Do you want to add some lighting to your garden or house and you are confused on the type to go for, here are some main types of lighting you should consider.
General Lighting
Its function is to illuminate the overall of the room. It is the one that is lit first when entering a room. Its function is to illuminate enough to allow us to steer on the one hand and to set the tone of the room on the other hand. In general, we opt for relatively soft lighting to avoid being dazzled when entering the room.
Direct/Indirect Lighting
Direct lighting is the light projected directly from the luminaire to the area requiring illumination. It has the advantage of being more effective, but it can also be a source of dazzle and create a lot of contrast. It is located above, as a ceiling or suspension, to illuminate a dining room table, for example, or with a diffuser so that the light is softer and homogeneous throughout the room. Direct lighting is widely used to illuminate a work area: a desk with a desk lamp, a kitchen worktop lit with spotlights.
In indirect lighting, by contrast, you can use an intermediate surface as a reflector between the light source and the area to be illuminated. They can project the light of a lamppost to a ceiling or a wall to a wall, for example.
Mixed Lighting
It combines direct and indirect lighting in the same light source. A very common example is the lamp with a shade. About 60% of the light is projected downward (direct lighting) and 40% toward the ceiling (indirect lighting), both useful light down and sieved in the room.
Directional Lighting
It is used to highlight an object or to illuminate a particular work area. Specifically, it can be a spot, a desk lamp or a table light. The beam is very focused on the area to be illuminated.
Functional Lighting
Lighting is said to be functional when it responds to a particular function. For example, for the lighting of a garden path or a staircase, the lighting can be decorative to emphasize the curves of the alley, the curve of the staircase, but also functional to help us to follow the driveway.
