Lighting fixtures come in some many styles. They have a multitude of functions. Lights can be plain, ornate, functional, fancy, or works of art. They lights themselves can be made of many materials. The material must be able to tolerate the heat of the light. Safety is also a factor for choosing material and the strength of the light bulb itself.

There are actually three types of lighting general, task, and accent. Each type has a different purpose. The types with there use are:

1. General Lighting This is the lighting that creates the general illumination. In your home, an example would be a fixture in your ceiling fan or a table lamp. Outside, you might have solar lighting that lights up the exterior of your home or lighting for a parking lot or large area.

2. Task Lighting Examples of task lighting would be reading lights, makeup lights, and inspection lights.

3. Accent Lighting Decorative lighting used for accents. Lighting directed toward pictures, plants, cabinets or other specific areas inside your room.

Many homes use recessed lighting, track lighting, scone, and portable lighting. All of these are a used to illuminate your home. Recessed lighting can be incandescent, fluorescent, HID or LED. Track lighting was invented by Lightolier. Track lighting is decorative and aimed at a specific area. Scone lighting is a wall-mounted fixture that shines up and sometimes down. A torchiere is a good example of this type of lighting. A table lamp is an example of Portable lighting. Another example of portable lighting would be magnified lights.

Light fixtures should be chosen based upon the area and lighting requirements. When making your choices, take the area and quality and quantity of light required into consideration. You can make your lighting stronger later if you install the proper fixtures at the beginning.