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Use track lights for accent or task lighting

Track lights are primarily used as a form of accent lighting or task lighting. They are part of a lighting system used to accent a painting or feature wall in the home or to provide plenty of light to perform a task. They are often used in areas of the home such as the kitchen, study room, family room, or game room.

Track lights can instantly change the feel of any room in your home. You can use it as an accent light on your favorite picture frames, plants, books, vases and antiques. You can bathe the walls in light in your living room to give it generous lighting or just give it a soft glow. Mounting these lights above your home office desk, library bookshelves, kitchen island, kitchen sink, or pool table will give you bright task lighting. You can also use them to add a play of light and shadow around your fireplace, or to brighten a dark corner of your entryway.

Find out your lighting needs first

Before you go out and buy those track lights, you’ll need to be very clear about your lighting needs. Need dramatic accent lighting, utility task lighting, general lighting or supplemental lighting? Have you decided where to place your lamps and measured how far they would be from your electrical power source?

What style of metal rails will match the decor of the room? Would subtle track lighting with vanishing tracks into the ceiling be more appropriate? Do you want to choose tracks that match the color of the ceiling? Do you want to minimize your tracks with thin cables? Or does the room call for a thicker track with a bolder look?

Choose the right type

Another important consideration is choosing the right type of track lights. If the need is for general lighting, you may want to opt for pendant lamps and incandescent lights. If you want to focus on the artwork or design elements of the room, then halogen may be the answer. Some of the most popular lighting designs use halogen bulbs to enliven a room or an art object.

If you want bright light while you work, fluorescent bulbs may be your best option. You can also mix and match your bulbs. For example, mixing compact fluorescent bulbs with traditional light bulbs can be the perfect compromise between elegance and energy savings. Choosing light heads with colored glass covers or metal boxes can also have an impact.