Desirable Lighting Characteristics

Soft Glows

• Soft-glow lighting can be appropriate for a bedroom or a dining room, in an effort to create a comfortable and romantic ambience. When a room is lit with a soft glow lighting, the lighting is produced with a halo effect that warms the area around the light without being too harsh. Soft glows are also easier on the eyes than harsher lights, so it is less likely to cause headaches for people who are sensitive to light.

Dimmers

• Having a dimmer on a lighting fixture is a desirable feature because it allows you to control the brightness and softness of the light. You can make the light brighter in the dark or keep it at a soft glow when a room is naturally lit with light from a window. Lights that are able to be dimmed can give you a multitude of effects so you can change them depending on what you're using the room for.

Spotlights

• A spotlight may be desirable for a person who wishes to illuminate something in particular within a room. For instance, if a piece of art is on display, a spotlight brings a focus to the art so it can be seen from all angles in the room. A spotlight produces harsh light so the object being illuminated cannot be missed. In the interior design industry this is known as accent lighting.

Color

• Lighting fixtures produce different colors depending on the bulb being used. White lights pick up more colors of the spectrum when they shine against glass or metal. However, yellow lights maintain a yellowish hue no matter what. A white color may also feel more natural in a room, closer to the color that the room would be if it were being lit by the sun.