Quality home lighting is vital not just for carrying out everyday tasks; it also influences the feel and style of the rooms and the outdoor spaces of your home. Your choice of light fixtures, lamps and shades determines the quality of your home lighting and the functionality and style of your home both inside and out.

So how do you get your home lighting right? First you have to consider the size and decor of your rooms and the activities you plan to carry out in them. Then you can choose your illumination which can be fitted or freestanding. First let's look at fitted lights.

For a start, you need to install ceiling lights to provide direct ambient light, the overall illumination for a room. Ceiling lights come in many types. Recessed lights are very stylish but require a space in the ceiling to install. You can also get sleek flush and semi-flush lights. If you have a high ceiling, you might want to opt for pendant lights which hang down, the chandelier being one example.

You can also get indirect ambient light from wall lights by shining their beams up to the ceiling where they're reflected down to produce a soft, warm glow.

Once you have the basic ambient lighting in place, you'll want to consider accent lighting. This draws attention to special items and areas in your home such as paintings or wall hangings. These types of illumination are usually produced by spot or track lights fitted on the ceiling, or by wall lights.

Finally, there's task lighting which allows us to easily read and carry out other tasks which require good illumination. This type of lighting usually comes from spot lights or wall lights along with table and floor lamps.

Other than fitted lights, other main sources of home illumination comprise freestanding items such as floor and table lamps. These come in a rich array of sizes, colours and styles. These are highly flexible. You can move them around as you wish to provide ambient, accent and task lighting as needed. Another factor in their flexibility is the ability to change the shades whenever you want to alter the mood.

One type of light that's never out of style are tiffany lamps. Though the real things are now valuable collector's items, shades inspired by Tiffany - properly known as Tiffany style lamps - have a timeless sense of style which can imbue your home with a rare cachet.

You can get Tiffany style lighting in the form of ceiling, floor, table and wall lights. The vibrant colours of the stained glass give off a rich, warm glow which can complement any room or setting. Tiffany lamps come in many styles, the most common today being Mission and Victorian. Mission are more angular in style and feature rectangles and squares, while Victoria feature sinuous curves and embellishments.

When it comes to illuminating your home, don't neglect the exterior of your property. You can get special outdoor lighting in a variety of styles including lanterns, posts and pedestals. Quality outdoor lighting makes your home more attractive, safe and secure and allows you to spend more time in the open air.

Security Wall Lights can be easily installed to make your home more secure by deterring burglars and other intruders. To save on electricity you could use timer or sensor switches. Solar powered outdoor lights are a great way to conserve energy. They absorb the sun's energy during the day to provide you with illumination at night.

To make your home safe for family and guests you need to make sure that areas such as porches, entrances, and steps are well lit up. This is especially true for visitors. Remember your guests don't know your home as well as you do.

One great thing about outdoor illumination is that you can spend more time on your patio or in your garden. You could fit recessed lights in the eaves to light up your deck or patio to enjoy barbecues, for example. Or fit low-voltage mini-lights under the steps, railing, or benches on your patio.

Savvy illumination makes your home unique. For the best deals on lights and lamps, visit the web sites of online vendors and browse their illustrated catalogues. You're sure to get some great ideas on lighting your home. Just place your order online for prompt delivery.