Lighting alters our perception of our environment, including the way we see color. It can influence our moods, our sense of well being and our energy levels. It can even affect our ability to perform certain tasks. And yet, too often, lighting is given only cursory consideration during the design process. There are three basic types of lighting.
Ambient lighting provides general illumination in a space.
This is usually in the form of a ceiling fixture. For example, you walk into your kitchen, flip a switch, the ceiling light goes on and the room is lighted. Task lighting is, as the name implies, lighting for a particular task. In the kitchen, it would be the under-cabinet lighting that illuminates the counter top. While the ceiling fixture provides general light to the room, the fixtures mounted beneath the upper cabinets light the countertop sufficiently for food preparation.