Illumination is an important aspect of any design. The source of lighting can change the feeling and effectiveness of a room. Lighting comes from many sources including indirect or direct sunlight, tungsten lighting, fluorescent lighting and LED lighting. LED light bulbs have come a long way. LED bulbs were once too costly to be a realistic option for the basic consumer. Innovation in materials and design has changed the cost of producing usable white light for the home. LED lights offers many advantages and are a greener choice for lighting.
{LED|The initials LED stands for light emitting diodes. LEDs are solid state lighting sources that can convert an electrical impulse into light. LEDs last much longer then tungsten bulbs and because of the solid state, handle shocks and jolts better. These bulbs are little and hardy. LEDs run the range of the color spectrum into non-visible light like infrared and ultraviolet with out the need for filters. These traits make LED lighting a great choice for many projects.
Light Emitting Diodes send a narrow beam that is excellent for task lighting, like workbench lighting or kitchen work station lighting. Lighting a larger area can be accomplished with reflectors and strip lighting. Book cases and cabinets are great examples of areas that LED lights can be employed. LED’s are very useful for safety lighting and are used in airplanes, theaters and other places where lights can help illuminate passage ways without causing light bleed. This same concept can be utilized in home lighting for stair cases, walkways and closets.
A major benefit of these lights is the ability to paint areas with specific light and a variety of colors. Using Light Emitting Diodes in interior design for space lighting is becoming affordable with a variety of applications. Like track lighting these lights can isolate small sections. In addition, some LED lights can actually change color depending on the need and desire of the home owner. A room can have walls that change color depending on the setting and desired ambiance. Using carefully chosen colors the lights can alter the hue of the room. Matching the colors of paint and lighttakes a bit of experimentation and foresight. The room needs to be able to stand up to natural light as well as artificial light. Areas of the wall can also be lit or shaded. Light sculpting creates a sense of texture and depth onto a one dimensional wall.
Light emitting diodes can also be used for special decorative purposes. Door knobs can light up red or green to indicate occupancy or vacancy, faucets and shower heads can change the color of water. The color can even indicate if the water is hot or cold. LEDs can be sensitive to the temperature of a room, shifting the color to help create a better ambiance. In a cool space, the lighting can shift to warmer colors and in a warm space the lights can shift to color tones. There are many applications for light emitting diodes with more on the way. Interior designers will use LEDs more as the price drops and applications increase.
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