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Types of Light
If you’re buying new lights, the first thing you want to know is what type of light is right for your requirements. Different lights perform different roles.
Our light type guide will get you more comfortable which light you need. You can then shop from our range of interior, outdoor and LED lights with confidence.
Basic Lighting Types
Getting yourself familiar with lights starts with knowing the three basic types of lighting – these are Ambient, Task and Accent.
When it comes to these three main types of lighting, it is important to understand what role they play.
Ambient Lighting
The most common type – this is light that fills a large area, such as a living room or bedroom. Ambient lighting usually comes from fixtures fitted to the ceiling, though it can come from a variety of lights, that can provide illumination of a wider space.
Outdoor ambient lighting is often used for security – lighting up a large area to deter potential trespassers – but it is also useful in preventing accidents. This is important for businesses that are open through the night to have a large covering of light.
Ambient Indoor Lighting examples:
Ambient Outdoor Lighting examples:
Task Lighting
As the name suggests – it is lighting that helps you perform a task, such as reading a book, cooking dinner or working at a desk or in a workshop.
Light is focused in one area, not an entire room, which actually means more lumens should be used than for ambient lighting. This is because light is dispersed evenly with ambient lighting. To understand more about light strength, read our guide to lumens and watts.
Task lighting is often provided by a desk lamp or ceiling pendant lights, that direct light within one small beam.
Some more examples of task lighting:
Accent Lighting
Sometimes referred to as decorative or directional lighting, this is light that is designed to highlight key features of a room. This mainly focuses on the design of your room and is less functional than the other two.
It should be used in combination with ambient lighting to create a feeling of warmth and character in a room. Accent lighting can be used to draw attention to plants, paintings, ornaments, furniture, fireplaces or a specific corner of the room.
Example of accent lighting:
