When it comes to making your home into that perfect haven of beauty and functionality, getting the lighting right is critical. Effective lighting not only lets you carry out your daily tasks more easily, it also makes you home safer and more comfortable and allow you to realise your home's full potential.

Wall lights, in particular, are ideal for creating both ambient lighting that gives overall illumination and accent lighting that creates the mood and style you want for your home. They can also function as task lighting for reading and other daily household tasks. Here's your guide to wall lighting.

The most basic form of lighting for a room is general or ambient lighting. This functions like natural light to provide the overall illumination you need to function with safety and efficiency. Wall mounted fixtures can provide ambient lighting, often in conjunction with some kind of ceiling light such as a chandelier or recessed light.

Wall-mounted light fixtures are known as sconces. They can either be directional or emit all-round light. Wall sconces are generally installed at around head height to provide general lighting and are perfect for every room and area in your home - bathroom, entryway, bedroom or den, for example.

Sconces come in many materials, each of which imbues a room with a different atmosphere. Bronze gives a warm, cosy classic feel, while for a more modern minimalist look, you could choose cool pewter. Other than the material, the style of the sconce gives a particular atmosphere. You can choose from rustic styles, elegant Tiffany-style lighting or hyper modern creations.

Other than providing the overall illumination you need for daily living, wall lighting also works to establish a mood and highlight interesting details in your home. This is known as accent lighting and using wall lights as accent lights can adds a real touch of style to your decor. You can choose lighting to create moods varying from the subtle to the highly dramatic.

When looking to create moods in your home through lighting, one thing to remember is that effective lighting design is made up of layers of light from a variety of sources. This means that your accent wall lights can combine with ceiling down lights or floor level up lights to create the effect you want.

One idea is to fix wall lamps or sconces on either side of the fireplace to provide a nice touch. Also you use wall lamps to adorn your bathroom and create a cosy feel. One tip is that soft illumination of your walls helps make your whole room feel bigger and brighter. Another option is to install ceramic wall lights. These can either be left in their original finish or painted to match or contrast a wall colouring. Other than the lamp itself, wall lamps can be enhanced through the use of shades available in a wide range of colours and styles.

Wall lamps can also function as task lights to provide adequate illumination to carry out activities such as reading and sewing. Examples are swing arm wall lamps that serve as reading lights in the bedroom and living room. Wall brackets are often used for task lighting at the bathroom mirror to help women make up their face in comfort.

Outdoor wall lights can create the perfect atmosphere for relaxation on your patio or terrace. You can choose from flush mounted lights along with a wide range of sconces in various styles and materials. Popular are Asian and tropical themed lights to imbue those summer evenings with a warm exoticism. You can also get outdoor wall lights in contemporary style.

When designing a lighting plan for your home, the first thing you need to do is consider are the activities that occur in each room. Essentially, you'll need ambient lighting for entertaining and watching television, accent lighting to highlight paintings, ceramics, and interesting architectural areas, and task lighting for reading. Wall lights are effective for all these functions and are available with incandescent, tungsten-halogen, and energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

When looking for indoor wall lights for your home, you best option is to visit the web sites of online dealers. Here you can the widest range of wall lights at the best prices. Just place your order online for prompt delivery.

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