Note that often decorative lighting is considered a 4th type of lighting. Personally, I don't consider lighting that is purely decorative to be part of a lighting scheme. A purely decorative source (that doesn't produce ambient light) is really a piece of art.
Sometimes referred to as "general lighting," this is the primary lighting element of the room. Ambient lighting will determine the look and feel of the space; think of it as your overall illumination, although that doesn't mean you need to light every corner of the room. Ambient light is the primary lighting choice, and all others fall in around that.
Ambient lighting is commonly created using:
Reflected Light
Recessed Downlights
Concept section - recessed down light.
The recessed downlight (commonly referred to as a high hat) became popular in the 1980s and remains a staple of interior design. Recessed into the ceiling, they create a hole flush with the ceiling plane from which light pours downward. Recessed downlights are capable of accepting compact fluorescent and halogen A-lamps, as well as a wide variety of halogen and LED point sources. CFL and Halogen A-lamps in recessed downlights are truly down lights. Point sources in recessed cans can be aimed (more on that soon).Since recessed downlights are installed in your ceiling, there are some things to consider (these will apply to their adjustable cousins as well). In the U.S., all electrical connections must be protected within a junction box. So recessed down lights have some version of a housing, and it is within that housing that the electrician will make their wiring connections. Whether you’re building the room as new construction or a renovation, the space between your ceiling and the structure above and whether the ceiling is insulated will all determine what kind of housing is required.
The last thing to consider is what the fixture will look like in your ceiling and how easy it will be to change light bulbs when the time comes. Manufactures have come up with a wide variety of ways to finish the hole created in the ceiling so that the fixture becomes a true architectural element. Usually, these treatments are called trims. A trim is a plate (options include square, round, overlapping the ceiling, flush to the ceiling, deep regress, shallow regress, lensed, all in a multitude of colors, etc.) that will be removed to change a light bulb. It’s important to understand how trims are installed and removed, because these fixtures will have to be maintained over time, even if it’s just changing light bulbs.
Recessed downlights are great for providing illumination, but be careful: The tendency with these is to use too many and over-light the room. Downlight isn't the most complimentary angle to light people or objects; good for general ambiance, yes, but don't rely too heavily on this concept.
Table and Floor Lamps
No surprise here: Table and floor lamps have been a staple since the kerosene era. Most older table and floor lamps are based around incandescent bulbs (refer back to Part I for the various replacements to the A-lamp including CFL, LED and halogen). People often ask me if there's a problem only lighting a room with table and floor lamps, and there isn't. It's just important to understand that table and floor lamps offer only ambient light. Usually, a glow cast in all directions all the time; if that's the effect you want, then that's great. The right lamps with the right light source can make a room magical. At the same time, table and floor lamps are often a fallback when other ideas seem too daunting. Don't fall into that trap.
Cove Lighting
think about coves as a way to bounce light off your ceiling, or wash light down your walls. Cove lighting can be achieved with linear and compact fluorescent, halogen strips, and increasingly with LEDS. Cove lighting is especially great for creating luminous surfaces, like walls in a bathroom or vaulted ceilings in an older home. Make sure you understand the design of cove lighting so you can ensure proper maintenance.
Surface Mounted Decorative Fixtures
These are fixtures mounted tight to walls and ceilings and are meant to be viewed. Surface mounted fixtures can be amazing when they fit with the decor and provide the desired lighting effect. Here's my cautionary note with surface mounted fixtures: Big box stores that shall remain unnamed have pushed lots of sub-par fixtures into the market. Don't get me wrong; you can find a decent fixture at your local big box retailer, but if you're looking for great lighting, do your research.
Chandeliers and Wall Sconces
The mother of all decorative fixtures, a chandelier can be utterly spectacular. When the word is uttered,
most people think of a crystal piece with dozens of tiny lamps. I invite you to expand your concept of what a chandelier is to modern forms and singular light sources. I think of a chandelier as any hanging light source that is some height below the ceiling. Like other decorative sources, expand your thinking from what's available at the local big box store; I've seen chandeliers made of used spoons, hubcaps, and painted glass. Chandeliers can be totally expressive pieces of art as well as good ambient light sources.
Wall sconces are decorative pieces mounted at some distance off the wall. There are as many kinds of sconces as there are kinds of taste. When walls themselves become luminous, good things can happen. Good sconces, like table and floor lamps provide ambient light from a relatively low angle. This soft glow creates complimentary shadows on the faces of people and furniture. Light from lower angles (though not uplight from the floor) will also be perceived as warmer and more inviting.
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