The most commonly used appliance in the house is lighting. Many don’t think of lighting as an appliance but in actuality it is. It is also used morning, noon and night. Robert likes to refer to the art of interior lighting as TADA. This is an acronym for the four layers of lighting that is required to complete a lighting composition.

T is for task lighting. This is what is used as for task oriented lighting. Examples of this would be kitchen recessed lighting.

A is for ambient lighting. This particular type of lighting fills in where task lighting may come up short. The ambient lighting removes the shadows under the eyes that recess lighting alone can produce.

D is for decorative lighting. The major result of these fixtures are beautification. They are never intended to be the main source of light for an area. Some examples of these are chandeliers and decorative wall sconces with delicate candelabra style lamps.

A is for accent lighting. This is what can provide the lighting composition with depth and interest. Examples of this layer of lighting are recessed lighting with lamps that can be aimed or track lighting that can be adjusted to focus on a particular object. This can complement artwork, sculptures or furniture.

The layering of lighting inside a house should be accompanied by lighting controls. Lighting controls can be as simple as a dimmer to something as complex as a system that can be controlled by dimmers, smart phones or even the home computer. Regardless of the lighting layer, the lighting control can entirely change the feel of the room. Robert likes to say that “Light is magical. While the art of lighting is virtually intangible, the effect it has on the emotional impact of a room is astounding.”