LIGHTING IN
INTERIOR
PRESENTED BY: Ar. Aditi Patil
Faculty of Architecture, Sharnbasva University, Kalaburagi.
Introduction
LIGHTING:
Lighting or illumination -achieve a practical or aesthetic effect for a space.
It includes use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as
natural illumination by capturing daylight.
ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION:
Artificial lighting is not a natural from environment.
It is aimed to replace natural lighting when it’s not enough, such as in buildings
with insufficient number of windows or during night.
Natural light Artifical light
Introduction
Lighting is an important aspect of interior design as it enhances the aesthetic appeal and creates the mood
and ambiance of a living space. Lighting fixtures that illuminate a room creates a safe and comfortable
environment besides adding style to the interior decor. Light is the main element that gives the room a special
look.
Hence proper lighting is an important element of decorating your homes. Without proper lighting interior
architecture cannot be experienced to the fullest.
1. GENERAL / AMBIENT LIGHTING
General lighting needs to illuminate the overall space so that no corner could look dark. It is the combination
of light reflections from various surfaces to produce a uniform illumination called as ambient lights. It is placed
in the middle of the room.
2. TASK LIGHTING
Task lightings provide high illumination to
a specific area to perform a specific
task e.g. reading, sewing, working on
the computer working on the computer
etc. It improves visual clarity and offsets
tiredness. Good task lighting can help
decrease eye strain.
3. DECORATIVE LIGHTING
These lighting themselves can act as focal points for a room. Combination of glass, color and light can change
whole mood of the environment. Decorative lighting can refer to any lighting used in the space that adds
aesthetic appeal to the home as well as functional lighting.
SHADOW PLAY: Occurs where pattern of light is the background, or negative space, and shape of shadow
carries the message.
BEAM PLAY: Opposite of shadow play where light beam becomes the visual feature. Sometimes achieved with
gobos.
SPARKLE: Occurs when bits of small brightness appear on a dark background. Requires very high contrast to be
effective.
COLORED LIGHT: Use of colored light sources to create special visual effects.
ACCENT LIGHTING
Accent lighting is one of the four types of light, along with ambient or background or general lighting, task and
decorative lighting. Used to illuminate architectural or interior elements. General rule, if you add too much
accent lighting the effect will be lost. Common techniques include:
WALL WASHING: These are ceiling mounted lightings
which illuminate vertical surfaces like a column or a
wall; provides soft, ambient reflected light; attracts
attention to wall; and unifies diverse objects on wall,
unifies a wall with sheet of uniform brightness.
BACKLIGHTING: A light source placed on the opposite
side of the “subject” (model, actor) from a viewer’s
(camera of audience) point of view. Rear lighting
technique that diffuses light through translucent
materials.
HIGHLIGHTING: Emphasizes featured object by
creating 5 to 10 times the amount of brightness on
the object than in the background. When light hits a
surface, it naturally catches on the most prominent
areas. High contrast attracts attention.
SILHOUETTING: Sandwiches an object between
viewer and sheet of light. Object is outlined by the
light the brightness of which serves as negative
space. Details on face of object are obliterated. It
involves placing the light source at the back of any
object that needs to be lit.
DOWN LIGHTING: These lights in downward direc tion
and can be fully or half- inscribed in ceiling. Mainly
down lighters are used for general lighting of a
space but, it can also be used under cabinets of
kitchen to illuminate the slab area.
UP LIGHTING: These lights upwards and are mainly
used for the steps of staircase in homes. Good
ambient lighting technique or accent for interesting
surface that are “up”; important that surfaces have
high value, matte finish to reflect light.
Colour is an important aspect of the design of interior spaces.
COLOURS IN INTERIOR The use of colour in interior spaces as the translation of
abstract colour schemes, theories and meanings into real
materials, surfaces, experience and use in a space is a
complex matter requiring creativity, judgment and often
comes with experience. An understanding of colours
psychology and symbolism play an important role while
choosing colours for interior spaces in different settings for
different functions.
