Lighting: A Two Part Guide

Last week, in Zara’s lighting guide, we talked about different types of lighting. But what is a pedestal lamp without a light bulb? Continue reading to ensure you pick the best bulb in the bunch!

Here are the four most common types of bulbs:

1. Incandescent: Ideal for living rooms, dining rooms. Bedrooms and dens, incandescent bulbs can be used on a dimmer and bring out warm yellow tones. Not a fan of a warm glow? Pick MB Halogen bulbs or GE Reveal bulbs.

2. Fluorescent: These energy efficient bulbs often have a bluish tint and are commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms and tanning beds. They are usually linear, circular, u-shaped or grooved and sometimes flicker and make crackling sounds.

3. Compact fluorescent: Also known as CFLs, these small, even more energy efficient fluorescent bulbs last up to ten times longer than standard fluorescents. Although they commonly come in a swirly shape, you can find encased ones, too. Use them in the living room, bedroom, dining room, kitchen and outdoors but not the bathroom (high humidity can shorten their lifespan).

4. Halogen: The brightest bulbs in the box, these cost the most and last longer than other bulbs. Flood lights and flat tops are examples of these bulbs, which contain more blue and green than standard bulbs—making the light appear brighter and whiter.
Once you pick a bulb, you’ll have to choose the correct wattage. 75-150 watts are ideal for reading and other tasks, while 40-75 watts are perfect for mood lighting.

Lighting: A Two Part Guide

You can have the right furniture and accents, but without the right lighting your San Diego or New York space won’t shine as brightly as it could—pun intended. We hope the first part of our two part guide to lighting will help you fix all of your lighting woes.

First thing’s first – let’s address the four basic types of lighting:

1. Accent: The main function of accent lighting (aka mood lighting) is to highlight something—like artwork or a bookcase—that you want to stand out.

2. Task: Task lighting provides a beam of light for reading or doing another activity and is commonly used in an office or reading area.

3. Ambient: Most often found in schools, labs, office spaces and medical offices, ambient lighting mimics sunlight and illuminates the entire room.

4. Decorative: This refers to chandeliers, sconces, pendants, etc., which work as attention grabbers but also provide ambient lighting.
Stay tuned for part two of Zara’s lighting guide next week, in which we will tackle the many different types of light bulbs out there so you can pick which is best for your space.