Lighting Your Home

• Lighting is one of the most important areas of home decorating--and often the most neglected. Beyond helping you see, proper lighting can add beauty and drama to a room.
• Redecorate with light using three basic steps:

Step 1. General lighting is functional and the first level of this process. Recessed, track lights and a torchier fall in this category.

Step 2. Task lighting is directed toward an activity and directed down on a specific area. The most common forms of task lights are table and floor lamps.

Step 3. Accent lighting adds drama to a room by spotlighting such items as artwork and collectibles so they look their best. Experiment with different bulbs to bring out the pieces' colors and textures. Since halogen bulbs are a pure white light, they simulate sunlight almost perfectly and really bring out the colors in a painting or beautiful wood grains. Incandescent bulbs are a yellow or warmer tone, which many people prefer.

• To get the most out of any lighting plan, attach dimmers to lights to control the mood. Not all dimmers need to be hardwired as units are available that plug into the wall. Dimmers not only create various moods,they also conserve energy.