How is illumination defined in the context of interior design?

Illumination, within the realm of interior design, is fundamentally defined as the amount of light that strikes a surface. This focus on how light interacts with various surfaces is crucial for creating desirable aesthetic effects, enhancing functionality, and ensuring a comfortable atmosphere in a space. Proper illumination affects visibility, mood, and the overall experience within an environment.

Lighting plays a vital role in interior design because it can influence color perception, create visual interest, and guide movement within a space. Designers meticulously consider how illumination can accentuate architectural features, highlight decorative elements, and support certain activities, such as reading or cooking.

While brightness of color and the quality of light are certainly important aspects of how we perceive spaces, they are more about the effects of light rather than a direct definition of illumination itself. The distance light travels per unit time pertains more to physical properties of light, rather than its effect or role in interior settings. Therefore, recognizing illumination as the amount of light hitting surfaces is foundational to both the practical and aesthetic considerations in interior design.