Lighting is a cornerstone of interior design. It impacts every aspect of the property from aesthetics to atmosphere. Choosing which lighting sources to incorporate into your property needs careful consideration.
Indirect and direct lighting are the building blocks of all types of lighting (accent, ambient, task, decorative, etc.). Knowing how to take advantage of both of them is crucial, and this article will go over everything you need to know.
Direct and indirect lighting: Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of direct lighting
Simple to design and place
Direct lighting is simple to plan and place. Usually, direct lighting is placed either in the center of the room or focuses on a key item or furniture piece in the space. As long as the light source is strong enough to illuminate the entire space and doesn’t cause undue glaring problems, it is acceptable, even if better lighting design requires far more considerations.
Affordable
Due to its simplicity and the straightforward nature of its installation, direct lighting is often quite affordable. It also consumes little energy if it is not complemented by indirect light sources. This makes it great for homeowners who are on a budget and want to cut down on their energy bills.
Necessary in every room
Direct lighting is simply part of the lighting design of every room. From living rooms to bedrooms, indirect lighting will not be enough to properly illuminate the space. Even if it is just a simple lamp, you need at least a single direct light source to ensure appropriate light levels during the night.
Disadvantages of direct lighting
Plain
Direct lighting serves a practical purpose far more than an aesthetic one. While there are luxurious direct light sources like chandeliers, the most common types are plain lamps and light bulbs. While these serve a very real practical purpose, they don’t do a good job of improving the aesthetics of the room and creating a unique atmosphere.
Advantages of indirect light
Makes for excellent atmospheric lighting
Whether you want to relax and have dinner in the early evening with your family or you want a romantic night with your partner, the proper atmosphere in the room makes all the difference. While lighting isn’t the only aspect of the room that matters, it is a cornerstone of creating relaxing, romantic, and lively atmospheres. Mastering indirect lighting gives you complete control over the atmosphere in your home.
Can truly make your interior shine
From indirect sunlight to paper lanterns and decorative wall lighting, indirect types of light are much more competent in bringing out the best features in an interior. Ensuring every plant in the room receives adequate lighting, bringing attention to your unique ornaments, and highlighting your furniture pieces: These are just some of the things possible with judicious use of indirect light.
Has more uses than direct lighting
Indirect lighting is more flexible and has more uses than direct lighting. While direct lighting is mostly used for accent and task lighting, indirect lighting can be used for ambient lighting, atmospheric lighting, and even task and accent lighting in some scenarios. A bright indirect light shining on an area around a piece of art, for example, will act as excellent accent lighting and highlight the beauty of the piece.
Disadvantages of indirect light
Can be complicated to properly arrange
It can be difficult to ensure all the different elements of indirect lighting in a room come together to look good. From whether the room features north-facing windows or west-facing windows to the ratio of direct and indirect light levels in the space, there are many considerations that you need to keep in mind when prominently including indirect light in a space. You might need the help of a professional interior designer to get it right.
Requires complementary lighting
Though a single direct, bright light source is capable of illuminating a space, the same can’t be said for indirect lighting. Usually, a room needs to rely on multiple, different indirect light sources to properly illuminate the entire space and eliminate the presence of shadows and dark corners.
Tips for proper lighting design
Going over the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of lighting should explain just how hard is proper lighting design, and you surely still have questions like, “What type of lighting should I get with my sheer curtain?”, “how much light does a room with a south-facing window need?” Here are some key tips to make lighting design easier.
You need to strike a balance between indirect and direct light
Though this article is about contrasting direct and indirect lighting, we must never forget that these two types of lighting complement each other. If you want proper lighting in your home, you need to take advantage of both types to varying degrees.
Make sure your artificial lights complement natural light sources
Whether you want to rely on indirect or direct lighting more, there’s one principle you should abide by: Your artificial light sources should complement the natural lighting in the room. Is sunrise and sunset visible from the north-facing window in a room? Consider how you can take advantage of that!
Lighting is for more than just lighting
What we mean by this is that the purpose of installing lighting fixtures isn’t just to illuminate the space. It is also to create a welcoming atmosphere, bring out the best features in each room, and divert attention to art pieces, ornaments, and more. When designing lighting in your home, carefully pay attention to the type of light, and how it’ll impact your interior, your plants, your curtains, and your furniture, and then plan accordingly.
Direct light vs indirect light FAQ
What is the difference between direct and indirect lighting?
Direct lighting is light sources that focus directly on an area/object. Common examples of direct lighting sources include light from the sun, areas underneath a light bulb, focus lighting, and more. Indirect lighting, on the other hand, refers to lighting not directly shining on the object. Indirect light is light that has been defused through the atmosphere and has been reflected off of other surfaces. When it comes to lighting design, both direct and indirect lighting are important in equal measure.
Why is indirect lighting better?
Indirect lighting is more versatile. It allows you more freedom in how you design lighting in your property’s interior and exterior. While most direct light sources are traditional lamps or light bulbs, when it comes to indirect lighting, you have an atmospheric, diffuse, lantern, and many other unique lighting designs that will make the room stand out. With all that being said, direct light is still vital.
Is indirect light more expensive?
The cost of lighting isn’t determined by its type (direct vs indirect), rather it is determined by its size, intensity, and brand. There are indirect light sources that are more affordable than direct light sources and vice versa.