Interior Designer, Jonathan Hopp, and the author of Interior Bliss, says that there are three types of lighting to consider when designing your family room, and really any room in your home: general, task, and accent. General lighting refers to overall illumination, the kind that gets lots of everyday use and can light up a room at the flick of a switch. Task lighting serves to illuminate a specific area: a floor lamp next to your favorite reading chair, under-cabinet lights in the kitchen to aid in food preparation, and a desk lamp to prevent eye strain when balancing the check book. Accent lighting works to create mood and highlight areas of visual interest, such as picture lights mounted above artwork or a spotlight on a dramatic piece of sculpture. A healthy blend of the three types of lighting will support you in creating a comfortable and beautiful family room where everyone feels right at home.

New energy codes target his favorite - the higher wattage incandescent bulbs - and will soon make them a relic of the past.  Starting in January of 2012, manufacturing of the ubiquitous 100 watt incandescent bulb was discontinued.  In 2013, the 75 watt is gone, and at the beginning of 2014 the 60 watt is finished once supplies are used up.  The goal is to reduce energy consumption by providing lower wattage alternatives. Yet this creates the dilemma of what do we use now?

1) Consider the location.  A hallway with a high ceiling may want a longer life bulb,   which would be ideal for a fluorescent or incandescent.
2) What is the function of the space?  A bathroom may benefit from cleaner stronger light such as a color corrected bulb.  I use the bulbs that aid in preventing seasonal adjustment disorder because they are a brighter, cleaner color, and anything that keeps me from being sad, I am all for!
3) Does it need to be flexible?  I use dimmers where ever possible.  I love being able to have lighting at full wattage when cooking in the kitchen and then dim the lights during dinner or those in – between times when you don’t need a lot of bright light.
4) Rooms where you watch media are better with dimmable lighting as well.  While you should never watch tv in a completely dark room so you can prevent eye strain, dim the lights down and make an your space like a movie theatre.
5) Experiment.  Try different types of lighting in different locations.  You may like the color of one fixture better in one room more than the other.