Natural light is a gift we have come to take for granted. Yet what is more beautiful than the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening? Natural light is responsible for brush like strokes of color across the sky, shade beneath a tree and sprinkles of light dancing across water. Designers use these visions as an inspiration to create lighting artistry. The diversity of natural light and the magical effects it creates can be reproduced indoors by an experienced designer. Sophisticated lighting tools are more available than ever but lighting is still often overlooked when building or remodeling.
When guests walk through a professionally designed home they often ooh and ahh over the striking wall colors, window treatments, furnishings and 
floor coverings but it is a rare occasion that anyone notices the lighting that perfectly accents all of these elements. Lighting can make small rooms look open and airy and large rooms appear cozy and inviting. It can create high energy rooms for entertaining or a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy after a stressful day.
Three Basic Types Of Lighting
(1) General lighting (ambient light) provides overall brightness essential for every day use and is extremely versatile. Placing a dimmer switch on this type of lighting provides flexibility and saves energy. The best designed lighting plans create richness and depth emphasizing textures and enhancing dimension. Knowledge of lighting types and tools creates a platform for creative ideas.
(2) Task lighting is used for specific needs such as applying make-up, reading a book or sewing. Slowly layering these three types of lighting will create balance and harmony, transforming a twodimensional (ordinary) space into a sensational one. Lighting several surfaces simultaneously brings interiors instantly to life.
(3) Accent or feature lighting is layers of light that accentuates architectural elements, a particular piece of furniture or even a centerpiece on a table.
Layering of these tools is an art and as with artists, designers have their favorite medium and style.
Dramatic Emphasis: Six Main Tools For Gentle Illumination
► Downlighting — specific and direct usually ceiling or wall mounted.
► Uplighting — washes the ceiling and reflects back into the room giving a diffused even effect.This type of light can be a free standing or wall mounted fixture.
► Wallwashers — cast light evenly across and down a wall and can be ceiling or wall mounted.
► Decorative Lighting — is typically used in traditional spaces but can be combined with modern designs as part of an overall scheme if done skillfully. Light from a fireplace or candle is another form of decorative lighting both of which are unsurpassed tools for creating atmosphere.
► Color — different colors set moods and can be dramatic for areas in rooms, foyers and other featured portions of your home.
► Control — is the last tool in a skillful lighting scheme. Lighting systems that are on separate circuits, preset controls and dimmer switches are instrumental in transforming bright and airy rooms into dramatic or intimate spaces instantly.
