Illumination is an important part of any design. The source of lighting will alter the feeling and usefulness of a space. There are many sources of lighting including indirect or direct sunlight, tungsten lighting, fluorescent lighting and LED lighting. LED light bulbs have advanced 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 reduced the expense of producing usable white light for the home. Light Emmitting Diodes offers many advantages and are a more environmentally sustainable choice for lighting.

The initials LED lights are light emitting diodes. transform energy to 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 small and sturdy. 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 attractive for many projects.

LED lights send a slender shaft of illumination great 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 utilized in home lighting for stair cases, walkways and closets.

One of the great advantages of these lights is the ability to train light in defined locations with a variety of colors. Using Light Emitting Diodes 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. The walls of a space can shift color depending on the setting and desired ambiance. With neutral walls the lights can alter the hue of the room. Selecting paint and lighting colorrequires some experimentation and foresight. The color of the space should be able to stand up to natural light as well as artificial light. Areas of the wall can sculpted with light. This allows for creating a sense of texture and depth to an area that may actually be a flat wall.

Light emitting diodes 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 broadcast whether the water is hot or cold. LEDs can be sensitive to the temperature of a room, 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 with more on the way. Interior designers will use LEDs more as the cost continues to decline and applications increase.