Diffusion in Your Home Lighting Design

Diffusion is where the light is softened to remove some of the glare. A white opal type diffuser will cause a light loss through the glass of approximately 30%. If the lens is more frosted or crackled, the amount of light lost is closer to 10%. Stained glass, although very decorative has a very high diffusion factor. In some cases, much of the light will not pass through the glass at all.

Keep this in mind when planning your lighting design. You need to determine the uses of the room that you will place your fixture or lamp. If you absolutely love that tiffany lamp and the colors complement your room, by all means go ahead and use it (I love tiffany myself)! However, if you plan to use the space for reading, make certain the bulb is facing where your book would be placed (such as in a torchiere) or have additional lighting in that area.

Image shown is 5905-TR, available at Lighting One showrooms.

Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/