It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of lighting in your life. In your home, effective illumination brings comfort and safety and creates a homely and functional environment. In your place of business, effective commercial lighting performs many functions. Artful lighting can bring a touch of enchantment to a restaurant, for example, and create an atmosphere where people love to eat. Or in a store, the skilful use of lights can bring out the best in our products and attract customers. Here's a look at the different types of lighting and how you can harness them to improve your home or business. First, let's look at the main types of lighting.

The main type of lighting is known as general or ambiance lighting. This is the general illumination we need to live and work with comfort and safety. Ambiance lighting can consist of everything from ceiling and wall-mounted lights to recessed or track lights.

Next we have task lighting. This is lighting which focuses on some specific activity we carry out regularly. In the average home, tasks generally include reading, writing, cooking, sewing, and you could even include eating. To create effective task lighting in your home, you need to carefully identify the function of each room so that you can choose the right type of lighting for that space. In a business, the range of tasks will be far wider and will depend on the type of operation. A simple example is an office desk light.

Next, there's accent lighting. This is used to establish a mood or atmosphere in a room by focusing on special object or areas. In a home, for example, you might want to highlight a picture or statue with a spotlight. Or floor lamps can cast inviting pools of light onto patterns on the walls. Popular accent lighting fixtures include track, recessed and wall-mounted lights.

In businesses, accent lighting can be very important in creating the right mood for customers. In a boutique, for example, the effective use of accent lighting can create the air of sophistication and style that evokes the buying mood.

Another type is called informational lighting. This is used to help you see your way safely. Examples are night lights, lights in your wardrobe, and path lighting.

To be truly effective, lighting has to be both functional and decorative. Fortunately, you have a wide array of lighting to choose to help you achieve these goals. The types of lights you can choose from include ceiling lights, chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps, reading lights, wall lights, track lights and spotlights. When it comes to installing this lighting on your premises, there are a number of factors you need to consider.

Firstly, you need to determine the nature each room and then select an appropriate light. For example in a bathroom, you want to look your best so you'll probably want vanity lighting around the mirror. In your children's bedroom, you need to create a feeling of safety so you'll want good overhead lights that illuminate the whole room.

Another key factor is the type of bulb which affects the warmth of the light and also its energy use. The main types of bulb are incandescent, fluorescent and LED. Incandescent has a colour most similar to natural daylight. Fluorescent lights are used mainly in kitchens and workrooms as the long tubes provide illumination over a wide area. However owing to their harsh white light, they're not suitable for lving rooms and others in which people relax. Here the soft yellow light of incandescent bulbs is more suitable.

You also have to think about lighting fixtures. These are the structures that hold the bulb in the right position and provide power. You have a wide choice here including recessed lighting fixtures, indirect lighting fixtures, flush mounted, semi-flush mounted and track or monorail lighting. Remember that many types of lights require installation.

Lastly, there's the question of style and here you have a wide range of options. You can choose from classic and contemporary, conventional, trendy and stylish, rustic, Victorian, Tiffany, or tropical depending on the mood you want to create.

To see the wide range of options you have when it comes to domestic and commercial lighting, the best idea is to visit the web sites of online dealers and browse their illustrated catalogues. You can get all the information you need on available products and delivery times and you can place your order with confidence for prompt delivery.