How to Buy Lamps and Light Fixtures

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Just as jewelry accessorizes a dress, decorative light fixtures accessorize a room and create a mood. More than beauty, however, effective lighting adds safety, comfort and drama. Use illumination from three sources of light: general (or ambient), task and accent.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Choose lighting according to its application. General, or ambient, lighting brightens an entire room indirectly; task lighting helps you read, sew, cook or do paperwork under focused illumination; accent lighting spotlights decorative objects.

Step2

Experiment with different bulbs to achieve the brightness, warmth of tone or clarity of light you're looking for. Warm incandescent, color-true halogen or super-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs are new on the market. The final type lasts up to 10 times longer but uses only one-third of the energy--for example, a 25-watt compact fluorescent is as bright as a 75-watt incandescent bulb.

Step3

Use recessed lights, floor lamps and soffit uplights for entertaining and watching television instead of a harsh, single ceiling light. Add table lamps for reading or sewing, and track lights to accent art and architectural features.

Step4

Create dining-room intimacy with a low pendant or a candle-style chandelier (both on dimmer switches). Use twin lamps on a sideboard for soft background light.

Step5

Cook up an efficiently lit kitchen. Under-cabinet lights brighten countertops so you don't work in your own shadow. Halogen bulbs render food colors accurately. Position recessed, track and pendant lights to illuminate work centers. Install low-voltage strip lights inside cabinets with glass doors.

Step6

Furnish the bedroom with general and task lighting for a relaxing atmosphere. Flank the bed with mounted sconces or swing-arm lamps to free up nightstand surfaces. Recessed can lights are inconspicuous and ideal for low-ceiling rooms.

Step7

Focus on function in the home office. To avoid eyestrain, use at least 100 watts of incandescent or 40 watts of fluorescent task lighting for reading, writing and computer work. Supplement table and floor lamps with uplights and wall washers that spotlight plants or bookshelves.

Step8

Shop for style and construction as well as price. Fixtures sold at lighting showrooms may cost more, but usually are higher quality, and lighting consultants can offer design advice. Custom finishes, blown-glass shades and halogen bulbs also add to the cost of fixtures.

What to Look For:

General, task and accent lighting
Several light sources
Focus on room function
Suitable bulbs

Tips & Warnings

Use dimmers to adjust the brightness of almost any fixture to suit different moods.
Check that lights are safety-approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL.com).
Contact the American Lighting Association (americanlightingassoc.com) to locate member showrooms that offer a broad selection of fixtures, as well as design assistance from certified lighting consultants.
Arrange lamps at the correct height. When you're sitting, the bottom of a table lamp's shade should be at eye level, 38 to 42 inches (97 to 107 cm) above the floor.
The height of standing lamps is flexible--they can beam light up to add a soft glow to a dim corner or focus down with a shade for reading.
Lamps can be customized with new shades. You can also change the adapters on track lighting to accommodate many types of hanging fixtures.