The Different Types of Ceiling Fixture Lighting

The most common type of room lighting is ceiling fixtures. They usually come installed in a home when it is first built, but homeowners and designers like to add more for aesthetic or task-driven reasons later, as well. There are a large number of ceiling fixture types, sizes, models and materials, and each serves a different purpose. Before buying a new ceiling fixture for your home, learn about the different types and what they are most commonly used for.

Types of Ceiling Fixtures

Pendant light fixtures hang from the ceiling and can be used to provide general or task illumination, depending on their location and finish. Small pendants can be used at various points in a room, or even grouped together for greater effect.

Chandelier light fixtures are pendants with branches that hold bulbs or candles, as well as decorative ornamentation. They are the most dramatic type of ceiling fixtures, but the quality of light depends on size, style and bulb strength.

Downlights, also called recessed lights or pot lights, are light fixtures installed in a hollow opening in a ceiling. When lit, they appear to shine from a hole in the ceiling, concentrating light downwardly like a kind of spotlight. They are made up of a trim (the visible portion of the light) and a housing (the fixture that is installed in the ceiling).

Spotlights are minimal ceiling fixtures available in a wide variety of shapes and styles. They are extremely adjustable and are used to focus on or emphasize specific spots in a space. They can also be installed in floors or walls.

Track lighting involves light fixtures that are attached anywhere on a continuous track device, which contains electrical conductors. They can be mounted on ceilings or walls, and can also be hung with rods from high vault ceilings. It typically combines some kind of downlight and spotlight arrangement.

Ceiling Fixture Function

Each type of ceiling light fixture serves its own purpose, both for design and for practicality. Pendant lights are used to provide general or task illumination. Basically, they are used in small spaces or small areas to provide task-specific lighting. Some small pendants can be used at various points in a room, or can even be grouped together, to add more illumination to the room and to combine for a decorative effect. Some people group models that are all the same, while others vary models to provide contrast to the room aesthetic.

Chandeliers are often used as a decorative ornament, as most do not provide adequate lighting for a room. They provide a lot of drama, when compared to other ceiling light fixtures, and chandeliers are often the focal point of a room or space. For this reason, it should be chosen with care, because it will likely set the mood for the overall room's look and feel. The branches and multidimensional design add a wild yet classic taste to design.

Downlights are often used over work counters for task lighting, or to emphasize a particular area or feature of a room. For this reason, downlights are common in classrooms and office environments. While they are ideal for low ceilings, where pendant lights would not work, fully recessed lighting requires a half-foot of space above the ceiling to accommodate the fixture and to provide proper ventilation. The bean of downlights varies in width, but many companies who use them prefer to add a dimmer control, allowing the user to change the amount of emitted light depending on the task at hand.

Spotlights, like downlights, are minimal fixtures, available in a wide variety of shapes and styles. They are extremely adjustable, though, and are used to focus on specific spots in a space. They can be installed or mounted on not just ceilings, but also on walls, floors, tracks or other compatible surface spaces. They are best for accent lighting, as the bulb and fixture are designed to work together and give a precise, controlled beam of light that can be tilted, swiveled or angled to wherever it is needed. However, spotlights are also popular in large, open spaces.

Track lighting uses a combination of spotlights and downlights, all installed into a flexible arrangement of ceiling-mounted tracks. The track lighting can be used for general room lighting, but they can also be set to work for task and accent lighting. They are, like spotlights, capable of swiveling, rotating and angling in any desired direction. Track lighting comes in two forms, though. Some tracks are fixed and come with specific light fixtures already attached, while others are just free-form power lines that can be used to anchor the owner's desired number of types and fixtures along its core. These are also popular in large office rooms and classrooms.