Lighting is the element in interior design to which the least attention is paid. Sometimes it is outright ignored by homeowners — and even by well-known interior designers. There are subtleties to lighting, and when done correctly, the right lighting can make even boring rooms look spectacular.

Lighting is the most important factor of any room. Its effects can be both positive and negative. If you think about it, light is more important than color, furniture selection, flooring material or even the overall design itself. Lighting designers are generally involved in large commercial projects, and rarely in smaller residential projects. In the absence of a lighting designer, the homeowner or the interior designer should carefully review the activities that will take place in the room. The function of the room will determine the appropriate lighting.

There are two basic types of lighting: natural and artificial. Both of these can and should be controlled. Natural lighting comes from the sun via a window, courtyard or doorway and changes immensely throughout the day. It is often elusive and as unpredictable as a passing cloud. It should be noted that this type of passive lighting is modified and diffused by the type of window treatment and the glazing, films or screens on the window. Natural light is the best for the environment, the most efficient and the healthiest for your eyes.

Artificial light includes all the lamps, sconces, chandeliers and recessed fixtures that are used to light rooms around the world. There are at least three types of artificial lighting: general overhead lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. Basically, overhead lighting refers to anything from surface-mounted light fixtures to recessed lighting; overhead lighting supplies overall lighting for the room. Task lighting includes table lamps, floor lamps and even some ceiling pendants and track lighting; task lighting provides lighting for specific tasks such as reading, cooking and writing. Accent lighting includes the wall sconces, small lamps and other fixtures that are only for decorative purposes. The best-lit rooms are a combination of all of the above.

To determine how best to light your room, take a floor plan that has your furniture and lighting (lamps) laid out. Wherever there is a lamp or fixture, draw a circle with a 3-foot diameter around it. These circles will give you a good idea of the span of light around each fixture. If your circles come within two or three feet of one another, your spread of light is likely sufficient. If they are farther apart, you will have dark spots. These dark spots can be remedied by adding either task or accent lighting to the room. The ultimate test will be to turn on all the lights.

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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