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LAMPS & LIGHTING – A GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

A - Lamps & Lighting Dictionary:
Accent Lighting to Aperture and much more

 

A Lamps

The most common incandescent household lamp; a standard general service lamp.

 

Accent Lighting

Localized and directional lighting used to highlight, focus attention or dramatize a room or outdoor space. As part of a decorating scheme, it is used to spotlight paintings, houseplants and other possessions, or to highlight the texture of a wall, drapery or outside landscaping. Accent lighting requires at least three times as much light on the focal point as the general lighting around it.

 

ADA Wall Brackets

Wall-mounted fixtures that extend less than 4” from the wall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and are usually called ADA brackets.

 

Adjustables

Adjustables are accent lights that can be aimed. The professional term is “adjustable accent light.” In practice, most of the fixtures used for accent lighting are adjustable in some fashion.

 

Aiming Angle

How you point or direct an adjustable light. The aiming angle is calculated from vertical or nadir. An aiming angle of 30 degrees is effective for paintings and/or sculptures.

 

Alabaster

Shades can be made of either alabaster stone or alabaster glass. Alabaster stone is much like marble in that it is quarried, cut and made into shades and bowls. It creates a warm, rich look, with each piece being completely unique. Stone is very expensive, however, so many lighting pieces recreate the look with more affordable alabaster glass.

 

Alzak

The trade name used for a method of anodising. Now a generic term for brightened, anodised aluminium.

 

Alternating Current (AC)

Flow of electricity which cycles or alternates direction many times per second. The number of cycles is referred to as frequency. Most common frequency used in this country is 60 Hertz (cycles per second).

 

Aluminium

A pure metal, aluminium can be shaped and finished easily. It can be dyed to a brass-like finish, but without the depth and lustre of real brass. Aluminium is usually sealed through painting or anodising to avoid oxidation.

 

mbient Lighting

Also known as general lighting, ambient lighting provides an area with overall, non-specific illumination. Ambient lighting radiates a comfortable level of brightness, enabling one to see and walk about safely. It can be accomplished with chandeliers, ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures, recessed or track lighting or with outdoor fixtures. A basic form of lighting that replaces sunlight, ambient lighting is fundamental to lighting a home.

 

Amperes / amps

The unit of measurement of electrical current.

 

Antique Finish

A finish that simulates aging, often accomplished by wiping dark pigment across a metal or wooden part.

 

Aperture

Opening of a fixture through which light exists.

 

Architectural Lighting

This broad term generally refers to built-in fixtures, such as downlighting, valance lighting or a luminous ceiling. Some people also include functional lighting, such as track or simple fluorescent, which has an architectural appearance.

 

Argon

Inert gas used in incandescent and fluorescent lamps. In incandescents, argon helps retard the evaporation of the tungsten filament.

 

Art Deco

A mainstream design style that reached its heyday in the 1920’s. Typified by streamlined design shapes, geometric patterns, bold outlines and the artistic use of industrial materials, such as stainless steel, plastic and pressed glass.

 

Art Nouveau

A decorative art movement that emerged in the late nineteenth century. Characterized by dense asymmetrical ornamentation in sinuous forms.

 

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