As the air grows crisper and the night grows longer, we’re seeking the cozy comfort of the well-lit indoors. It’s a good time to explore the decorative functions of light. I’m not talking about the pretty sparkle of a crystal chandelier or the artistic statement of a Tiffany lamp; I’m referring instead to the optical illusions and area-defining effects that light itself can achieve.

Light can change a rooms proportions, creating scale and volume to make it feel bigger, or visually shrinking it to a smaller, more intimate space. Strategically placed uplighting can wash the walls with light and reflect off of the ceiling to create a soft, diffused effect that mimics natural light, creating a roomy, airy feel. By illuminating opposite walls and leaving corresponding walls unlit, you can add the illusion of length to a room. Lighting something beyond the room, such as a patio or an adjoining room, can also trick the eye into perceiving more space than is actually contained within the room, adding to the feeling of openness.

Light can define areas and link spaces. In a loft apartment, for example, using track lighting to create pools of light and shadow of varying intensities can define zones and provide a feeling of distinct, separate areas for lounging, dining and sleeping. Conversely, using similar intensities of light in two separate but joined rooms, such as a living room and den, can draw the eye beyond the room’s barrier and create the illusion of a single large space.

Light can create focus. Lighting focal points in a room, such as a painting, an architectural feature or a piece of designer furniture, is an easy way to create interest. It can be easy to get carried away, though, and create so many “focal” points that nothing stands out. A simple way to avoid this is, when planning the room’s layout, use a yellow highlighter or sticky note to denote where your lighting focal points will be. If you end up with too much yellow, then you’ll know that you need to be more discriminating about which aspects of the room to bring into focus.

When creating focal lighting, the point is to make the object being lit brighter than its surroundings in order to draw the eye; so the light source will need to be hidden so that it doesn’t become the focal point, and it will need to be controlled separately from the room’s primary light source so that it will remain bright when the other lights are dimmed.

This is just a small sampling of the effects that lighting can have on a space. In the coming weeks, we’ll explore other ways to decorate, set mood and create drama with light.

A common mistake many homeowners make is to rely on a single type of lighting to illuminate an entire room. While this may seem to get the job done, a room can become much more functional, and also more comfortable, by practicing the technique known as “light layering.” This technique uses the four main categories of lighting that we touched on earlier in our post on Kitchen Lighting. To recap, those categories are Ambient light, Task light, Accent light and Decorative light.

Ambient light should be the foundation layer. Usually provided by overhead fixtures, wall sconces and torchiere lamps, it’s the functional light that allows you to see the room. It tends to be soft and flattering, and can make a room feel cozy all by itself.

It’s not the best type of light for reading or working, though, and for that you need Task lighting. This is the second layer that brings focused illumination to a desk or a reading chair. The lighting source should optimally be between your head and the work surface to prevent shadows or glare, and should be bright enough to enable you to see what you’re doing without eye strain.

Our third layer is Accent light. Accent lighting draws attention to certain areas or features, such as the art lighting we discussed in our last post. Picture lights, track lighting, mantle lights and upward-pointing wall sconces are all examples of lighting that draws the eye and creates interest in a room.

Decorative light is the final layer. The focus here is more on the fixture than on the light it puts out. Think crystal chandeliers, Tiffany lamps and decorative sconces. The main function of decorative lighting is simply to look pretty and add sparkle while the other three types of lighting do the heavy lifting of providing functional illumination.

On their own, any one of these types of lighting can ensure that you don’t trip over the furniture. But by combining each of them in layers, you’ll create a comfortable, fully functional space that adapts to your changing needs and fully integrates with the room’s décor.

As often as this blog suggests the use of dimmer switches, we thought we should give you a little more information on what’s available. There are several different types of dimmer switches, with some being easier to install than others. While they all give you control over the level of light in a room, some provide finer control, while others are simpler to operate. If that sounds confusing, don’t worry. Here’s the breakdown:

• Rotary – Probably the oldest and most basic, these switches replace a regular wall switch and allow you to control the level of lighting with the turn of a knob. These usually double as an on/off switch—either push them like a button, or turn the lights down until they click off.
• Sliders/Gliders – Another manual switch, these vertical knobs start at the top and slide down to dim the lighting. Much like the rotary switch, the knob is usually also a push-button that can turn the lights off or on.
• Plug-in – The easiest to install – just plug it into an outlet, and plug a lamp into the switch. A rotary knob on the plug-in unit controls the lamp’s light output.
• Push-button – A little more high-tech than rotary or slide dimmers, push-button dimmers have one or more buttons set to a pre-programmed level of light.
• Touch – Like push-button dimmers, these switches are programmable – just select your pre-set lighting levels, and then simply touch the plate to dim the lights.
• Remote control – This self-explanatory switch allows the convenience of controlling the lights from anywhere in the room.
• Integrated Control Systems – The most high tech and customizable, this type of system requires some extra funds and a professional installation. You can wire just one room or an entire house to be controlled from a single push-button panel or remote control.

As you can see, there are dimmer switches to fit every budget and DIY comfort level. With the potential energy savings of turning the lights down a single notch—not to mention the ability to set the mood of a room—adding dimmer switches should be on everyone’s home improvement list.

When planning the lighting for individual rooms, it is important to determine the key focal points, so that they can be lit separately. They might include a favorite picture or sculpture, a piece of art, or an architectural feature that would benefit from being highlighted. The eye is always drawn to the brightest point, so focus is created by highlighting whatever you want to be a feature, the eye will naturally follow these “focal points” of light.

When creating a lighting plan for a room, color focal points yellow; if there is “too much yellow,” there are too many focal points, and you’ll need to be more selective to create impact. Lighting that is subtle and selective is often far more effective than too much.

Creating focus is about experimenting with contrast. If something is lit more strongly than its surroundings, then it will stand out; if the surroundings are dark, it will stand out even more. To create focus, it is important to understand how the general lighting in the space is created; whether by table lamps, pendants, recessed downlights, uplights, or any number of combinations.

The overall lighting needs to be controlled separately from the effects that create focus, so that these stand out when the general lighting is dimmed. Other key points to bear in mind is that the object or feature being lit must be the brightest point, and the light source must be shielded – if not, the light source becomes the brightest point that draws the eye, and not the intended feature