Spot lights are lighting systems that focus the light on a single spot. They can come in various designs, in order to perform different functions. You can go from the bare basic lights to really high end professional ware depending on what you need them for.
Most people, when they think of spot lights think of stores where specific items are lit brightly in order to make them look better. They are also used to light up statues and fountains outdoors as part of landscape lighting. In fact there is no place where these lights cannot be used and if you look around you will find that they are used everywhere, in stores, offices, houses, museums, store fronts, etc. These lights are advantageous over others because they tend to focus all the light on to one place leaving the rest of the area to be lit by the backwash from where it is primarily pointing at…which, in turn, creates eye catching effects.
If you take stores, spot lights are used to light up the merchandise that might range from designer jewelry to kids toys. This is done because when light is focused on an object it tends to draw the eye there, especially if the surrounding area is lit by subdued lighting. In offices the purpose is different. Most of the lighting is focused away from where they may glare off objects hurting the eye, but as an interior decorating scheme using spot lights is very effective. If, for example, there is a painting hung on the wall in the lobby, a couple of low intensity lights pointing at it will give the whole room a different color since the backwash from the painting will carry its colors with it.
Even in homes, spot lights are used sometimes instead of table lamps where they are mounted on the wall or the floor and are focused on the ceiling so that the room is lit by its backwash. Sometimes the same thing is done but in reverse, where lights are ceiling mounted but are directed towards the walls to achieve the same effect…and often times to highlight a picture or other art object. If used imaginatively they can be very effective, more so than other forms of lighting and it is for this reason that professional interior decorators tend to prefer their use. They also come in a number of colors and output categories so that you can choose one that you feel is most suitable for you.
These light fixtures start from the lowly bulb that come with a reflective coating on its back so that it throws most of its light in front, to more elaborate and high intensity halogen lamps that can throw a focused beam of light over long distances. In fact since these lights are used so much in outdoor landscaping, there are spot lights that come shaped like rocks so that they can be hidden from a casual inspection.
Because the lamps used are usually high intensity ones, getting a good quality light is recommended or you will be changing lamps every week and will wind up spending more than the cost of a good quality one. There is a whole range of lights available and they start off at around $5 for the simple ones that barely give a couple of feet of focused light. These lamps will probably make good night lamps especially since some of them come with a directional focusing unit. Although there are a number of lamps in the $10 to $30 range, most of the good ones are between the $40 and $60 range. There are lamps that go to a few hundred dollars, but those are professional lights and may be more than is needed for most households.
Used with a little imagination, spot lights are a good choice for your home, and can be used for most purposes, except general task or area lighting, when other forms are better. Most homeowners tend to think traditional when they look for a lighting system for their home, without giving a thought to more contemporary lighting systems that may not be very decorative, but will give you an effect that nothing else can.