Lights and the art of lighting have come a long way since Edison and his researchers produced a light bulb with a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton thread that could last for 14.5 hours, which later gave lamps a lifetime of up to 1,200 hours. It has evolved from being a means of providing basic lighting functions to modern day aesthetic and decorative lighting.

In modern times, lighting can be of different styles like ambient, task, accent and decorative lighting. All of these lighting features serve a specific purpose and need to perfectly correspond to the setting and application of the spaces. Example of ambient lighting can be wall mounted fixtures, ceiling lights and so on, while task lighting for specific tasks is desk and table lamps, undercabinet and slimline bars. Track lighting is a good example of accent lighting and the best example of decorative lighting is a chandelier which apart from lighting up the rooms also adds elegance to any space it occupies.

Modern lighting focuses on the aspects of clarity, geometry and sophistication. The clarity part focuses on making the spaces brighter than they already are; the geometry part includes lights in the shapes of circles, cubes, squares and sometimes sharp edged polygons and affects the lighting styles. The combination of these two gives the sophistication to the lighting and its effect on every space.

While selecting lighting one must take into consideration the following criteria: purpose, amount of light, quality of light, type of fixture, and if it is a decorative fixture. Here are some tips to choose the perfect lighting:

• Choose track lighting for hallways and large rooms for a continuous lighting with small gap shadows effect.
• Install floor lights along your walls facing the center of the room for that aesthetic appeal, functionality and wow factor
• One of the best examples of modern lighting is the sconce, which can be in any shape. Circles, ovals and squares are the best and perfect on both walls and ceilings
• Experimenting with monochromes or mix and matching with contrasting colors on the light fixtures, chandeliers or lamps themselves is another great idea
• Modern day living usually means small spaces and apartments, which in many homes play dual roles. Dimmers can be very useful to use in such cases
• When in doubt experts advise to choose a large lighting fixture like a chandelier. Consult Mahal Lamps for further advice.
Modern lighting offers versatility and flexibility in terms of application and design. It is therefore not wrong to say that modern lighting is here to stay.

Modern day lighting