Illuminated Decorating – Playing With Light

July 12th, 2010 Posted in Kitchen Lighting

Without light there would be no sight, light is what allows us to have vision. Its these very very tiny subatomic particles that actually transmit the information from the visual world, bouncing it off of the objects around us, and bringing it directly into our eyes, as well as they eyes of anyone else within line of sight. In this way the entire nature of the decorative arts is an act of controlling, and compensating for light.

There are a wide variety of lighting options available to you in a space, and each of these has its own properties and potential for effecting the environment which they are used in. Often the nature of the illumination is based on where the fixture is located in a space, and whether the light is filtered through some device.

The most basic lighting option is the overhead fixture. These glow from above, and the direct bulb is often encased in some sort of shade, whether it is a glass bulb, a ceramic flute, or even a cloth vest. Overhead lighting tends to provide the most abundant illumination, filling a space relatively evenly with its powerful glow.

Lamps are points of light that can be placed pretty much anywhere in the space that you like. They are often situated on tables or mantels, although floor lamps can be floated just about anywhere in the space. These are tiny points of illumination, circles which light up a small space, displaying its effects, and actually creating shadows beyond them which can be used to hide various features in the room. Using these, certain area of a room can be highlighted, or turned into focal points.

This is a trick which you can use to elevate what might otherwise be a less attractive space. Use the darkness to hide unseemly elements, and then create attractive displays around points of light. In this way you can accentuate the positive features of the environment while casting the unattractive ones in shadow and darkness.

Another lighting choice is ambient fixtures. These are pieces that don’t have the normal, intense glow of a standard light fixture, but instead tend cast off only a faint light that disperses throughout the space. These are mostly commonly used as mood lights in order to set the tone of an atmosphere, making it feel more relaxed and comfortable.

Some unusual lighting options include items such as Christmas lights. If you use stringed chrismas lights, these can be hung from the ceiling in a meshed effect to simulate the look of stars in the sky, or even a multicolored array hovering in the air. If the multitude of hues is too garish for you, pure white Christmas lights are another great way to add ambient lighting to a room. They can be strung along ceiling, or across seams in the walls, to gently accent the beauty of the space, and give it a festive feeling all year long.

Other novelty pieces such as onyx lamps, laval lamps, and various string lights are also all available. You can capture the feel of the nineteen fifties with glowing neon signs, or use illuminated clocks to tell time in the darkest of hours.

Light is all around us, it is what gives us the ability to see our environment. As such is it the most important aspect of decorating, and is a powerful tool for controlling the atmosphere of an environment.