Lighting 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 natural direct or indirect light, tungsten lighting, fluorescent lighting and LED lighting. LED light bulbs have come a long way. LED bulbs were once too expensive to be considered part of interior design options for the basic consumer. Advances in technology have changed the cost of producing usable white light for the home. LED light offers many advantages and are a greener choice for lighting.

LED lights are light emitting diodes. These 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. These bulbs are small and sturdy. They can 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 out 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 carried out with reflectors and strip lighting. Book cases and cabinets are great examples of areas that LED lights can be employed. LED's are very useful 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 principals 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. Like track lighting these lights can focus on very specific areas. In addition, some LED lights can actually shift color depending on the need and desire of the home owner. A room can have walls that change color depending on the resident's mood. With neutral walls the lights can shift the hue of the room. Selecting paint and lighting color requires some experimentation and foresight. The room needs to be able to stand up to natural light as well as artificial light. Areas of the wall can also be lit or shaded. 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 used for special decorative purposes. Door knobs can illuminate to indicate occupancy or vacancy, faucets and shower heads can be lit up creating an attractive stream of water. Heat sensitive diodes can even indicate if the water is hot or cold. These lights can be programmed to room temperature, shifting the color to help create a better ambiance. If the room is cool, the lighting can shift to warmer colors and vice versa. There are many applications for light emitting diodes with more on the way. This form of lighting will become standard as the price drops and applications increase.