Guides7 min read
A simple guide to lighting a room in layers
One ceiling light is never enough. Here is how to plan ambient, task and accent light in any room.
By Kabir Mehta, Lighting Buyer
Most rooms in India are lit by a single tube light or a ceiling fan with a bulb. It is practical, but it flattens everything. Layered lighting gives you control, and makes a room feel good at every hour.
Layer one: ambient
This is your general light. A pendant, a paper lantern or a flush ceiling light. Aim for warm white, around 2700K to 3000K, and put it on a dimmer if you can.
Layer two: task
Direct light where you do something: read, cook, work. A balanced-arm desk lamp or a lamp beside a reading chair. Task light should come from the side, not from behind you.
Layer three: accent
Small pools of light that make a room feel alive in the evening: a table lamp on a console, candles on the dining table, a lamp on a bookshelf.
Switch off the ceiling light after sunset and see how the room changes. That is the room you are designing for.
