One factor that affects the overall look of a room is the lighting design. Selecting the right kind of lights and placing them appropriately can change the entire feel of a room. So, it is very essential to know about the different lighting fixtures and their usage, so that you can select the right ones to get the desired feel for your room.

Ambient lights illuminate the whole space. Most ceiling lights that diffuse the light are ambient lights, other examples are wall sconces. The fixtures cover the wall with light for an overall glow and the wall reflects the light and diminishes the look of a single source.

Ambient lights should be used in such a way that they serve as background lights and not the center lights. They should not be too bright neither too dim.

Task lighting are also known as functional lights as they are mainly used for areas where some specific tasks are performed like reading, writing, stitching, cooking etc. So every room where some of these activities are carried out must have task lights.

One important thing to remember in task lighting is their placement. They should be placed in such a way that one is able to perform his/her job comfortably without straining the eyes. So it is better to place them directly over the work place or slightly to the side of the area. These are mainly used in areas like over the dining table, at the desk etc. Also make sure that you link them to separate switches.

Often the most overlooked element in any room but always the most dramatic, accent light draws attention to a particular element, such as an interesting architectural or decorative object. The key here is choosing what to highlight. Don’t light every object at once or none will stand out!

Halogen lights can be used as accent lights. You can also place them under an indoor plant to create shadows on the ceiling. You can make use of many different ideas when it comes to accent lights.

Another category of lighting fixtures are the decorative lights. They are beautiful fixtures which can themselves be used as decorative pieces. They do not provide a lot of light; their sole purpose is to grab attention and ad to the dramatic scheme of your decor.