13 types of light fixtures and how to use them

There are many types of lighting fixtures in interior design which are great tools for influencing the look, feel and functionality of a space. The qualities and characteristics of these different light fixtures are varied and wide-ranging and, as you’re about to learn, they can all be used in many different ways.

Cabinet lights add a sophisticated flare to the overall lighting design of your kitchen, living room, bedroom or wherever you have cabinetry. These lights can be lined along the top or bottom of your cabinets to give a warm, modern look to the entire space. You can also get downlights for cabinets if you want a bit more lighting for your counter.

If you’re looking for something practical and elegant at the same time, look no further than floor lamps. These lamps come in a wide range of sizes and designs to help match any room in your home. Floor lamps can get pretty creative and can be legitimate expressions of art. They are also highly functional and can fulfil task, accent and ambient lighting duties with aplomb.

Related article: How to choose a floor lamp: 7 great tips

Table lamps are some of the most popular kinds of interior lighting. They are extremely versatile as both decorative and functional lighting pieces. They are also very mobile and can be moved around from spot to spot and room to room with ease. They are perfect for dining tables, as a desk lamp in the home office or on a delicate side table in your living room. A good table lamp can also work perfectly on your patio or balcony to provide some warm lighting whenever you’re outdoors, particularly if they are battery-operated.

Pendant lights are among the most elegant ceiling lighting solutions you can get for your home. These kinds of lights are perfect over a kitchen island, in the dining room, or as a focal point for your living space. Pendant lights come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and colours, making them easy to match with your existing decor.

Bollard lights are one of the best ways to light your driveway in a safe and elegant way. These lights can also be placed along pathways to help illuminate the ground without distracting from the rest of the surroundings. A great outdoor lighting solution that will add clarity and depth to your property at night.

If you want a simple lighting solution that does not distract from the rest of the home’s decor, downlights are the way to go. These simple and compact lights are a form of recessed lighting and can be placed in almost any room in your home and can even be dimmable to give you full control of how bright you want them. They are especially good for homes and rooms with low ceilings where pendant lighting isn’t really suitable.

Wall sconces are the perfect way to light a room’s walls. These kinds of wall lights are great for larger rooms as they are efficient without being distracting. They come in a wide variety of styles, colours, and designs to match the room you’re putting them in. They give spaces greater dimension as a light source that emanates from your walls, complementing that from above.

Track lights are made up of multiple light bulbs attached to a single track along your ceiling. These lights are perfect for interior spaces as they can provide a lot of light from a single fitting. They can also typically be adjusted and tilted in different directions to accent and highlight different spaces or items. This makes them ideally suited for kitchens which have multiple stations that require task lighting. They are also commonly used in dining rooms, living rooms and hallways.

String lights are perfect for your patio or backyard. These lights are made up of hundreds of LED lights that are connected via a string and give your outdoor space a unique look. String lights come in a variety of different sizes and can create a magical feeling in the garden or around your home. Extremely popular during the festive season.

If you’re looking for something elegant and classy for your space, linear lighting is the perfect solution. Linear lights typically consist of a linear tube of light that is suspended from the ceiling. They are very useful for long and narrow spaces, frequently featuring over kitchen islands, dining tables, hallways and in commercial and retail environments too.

Flush mount lights are unique overhead lights that come in several different designs. These lights lay flush against the ceiling and provide general lighting equally throughout the room. They are great for small spaces with low ceilings as they hang down from a chain or cord like a pendant. For this reason, they are quite frequently used in bedrooms.

If you want to light your backyard effectively, flood lights are a fantastic option. These lights come in a few different sizes but have the power to light up large spaces very easily. There are even a few solar options to help reduce your energy bill at the same time. They often also come equipped with motion sensors so can act as security lights too.

Stair lights are great for illuminating your stairs at night. They can be placed below the handrail, along the floor of the stairs or even at the side of each step. While these lights are incredibly elegant and make a visual feature out of your staircase, they are also important to keep you and your loved ones safe when using your stairs.

As you can see, there are several different types of light fixtures you can easily use around your home to add functionality and style. Each is designed to add value to the space in a unique way with many styles and designs to suit. So long as you consider the purpose of your light, the environment it’ll be in and your own personal tastes as far as aesthetics goes, you’ll be on course to choose something that works for you.