Courses / Selecting Lighting
Learn how to choose lighting for interior spaces, from everyday function to the atmosphere each fixture helps create.
At MSA Interiors, Marcy Sagel considers how a space will be used and how it should feel before selecting lighting. A lobby, amenity lounge, and residential unit each need something different. The right lighting supports what people do in the space and helps bring the design together.
HOW A ROOM GETS LIT
Ambient lighting provides general light throughout a space. Task lighting serves a specific activity, such as preparing food or reading. Consider both when deciding what a room needs.
Accent lighting draws attention to artwork, materials, or architectural details. Decorative fixtures, such as pendants and sconces, contribute to the look of the space while also providing light.
Layering gives you more flexibility in how a space is lit throughout the day. Consider how the fixtures will be controlled and how the color temperature will work with the finishes.
Pick the light the room needs first. Pick the fixture that delivers it second.
Selecting lighting takes more than finding a fixture you like. Consider what the space needs, how the fixture works with other sources of light, and how its appearance fits the design. Comparing products and seeing lighting in finished spaces helps build that judgment.
COURSE
A self-paced module of approximately 47 minutes of video instruction on selecting lighting for interior spaces. $49.50 a month on its own, or $126 a month with the Flooring and Tile courses.
Lighting affects how a space looks and functions. A lobby and a lounge may call for different levels and types of light, even within the same project.
Ambient light fills the room, task light serves an activity, accent light points at something, and decorative fixtures carry the style.
Consider what the space needs, how fixtures work together, and how the light will affect the materials and finishes you select.
Lighting affects how a space appears in a rendering. Understanding how fixtures illuminate a room helps you make and present those choices.
$49.50 a month for this course alone, $126 a month for the three-course materials track, and $350 a month for All Access. The course includes approximately 47 minutes of video instruction; allow additional time for the workbook, assessment, and practice.
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