An illuminating idea: Recessed lighting helps brighten decor

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, May 14, 2008

When it comes to lighting, people often focus on the fixture style – contemporary, traditional and retro are among the most popular – but experts from the American Lighting Association say to truly decorate with light, you should be paying more attention to what the light source is doing.

Many experts say, “Start with ambient light and go from there!”

Developed in the 1950s, recessed lighting created the ability to light a space from above the ceiling plane.

This innovative idea changed the future of lighting used in both homes and commercial spaces and is still one of the most important architectural tools in lighting design.

Today, recessed lighting fixtures are being used to create dramatic effects in every room in the house.

In the living room, they can spotlight a painting on the wall or a piece of furniture; in a hallway, they can create a scalloping effect as you walk; in the kitchen they are replacing the typical center fixture and providing more functional task lighting where needed; and in bedrooms and cozy corners of dens, they are being used as reading lights.

Here are just a few examples of what recessed lighting can do:

– Make crystals shine. When you walk into a foyer, your eyes are instantly drawn to a crystal chandelier with incandescent bulbs, even though it is not producing much light.

McCarthy says this is because as the light given off by the recessed lights above criss-crosses, it cools off the light source, making the crystals sparkle.

– Enhance a display of collectibles.

When you look into a china cabinet in the dining room, the collectibles inside shine and/or sparkle under the recessed lighting casting down on them from above.

– Define spaces. You can have a large great room and use the recessed fixtures to define various spaces, like a seating area or game area.

– Illuminate vertical surfaces or wall washing. This will give the illusion of a larger space. If you put somebody in a room with dark walls, they will feel a sense of confinement.

Light up those same walls and it will feel more spacious, more open.

It is important to choose the right bulbs and fixtures. For example, a low voltage MR16 will make a granite countertop shine, he says, while a typical R30 reflector will not. If you want to bring out all the colors in a piece of artwork, use an MR16 bulb. An R30 would skew towards warm colors only.

To learn more about how to decorate with light, log on to the American Lighting Association Web site: (www.americanlightingassoc.com) and click on Enter Consumer Site, then Lighting Your Home and you will find a lot more information.