or any lighting
source in front of mirror of wash basin and
dressing table to avoid darkness on the face
while looking in the mirror.
• Use frosted glass in widow panels to make it
comfortable for the user and get sufficient
natural lights in day time.
• For general lighting one can use down lighters
if the space is big and wall mounted decorative
lights can also easily solve the purpose.
• One should use dimmers or diffused lights to avoid reflection in the mirror. Also, one doesn’t need
direct light in bathrooms.
• One should go for side lights in case of mirror so that lights could illuminate ones image without
casting any shadow on to the face.
Lighting for dining area
When choosing dining room lighting, start
with a chandelier in the middle of the room,
then work out with accent lights.
One should use task lighting in terms of
hanging lights, pendants which can illuminate
the table from top not from sides to avoid
casting shadows on plates.
Use dimmers for general lighting to highlight
the dining area.
A Crystal Chandelier over the center of the
dining table can help to balance chi in the room
Types of lighting:
Lighting is classified by intended use as General, Decorative, or Task lighting, depending largely on
the distribution of the light produced by the fixture. It is an integral part of design. It determines the
utilitarian and the aesthetic environment provided by a designer, thus calling for the most careful
planning and highest skills.

6. 1. General / Ambient lighting
General lighting needs to illuminate the overall space
so that no corner could look dark. It is the combination
of light reflections from various surfaces to produce a
uniform illumination called as ambient lights. It is
placed in the middle of the room.
Criteria for Ambient Lighting:
• The ambient lighting systems should be able to withstand heavy abuse as they are
mounted within the reach of the users.
• Well designed furniture integrated lighting should be used as it is easy to maintain.
• Electric discharge lamps should be used as they last longer than incandescent sources
and therefore require less frequent servicing.
• Total possible connected electric load predictions between 1.5 to 2.5 watts per sq. Ft are
considered energy efficient.
• In offices with partitions or other high obstructions, annoying shadows should be
avoided.
• Ceiling finishes should be diffuse and highly reflective (80-90%) to compliment ambient
lighting.
2. Task lighting
Task lightings provide high illumination to a specific
area to perform a specific task e.g. reading, sewing,
working on the computer working on the computer
etc. It improves visual clarity and offsets tiredness.
Good task lighting can help decrease eye strain.
Criteria for Task Lighting:
• The lighting to be provided on the work, in addition to the building lighting, must be
determined either by individual analysis of the visual tasks in terms of the critical details
and critical contrasts inherent in these tasks.
• The table below gives a selection of generalized visual tasks with an indication of
recommended levels of work lighting. The essential features of task lighting
• Tasks of great visual difficulty require levels of illumination which cannot be supplied
either economically or without visual discomfort except by the provision of local lighting.
• Tasks of average or little visual difficulty can be performed in the levels of illumination
recommended for the building lighting.

7. 3. Decorative lighting
These lighting themselves can act as focal points for a
room. Combination of glass, color and light can
change whole mood of the environment. Decorative
lighting can refer to any lighting used in the space that
adds aesthetic appeal to the home as well as
functional lighting.
Shadow play: Occurs where
pattern of light is the background,
or negative space, and shape of
shadow carries the message.
Beam play: Opposite of shadow
play where light beam becomes
the visual feature. Sometimes
achieved with gobos.
Sparkle: Occurs when bits of
small brightness appear on a dark
background. Requires very high
contrast to be effective.
Colored light: Use of colored light
sources to create special visual
effects.
Criteria For Decorative Lighting:
• The luminaries should be capable of 358 degree of rotation.
• It should have minimum tilt of 35 degree.
• An accent light should accommodate color filters and spread lenses and be able to hold
both the filter and the lens at the same time.

8. • It should have adequate baffling to prevent direct sight of the lamp from normal viewing
angles when the lamp is tilted.
• The luminaries’ working components should be easily accessible from either below or
above the ceiling line in order to adjust direction, change lamps, change color filters and
lenses, or change the orientation of light pattern produced by the lamp.
• It should be possible to lock all adjustable features in place once they have been focused
so that the light scheme is not altered.
• An accent light should accommodate a variety of lamp wattages and beam distributions
without the need for external adaptors.
• Any accent light should be efficient, some direct most of their light inside the lamp
housing when tilted more than 10 degrees.
Accent lightings
Accent lighting is one of the four types of light, along with ambient or background or general
lighting, task and decorative lighting. Used to illuminate architectural or interior elements. General
rule, if you add too much accent lighting the effect will be lost. Common techniques include:
Grazing: Used to emphasize textural qualities of vertical
surfaces and to define a space by featuring one wall over
another. Achieved by directing light parallel to featured
surface, appx 6-12” from surface.
Wall washing: These are ceiling mounted lightings which
illuminate vertical surfaces like a column or a wall; provides
soft, ambient reflected light; attracts attention to wall; and
unifies diverse objects on wall, unifies a wall with sheet of
uniform brightness.
Backlighting: A light source placed on the opposite side of
the “subject” (model, actor) from a viewer’s (camera,
audience) point of view. Rear lighting technique that
diffuses light through translucent materials.
Highlighting: Emphasizes featured object by creating 5 to
10 times the amount of brightness on the object than in the
background. When light hits a surface, it naturally catches
on the most prominent areas. High contrast attracts
attention.

9. Silhouetting: Sandwiches an object between viewer and
sheet of light. Object is outlined by the light the brightness
of which serves as negative space. Details on face of object
are obliterated. It involves placing the light source at the
back of any object that needs to be lit.
Down lighting: These lights in downward direc tion and
can be fully or half- inscribed in ceiling. Mainly down lighters
are used for general lighting of a space but, it can also be
used under cabinets of kitchen to illuminate the slab area.
Up lighting: These lights upwards and are mainly used for
the steps of staircase in homes. Good ambient lighting
technique or accent for interesting surfaces that are “up”;
important that surfaces have high value, matte finish to
reflect light.