Lighting can change everything. A well-placed lamp or dampened overhead lighting can change not only the mood, but the perceived size of the room as well. What’s more, great lighting works is crucial for interior design because it can assist and highlight furniture and color choice. Not to mention that it can compensate for the lack of natural light.

Conjunction with color

Depending on what type of coloring you chose for your environment, strategic lighting can either enhance it or diminish the impact it has. It’s very important to choose lighting based on whether your walls are light or dark. Lighting will either be reflected or absorbed. Dark rooms can appear smaller than they actually are. But that can be fixed by creating an illusion with directional light.

Furthermore, illuminating the floors instead of walls can create a different atmosphere. On the other hand, we can achieve the opposite effect with centered overhead lighting and even wall lighting.

Directional lighting — highlights and illuminates

Directional or positional lighting can highlight certain focal points of our choosing — paintings, wall details, bar tops, etc. If focal points aren’t your thing, you can also create beams of light by using recessed lighting. Positioning the lights in floors and ceilings will create beautiful light beams. They will draw the eye and provide subtle illumination.

The practicality of lighting

Of course, lighting does so much more than simply create a mood. In fact, its primary feature is the functionality. For example, small rooms don’t need excessive chandeliers as much as big entryways do, right? Aside from the grandiose effect, chandeliers will illuminate the huge space as well.

Functionality is more important in certain spaces, like libraries and offices, than in others. That’s where good use of directional and task-specific lighting really shines, no pun intended. For example, long hallways will benefit more from wall lights than from overhead lighting. They will create depth and add to the overall length.

Conjunction with space

We can easily manipulate space perception with both natural and artificial lighting. Dark rooms will appear even more cramped without proper lighting. A strategically placed floor lamp in one or two corners might make the room appear bigger and less crowded — even when we have a lot of furniture pieces.

Lighting can also help to define a theme or pull various elements of a room together. If your aim is to achieve a nautical style, then introducing nautical lighting will help to evoke a breezy, coastal feel to the room.

Central overhead lighting is also crucial when we are looking to brighten the space a bit. It gives the illusion of natural light and makes rooms seem bigger than it actually is. Furthermore, it also highlights the wall colors. Lastly, great lighting will bounce off and reflect the shiny surfaces, making the room and the atmosphere more dynamic.