Ambient Lighting
Ambient (or general ) light is typically seen as the starting point for a space or a room. It makes up the "base" amount of light in a room. It is the foundation that designers, engineers, and contractors use to start looking at the best way to light a space. Ambient light can come from recessed downlights mounted in the ceiling, ceiling lights mounted to the surface of the ceiling, or table and floor lamps. These types of fixtures characteristically give an even, diffuse light level for the space.
While most of the time ambient light comes from the fixtures listed above; in certain applications, it can be the culmination of all of the accent, decorative, and task lighting that produces the total ambient light.
The type of light source selected for ambient light depends on the type and use of the space or room. Living rooms and bedrooms may use Soft White incandescents to achieve a warm even glow in the space. LED lights will achieve higher illumination levels in larger area such as garages and utility rooms.