LEDs: Lighting Up The World Of Design
Illumination is an important aspect of any design. The source of lighting can change the feeling and effectiveness of a room. There are many sources of lighting including indirect or direct sunlight, tungsten lighting, fluorescent lighting and LED lighting. LED light bulbs have come from the early versions. LED bulbs were once too costly to be considered part of interior design options for the basic consumer. Innovation in materials and design has changed the cost of producing usable white light for the home. Light Emmitting Diodes offers many advantages and are a greener choice for lighting.
{LED|The initials LED lights are light emitting diodes. LEDs are solid state lighting sources that can convert an electrical impulse into light. They last much longer then tungsten bulbs and because of the solid state, are much less likely to stop working due to vibration or a sudden bump. The lights are little and hardy. LEDs run the range of the color spectrum into non-visible light like infrared and ultraviolet with out the need for filters. These qualities make LED lighting a great choice for many projects.
Light Emitting Diodes send a narrow beam that is excellent for task lighting, like workbench lighting or kitchen work station lighting. The illumination of a wider area can be accomplished with reflectors and strip lighting. Stair cases and cupboards are great examples of areas that LED lights can be employed. LED’s are great for safety lighting and are used in airplanes, theaters and other places where lights can help illuminate passage ways without causing light bleed. These same principles can be used in home lighting for stair cases, walkways and closets.
One of the great advantages of these lights is the ability to paint areas with specific light and a variety of colors. Using LEDs in interior design for space lighting is becoming less expensive and more adaptive. Similar to track lighting these lights can isolate small sections. In addition, some LED lights can actually change color according to the need and desire of the home owner. A room can have walls that change color depending on the setting and desired ambiance. Using carefully chosen colors the lights can alter the hue of the room. Matching the colors of paint and lightrequires some experimentation and foresight. The color of the space should be able to stand up to natural light as well as artificial light. Small patches of the wall can also be lit or shaded. This allows for creating a sense of texture and depth onto a one dimensional wall.
LEDs can also be employed special decorative purposes. Door knobs can light up red or green to indicate occupancy or vacancy, faucets and shower heads can change the color of water. Heat sensitive diodes can even indicate if the water is hot or cold. LEDs can be programmed to room temperature, shifting the color to help create a better ambiance. In a cool space, the lighting can shift to warmer colors and in a warm space the lights can shift to color tones. There are many applications for light emitting diodes and the possibilities are endless. Interior designers will use LEDs more as the price drops and applications increase.
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