Lighting Help for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Most of us have come to spend our waking hours indoors...eliminating sunlight from daily routines. But, as science continues to discover and understand the role light plays in our lives, its use as both a therapeutic and preventative tool is becoming evident.

Our inability to perceive colors adequately, as is the case on a gray winter day or under poor artificial lighting, can negatively affect our mood and energy flow. In the winter, we invariably have less energy, while in the spring we come alive. For many, these mood swings are severe and typify a condition know as Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Those affected with S.A.D. act like animals prior to hibernation-increased sleep, diet changes and weight gain.

Combat these issues with options ranging from light bulbs to lamps to doctor-recommended light boxes at 10,000 lux. The Chromalux bulb, Verilux Happy Eyes Lamp and Verilux Happy Lite are all choices available as great full spectrum lighting solutions to help treat S.A.D. The Chromalux bulb has its origin in Finland where life must be sustained in almost total darkness for several months each year. With this innovative, extra-long life bulb, the light is purified, allowing colors to maintain their true color and vibrancy. It has been described as the closest thing to natural daylight.

By using full spectrum bulbs, lamps or light boxes in your home or office, you'll brighten up your area and mood allowing you to see and feel better.

Submitted by Jennifer Guerriero with the Light Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, a Lighting One showroom. To locate the Lighting One showroom nearest you, or for more Lighting One Design Tips, please visit www.lighting-one.com. Please note that some products may vary by location.

Engery Saving Tips for Your Lighting Design

Here are some helpful tips to create an energy-efficient home:

· Install timers and sensors. You can install timers and sensors that turn the lights on at dusk and shut them off after a specific time. Not only does this save energy, it can go a long way toward making your home a less appealing target for would-be intruders.

· Go green! Replacing four 60-watt incandescent bulbs with 13-watt fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) that use about two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer saves about $190 over the life of the bulbs. If all our nation's households did the same, we'd save as much energy as is consumed by some 38 million cars in one year.

· Install dimmers on incandescent light bulbs. Dimming your lights just 25% saves 20% in energy.

· Install ceiling fans. Save energy by using a ceiling fan to cool down rather than the air conditioning in the summer. In the winter, a flip of the switch will keep your heat moving around the room, saving on heating costs.

By sticking to these simple tips, you'll be able to save money and energy.

Submitted by Jennifer Guerriero with the Light Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, a Lighting One showroom. To locate the Lighting One showroom nearest you, or for more Lighting One Design Tips, please visit www.lighting-one.com. Please note that some products may vary by location.

Ask the Experts!

Question: I'm doing a kitchen update and want to use pendant lighting instead of the 6" recessed cans I currently have, but I don't want the pain of pulling the cans out of the ceiling plus doing a bunch of drywall work. Is there a way to convert a recessed can to a pendant?

Answer: You can convert your existing recessed can light to a pendant by using a product called The Can Converter. This product adapts almost any recessed light fixture or can light to work with other types of light fixtures. You can modify can lights to hang a ceiling fan, ceiling light, light canopy, swag light, pendant light or just about any other type of light fixture in minutes. No patch work is required.

Question: I want to make my home more energy efficient on a small budget of a couple hundred dollars. Are dimmers a viable option for me and can I install them myself?

Answer: Dimmers are a great way to save energy with a minimal investment and are easy to install. If every US household installed only ONE more dimmer, we would reduce carbon monoxide emissions equivalent to that of 370,000 cars. Basic dimmers start at $14.99 and remote control dimmer combos start at $49.99. To install, 1. Turn power off at circuit breaker 2. Remove wall plate and switch mounting screws 3. Pull switch from wall and disconnect switch wires 4. Connect the wires in the box and dimmer by matching colors 5. Use wire connectors to secure the electrical connection. Twist wire connector tight and ensure no bare wire is exposed 6. mount and align dimmer 7. Install wall plate 8. Turn power on at circuit breaker 9. Enjoy energy savings!

Submitted by Jennifer Guerriero with the Light Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, a Lighting One showroom. To locate the Lighting One showroom nearest you, or for more Lighting One Design Tips, please visit www.lighting-one.com. Please note that some products may vary by location.

How to Save Energy in Your Lighting Design

ENERGY STAR Rated Products Cuts Home Energy Use of 6,485 Watts to 1,324 Watts. By simply using ENERGY STAR® rated light fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs and LED lights, Lighting Designer Brandi Morley dramatically cut energy use for a new model home featured in the 2008 Parade of Homes built by Stoner Homes at 849 Vista Grande from an estimated 6,485 watts to a an incredibly low 1,324 watts.

If every household in the U.S. changed out just one light to an ENERGY STAR® version, we would save enough energy to light 7 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to 1 million cars according to the US Environmental Agency.

Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when shopping for light fixtures and bulbs. Lighting manufacturers are increasing the number of ENERGY STAR® lines so that you do not have to sacrifice style and design for energy savings. Talk to your lighting consultant on how to cut your energy costs.

Submitted by Jennifer Guerriero with the Light Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, a Lighting One showroom. To locate the Lighting One showroom nearest you, visit www.lighting-one.com. Lighting One is an ENERGY STAR® Partner.

Lighting for Your Bathroom and Vanity

Bath and vanity lights provide task and general lighting. Vanity lighting comes in a variety of styles and offer different numbers of lighting units. These fixtures usually use incandescent bulbs to provide task lighting for applying makeup, shaving, and grooming, but they also provide good general lighting for the entire room.

Note: To reduce shadows, the best lighting for your bathroom mirror is a combination of light both above and on either side of the mirror. The second choice would be to have lighting only on each side of the mirror (as shown here). The third option, but still a good option, is to have lighting only above the mirror.

The product shown is 1061-AP, available at Lighting One showrooms. To locate the showroom nearest you, please visit www.lighting-one.com. For more Lighting One design tips, please be certain to subscribe to the blog.

How to Hang Your Wall Sconce

There are a variety of wall-mounted fixtures available today. These fixtures provide general, as well as accent lighting to a room. The wall sconce pictured here, would offer great uplighting as an accent to the room. However, since it is made of alabaster and is translucent, light will pass through it to provide some general lighting as well.

Many wall-mounted fixtures are designed in families. Meaning they match other fixtures. The wall sconce above matches a chandelier to give a coordinated look to a room.

We recommend wall sconces to be mounted between 70 and 78 inches from the center of the fixture to the floor. If the sconce is lower than 70 inches you can see the bulb inside. If the sconce is higher than 78 inches, you lose some of the light effect, as the sconce is too close to the ceiling.
Some sconces are designed to resemble a candle. Since you see the bulb, these types of sconces could be hung as low as 66 inches.

General rules of thumb for wall sconces: If the sconce is away from traffic patterns, than a height of 70 inches is fine. However, in hallways where people walk, the center of the sconce should be hung between 72 – 78 inches above the floor. This height allows people to walk by without hitting the sconce. Finally, for higher ceilings it is better to hang a sconce at the 78-inch height. However it is rare that one should hang a sconce below 66 inches or higher than 78 inches.

The product shown is #0606-ORE from the Gianni Collection, available exclusively at Lighting One showrooms. For more information, lighting design tips, or to locate your nearest Lighting One showroom, visit www.lighting-one.com.