Today, lighting for living spaces ranges from a wide variety of effects designed to enhance the architectural features of the home. The proportions, materials and color palette of the interior design can be enhanced by light and shadow, color and balance – all increasing the visual excitement of the space. The good residential design also provides proper lighting for the different tasks to be performed in space – such as stuffing your face at dinner.

For every task, there are many different types of luminaires (fancy for “light fixtures”) to choose from. Today, there are a vast number of luminaire choices to fit virtually every décor.

Since we’ve learned that light influences the emotional responses of the people in a room, would you want to blast your guests with high intensity, stage lighting in your living room? Of course not . . . unless you’re filming one of those reality TV shows. Residential lighting should be task-appropriate while remaining focused on providing a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere that adds beauty and interest to space.

The type of lighting you choose for different applications may generally be considered diffuse (really spread out) or directional. Directional light, such as a grazing light on a stone fireplace, can provide highlights and shadows that emphasize texture and form. While diffuse lighting may be appropriate for say, general lighting in the kitchen, directional lighting is the fun part, and can provide Hollywood drama right in your own home!
Low voltage down lighting was used to create the bold

Hospitality lighting (generally including hotels, motels and food service facilities) should create an attractive, comfortable and functional space for both staff and guests to see, comprehend and enjoy the environment. Lighting should also help create the atmosphere most appropriate to the establishment, whether the goal is to communicate luxury and opulence or comfort and safety.

Not unlike retail lighting, lobby and conference spaces communicate a message to the public, and therefore should reflect an appropriate corporate image to visitors. Lighting of interior office spaces should be mainly designed for visual comfort and efficiency. Operating costs and maintainability are also important factors, as a loss in the original design integrity, can result if unrealistic maintenance schedules are assumed.

At a minimum, effective lighting should be provided for the working tasks to be performed. However, since office lighting affects the appearance of the space and the mood of its occupants, a visually comforting (low-glare) environment can also augment productivity and the general happiness of employees.

Design considerations for exterior lighting include glare, visibility, color, illuminance and brightness. In addition to the required light levels for safety and security, lighting for parking and roadways also must consider light trespass, light pollution, and glare – which can range from presenting a simple nuisance to creating a discomforting or disabling environment.

In other words, be kind to your neighbors; don’t blind the people trying to sleep at the hotel next door with the angle of the floodlights in your parking lot. That’s a real nuisance. And it’s not only impolite to cause blindness in people driving by with the spotlights on your building – if they’re facing the street, but that’s also downright dangerous. It is important to make sure that lighting not only meets the required lighting levels for safe progress but also communicates a feeling of safety in public spaces.

Architectural lighting for structures generally includes floodlighting, outlining, spotlighting or some combination of these techniques. Special considerations for façade lighting should be given to the viewing direction, the effects that seasonal change will have upon the lighting system, other visual competitors, the energy codes applicable to exterior lighting and the precautions required to avoid unwanted spill light.

From parks and golf courses to residential gardens; landscape lighting includes a wide variety of outdoor areas, consisting of both natural and built environments. In every setting, lighting can add beauty, expand the number of usable hours, improve safety, increase security and develop the desired image.

Effective landscape lighting luminaires take special care to hide the (distracting glare of the) light source – revealing only the effect of equipment being used.

When you think of Vegas, you immediately think of boldly lighted facades and flashing marquees. Inside the casinos, the lighting drama continues with stark contrasts and whimsical luminaires all adding to the excitement. Lighting design objectives for casino and gaming include attracting the customer, providing for customer comfort, providing for seeing tasks (by staff and occupants) and enhancing safety and surveillance.

One thing is for sure — whether your casino experience results in big wins or life-altering losses, you won’t miss a thrilling moment for lack of lumens as the night (and morning) unfolds in vivid color.

The two basic types of theatres are “live production” and film(motion picture). Stage lighting for live production is the most complex and begins with the controllable properties of light -intensity, form, color and movement. Lighting requirements for the marquee, lobby, and foyer not only include aesthetic concerns, but also adaptation as patrons proceed from the brightly lighted street area to the lobby, foyer and eventually the dimly lighted auditorium.

Without a gradual change in light level, patrons will be seeing spots and stumbling over each other in their fancy dresses. An appreciation for the dramatic potential of lighting must include an understanding of its four basic functions: visibility, motivation, composition and mood.

Effective exhibit lighting must balance exhibition and conservation needs while enriching the museum experience. Key issues for museum lighting include illuminance, color, glare, shadows, modeling of objects, safety and security and system control and flexibility.

Track luminaires are a common choice for museum lighting, as changing exhibits require ever-flexible lighting systems. Because of the paramount need for preservation, lighting accessories such as UV filters (which protect against ultra violet degradation) are also a necessity in museum lighting.