Ambient, task and accent: the simple framework lighting designers use in every room.
A single ceiling light makes a room visible. Three layers make it feel good.
Ambient
This is the general light: recessed downlights or a cove strip. Aim for even coverage and put it on a dimmer.
Task
Light for doing things. A pendant over the dining table, a lit mirror at the basin, a strip under kitchen cabinets. Task light should fall on the work, not in your eyes.
Accent
The layer that adds depth: a wall light grazing a textured wall or a lamp in a corner. It is the light you leave on in the evening.
Colour temperature
Use warm white, around 3000 K, in living rooms and bedrooms, and neutral white, around 4000 K, where you need to see detail.
In the bathroom
Light the face from the front with a backlit mirror, never only from above.
