For visual comfort and for that designer look, the brightness of various surfaces should be well balanced, avoiding extreme contrast. A lighted task area, such as a kitchen counter, should be about three times as bright as adjacent, non-task surfaces that fall within the field of view. Distant surfaces, such as walls, can vary more. Bright surfaces, such as day lighted walls and windows, can be about three times as bright as the task area if they are close by and ten times as bright if they are at a distance. These relationships permit the eye to adapt to different levels of brightness without strain.

Drama and interest come from small areas of local brightness that are ten times the ambient level (or even more). When designing lighting for maximum drama and ambiance pay attention to lighting levels. Remember, one light source cannot give a space the correct illumination to provide drama or ambiance. Try using different sources at various levels of brightness to provide warmth and drama to your living spaces.