The Home Lighting Effects Bible: Ideas and Know-How for Better Lighting in Every Part of Your Home

We're adding new recessed lighting around the house...mostly on paintings, drapes, kitchen counters, etc and wanted some specific help with the myriad of sizes, types, trims, voltages, etc and some of the artistic aspects...ceiling spacing, wall washing, placement for paintings, etc.We bought two books, this one and "The Architecture of Light - second Edition." This one (The Bible) was much better for our needs, and much cheaper. It has loads of information and useful example photos...I highly recommend it. However, it still didn't overcome the huge problem of deciding among the myriad of sizes, types, trims, voltages, etc.A couple of professional lighting designers recommended going with 4" low-voltage (12V) MR16 lights...so that is what we did. I then spent weeks trying out dozens of different types of trims (Eyeballs, gimbals, recessed cones, truncated cones, chrome (clear), white, gold, etc). I didn't find a book to help clear that forest. There are almost hundreds of trim styles and color combinations, but they aren't on Amazon or in the big box stores like Home Depot...you have to go to web wholesale electric sites.We're very happy with the results...mostly white trims with gold truncated cones that hide the bulb from side view and allow 30 degree angle on paintings (e.g. Elite B1463RB-WH trims).We used Amazon for some early test gimbal trims and the special Low Voltage Magnetic dimmers that you need to dim the lights. You need the dimmers and a variety of MR16 bulb styles (wattage and angle) to balance the lighting effects in different locations.

Will watch source more carefully in future. A book with missing pages is not worth my reading time!

LITTLE DATED,BUT VERY GOOD This book is from 2010 but very good. I have been around lighting since I was a kid, my father was a window display artist and lighting consultant. I am a classical artist and interior designer here in Chicago and I hound builders about lighting all the time, this book is a good knock around quick reference book to help ideas across. You can have the greatest gallery, or home but if you don't light it correctly it will be dull and unnoticed. Hardcoreartist instagram.

I buy copies of this to give to my clients. After 30 years in the business and being published over 60 times, I am a recognized expert in the interior design industry. This book is how I set the stage for conversations about lighting. As the author invites, "...learn to paint with light." The issue I address upfront is how much more money needs to be allocated for lighting than the majority of contractors (and even architects) initially put in that category. And we can do better than a rigid grid of recessed can lights making ceilings look like Swiss cheese or a few wall scones or light bars above mirrors in bathrooms! This book clearly gets us past that and capably presents an overview of all the ways lighting can be incorporated into your home--and even your swimming pool! Knowing how much good photography costs, the number of photographs in this book amazes me. That the book costs less than $12 definitely makes it a 5-star rating.

Very informative. Saw it in the library and I had to buy it.

I can't agree with any of the reviewer who praised this book. I am an architect who found it utterly useless, and I think it is misguiding and uninformative for even the novice. Consider these two separate passages: Page 99: "Recessed into the kick-plate of a kitchen island, low-level fixtures provide a gentle wash of light that highlights the color and texture of the floor." Then, on page 105: "Don't install low-level linear concealed lighting in an area where it may end up simply lighting an unsightly floor, such as in a kitchen." As an architect, There are all sorts of conflicting advice in the book, that will confuse a non-professional and professional alike. In another area of the book, it shows 4 pictures of a lamp with different bulb beam widths, supposedly to show how the choice of bulb can greatly affect the lighting effect. This would be VERY useful except for the fact that the 4 photos are identical, rendering the comparison useless. I could go on and on. Ultimately, I got maybe 2 good pointers in a 200 page book, which, by the way, spends about 50 pages showing pictures of specific brands/models of fixtures (which may or may not be available to you since this is published in the UK) and a directory of UK lighting suppliers. Look for another book.

Great detailed book on lighting design, with lots of pictures showing how you might light the various rooms of your home, with lots of technical information on different kinds of light. Not a perfect book -- I can't say it's actually taught me good lighting design sense, which would be the ultimate goal -- but it contains lots of good information.

Good ideas for home

One of the very best books on the subject (I own more than half a dozen): clear, comprehensive, inspiring, and beautifully illustrated, despite the book’s rather small size. Quite a few things are obviously very expensive to have installed and will keep your electrician happy for quite a while, but many ideas can be put to good use by any experienced DIY enthusiast. This book shows very well how crucial light is in just about any living space.One reservation has to be made: the book is not completely up-to-date regarding the latest developments in LED lighting.

absolutely everything you need to help design your interior lighting. forget the rest, you only need this.

Good reference book, handy for interior designers

I needed to find some ways of making my home look more cosy by using lights and found this book shows you how to do just that, whether your on a budget or not.

good book