• Simple lighting techniques can set the mood of a room.Buena Vista Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  The mood of a space is greatly dictated by its lighting. Simple lighting techniques can make the difference between a poorly lit space and a space with lighting solutions that highlight all of its architectural and artistic features. Changes in a space's lighting can be as simple as changing the direction or position of lights or removing obstructions to the light that flows throughout the space.
  
  

Down Lighting

• With a single light that illuminates an entire room or with numerous recessed pocket lights in the ceiling, down lighting floods a room with light, highlights the contents of the room from above and creates shadows beneath objects in the room. Down lighting can be a simple, general form of lighting that does not have a single focal point in the room but is rather the general lighting solution for the entire room. The rays of light are cast downward from the ceiling and spread outward as they travel further away from the lighting source.
  
  

Spotlighting

• Focus the attention of the light on a subject piece in the space with spotlighting. These powerful yet small lighting units focus rays of light pointed toward the focal points or subjects of the room, attracting the visual attention towards the direction of the light. The effects of spotlighting are even more enhanced when the room's other lighting sources are softened, dimmed or turned off. In spotlighting, the light is focused onto the wall or the art piece at an angle between 35 and 45 degrees. The light hits the wall near eye level, making the focused object more pronounced and visually stimulating -- and comfortable -- to look at and appreciate.
  
  

Wall Washing

• Spread the effects of spotlighting along an entire wall to create a wall washing effect. Different effects can be achieved by the distance of the light and its angle in relation to the wall. Positioning the lights closer to the wall lessens the amount of light that diffuses back into the rest of the space, while lights that are further away from the wall and pointed more downward function more like recessed lighting along the wall.
  
  

Natural Lighting

• Guide the flow of natural light into an interior space with windows and skylights. Work with the natural lighting by positioning furniture pieces, wall art, home decor pieces, plants and accessories so that the natural light highlights these items in different ways throughout the course of the day. Let the light highlight the colors that fill the space. Use the glow and freshness of the morning light to bring out the refreshing and warm colors in the room. The midday light brings an intensity that can showcase even the mutest of color tones, and the afternoon and evening sunset lighting infuses the space with warm yet soothing tones that spread over everything in the room.