What's the fuss? You walk into a room; flip a switch. Light. You walk out; flip. Dark.

Sure, it works, but you are missing the big picture. Lighting isn't just there to make sure you don't trip over the roller blades in the middle of the floor.

"With a few easy changes it can enhance the décor of any room and set a mood unique to any situation. And, it can save money in the process," said Larry Lauck, vice president, communications for the American Lighting Association (http://www.americanlightingassoc.com) in Dallas, Tex.

"Dimmers give us complete and intimate control over our lighting systems," says Dan Blitzer, the American Lighting Association's (http://www.americanlightingassoc.com) consulting director of continuing education. "I say complete because it allows us to adjust the intensity of the light to meet the needs of different individuals and different tasks, to warm the color, and to extend the life of incandescent lamps."

Such control allows the homeowner to set a mood in any room, not just the dining room. Adjusted lighting is ideal in a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and breakfast nook—nearly anywhere. The only rooms that may not benefit from dimmers are laundry rooms, storage areas, and pantries. Basic dimmer controls are simple to install in any existing or new setting, but there is more to the dimmer than the common knob-style.

"As a category, lighting control is virtually unknown," says Suzanne Miller, manager of public relations for Lutron (http://lutron.com/) in Coopersburg, Pa. "But not being able to control your lights is like not being able to control the volume on your TV, or the temperature in your oven. People want choices, they want control—and that includes being able to control lighting levels in their own homes."

Lighting controls come in four different types:

    * Integrated dimming systems allow the most variety. Homeowners can create several preset lighting settings in a single room. With the touch of a single button from a wall box or a wireless remote control, they can recall the pre-selected scenes.

    * Touch dimmers create a lighting change with the press of a single button. One-touch recall allows the homeowner to return to the previous lighting level without resetting the light. Some dimmers also have a lighted indicator to show the intensity of the current setting.

    * Slide dimmers offer manual control of the lighting in a room. Some also include a button on the plate so it is easy to return to the previous setting.

    * Rotary dimmers are the ones most likely to conjure images of your Mom's dining room. The manual dial allows a homeowner to alter the lighting level by turning the dial. Some have push-button control to switch the light off while keeping the current setting in place.

It is also possible to control the lighting in your entire home by building in a custom system. This is the most cost-effective route, but it is possible to add a whole-house lighting system to an existing home. Wireless, infrared systems, and radio wave dimmers are available, and can go with you when you move. Another easy way to add the control of dimmers is an extension cord dimmer, which is a quick way to alter the light level of individual lamps.
Prices for lighting control systems vary based on their technology and the extent of their control. A single dimmer will cost a few dollars, but an automated system for the entire home will run in the $1,000s.
"Every incandescent light in your home should be connected to a dimmer," says Lauck. "Just so that you can get the benefits of installing the light the way you want it and take advantage of a dimmers ability to extend lamp life."

A dimmer's operation is fairly simple. It essentially limits the amount of electricity that goes to the light. Less electricity means less electricity costs. Using a lower wattage bulb can do the same thing but will not allow any lighting flexibility.

"The end result is you use less electricity," says Miller. "Dimming a light 10 percent cuts electricity usage by 10 percent and [that] generally has a direct correlation to cost. What's more, the human eye adapts to light so easily that you probably wouldn't even notice a 10 percent decrease."

Dimming controls will also extend the lamp's life, which will save you cash over time. It can also save you the hassle of replacing bulbs in hard-to-reach places.

"I think the real benefit is to lamp life," says Penny Henderson-Maher of Garland, TX, Lightolier's (http://lutron.com/) regional control specialist for the Northeast. "By dimming the light somewhat and turning it on with a soft fade, the lamps last a long time, like 3 to 4 years on a lamp that would normally last 6 months. That's really convenient because the light bulb always blows out when you don't have a spare.

"It's all sorts of drama, convenience, and comfort, and energy, and lamp savings all wrapped into one," she says.

Jenny and Clayton Reid of Lenexa, KS recently moved into a new house fitted with integrated dimmer controls in the main areas of their custom-home. "The architect suggested them because we had a vision for the lighting and we knew it'd look great with dimmers," Jenny says. "I really like how they fade out."

Light can dictate the activity in the room it is illuminating, according to Henderson-Maher. Wolberg light creates motion and a lot of activity. It's ideal for getting everyone going in the morning, but not for relaxing. For that, or if an intimate party is what you have in mind, keep the perimeter of the room a bit darker. The "campfire effect" will draw people to the brighter area at the center of the room. Trying to get folks to mingle at a large gathering? Brighten the accent lighting around the perimeter. It will encourage people to move around.

Experiencing the environments varied lighting can create is really the key to understanding its importance in a room's décor.

"It is one thing to say dimmers create an ambience," says Miller. "And it is another to see it for real. Why settle for ‘on' and ‘off' when you can have ‘on,' ‘off' and everything in-between?"