Where to Use CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights)

Creating an indoor lighting plan usually takes three major factors into consideration: General illumination/ ambient lighting gives a space an overall lighted appearance. Task lighting specifically places light in desired areas to perform work or read. Dramatic/decorative lighting creates mood and adds interest to interior design. Often, outdoor lighting represents a fourth consideration to an entire lighting plan. Energy-efficient CFLs are made in a variety of styles to fit practically every incandescent equivalent currently being used. Many CFLs are offered in dimmable and three-way versions, which allow the user greater control of the lamp’s light output. When working with CFLs, it is recommended that you assess the lamp’s abilities for the given application.

Reprinted with permission from "Green Matters" from Satco Products, Inc. (c) Satco Products, Inc.

Upcoming Home Lighting Trends Seen at Market

In order to stay “in the know” and ahead of the trends, Lighting One attends Lighting Markets to see what is new in the upcoming marketplace. While visiting numerous showrooms at the recent International Lighting Market in Dallas, Texas, it was apparent that there were a few reoccurring trends. In order to help keep YOU in the know as well, we thought we would share a few of our findings.

The focus appeared to be on lighter colors and softer metals. Polished Nickel also stood out among the sea of fixtures. The incorporation of shades in both fabric and metal was observes in a majority of showrooms. Fixtures accented with crystal, along with colored and clear beads were very popular.

Spheres and globes, and more non-traditional shapes were also apparent.

LED Lighting continues to be the hot topic and many suppliers presented limited introductions due to the rapidly changing technology, although suppliers like Satco, one of Lighting One’s preferred partners, introduced a very large assortment of LED bulbs.

Basic entry level price points in both the traditional and contemporary categories were evident to help consumers find better values without being driven to Home Centers for their lighting needs.

Promotional products such as Tiffany lamps at Quoizel, another Lighting One preferred partner, were also featured.

So, to stay ahead of the trends and be in the know, be sure your lighting needs are fulfilled with lighting experts at any of our family-owned lighting showrooms throughout the country. To find the nearest location to you, visit www.lighting-one.com.

The image shown is Lighting One’s #30312-PW two light sconce with crystal drops, as an example of the crystal beading and metallic finishes that are very popular.

Spruce up Your Home for the Holidays!

You have your family coming in for the holidays and you would LOVE to redo your entire home before-hand... but who can afford it these days? Well, there are a few things that you can do to give your home a whole new look without having to take a second mortgage!

Placing a few new lamps around the house can provide a fresh look for your home, while providing much needed lighting for reading, homework, or projects. This additional splash of light will also brighten your home and make it feel more inviting. OR use these new lamps and turn off the overhead lights for an intimate ambiance.

Strategically placed under-cabinet lighting in your kitchen will not only provide better lighting for your workspace, but also provide your kitchen with an updated look, accent your beautiful counters, and add another layer of invitation to your already welcoming kitchen.

While we are in the kitchen, let's take a look at the lighting over your island. Placing a few art-glass mini-pendants over your island will give your entire kitchen a lift and a modern look. Or install an island light for a dual purpose fixture, that will also allow you to showcase your cookware and keep it in a handy place.

Replacing your dining room chandelier can instantly dress up your dining room. Find one that complements your style, whether traditional, modern, casual, elegant, or even eclectic. Add a few sconces on the wall to complement the chandelier, add another layer of lighting, and provide further decoration for the room.

Let's not forget the bathrooms! Sconces to either side of your vanity mirror will not only provide a high-end look for your bathroom, but your make up will thank you as you will see a more natural look with no harsh shadows. Adding a crystal mini-chandelier in your bathroom is a trendy new way to create an elegant up-lift or to enhance your shabby chic feeling.

While you are redecorating, add a few lamps in your bedrooms - reading lamps for homework spaces, torchieres for seating areas, swing arm lamps above the bed for reading, or table lamps for the side tables.

Think ceiling fans are only for the summer? Not so! Ceiling fans can be used all year around. Simply reverse the airflow and your ceiling fan will circulate the heat throughout the room and keep your room from feeling too stuffy. Not only will it help your energy savings (by better distributing the air) but also, if you buy one this time of year, chances are pretty good you can find them on sale!

So, don't spend a fortune redecorating your home. Pick a few of these tips (or even all of them) and you will find yourself with a drastic change in your home for much less than remodeling!

For more design tips, contact your local lighting design specialist. To find a showroom near you, visit www.lighting-one.com.

The product shown in the picture is 0411-RD and is available at participating Lighting One showrooms.

Ambient Lighting for Your Home Decor

Ambient lighting is a term used to describe the total amount of light that is present in a space. We can say that a room has high or low levels of ambient lighting.

How much lighting is needed or desired is often a very personal preference. In places such as kitchens and bathrooms, it is often good practice to provide multiple types of lighting that can provide high levels of ambient lighting for some tasks, and low levels of ambient lighting for other activities.

Places such as laundry rooms and closets are best illuminated with high levels of ambient lighting, although they also should be provided with dimming controls that allow the high ambient level to be reduced when desired. In spaces such as family rooms and bedrooms it is best to provide ambient lighting primarily from portable lamps and wall mounted lighting such as wall sconces.

Ambient lighting can also be provided by placing surface mounted fixtures at the ceiling. A recent trend is the use of decorative chandeliers in almost any space in the home. A chandelier is highly useful for providing high ambient lighting when necessary, or it can be dimmed to provide a very soft and low level of ambient lighting.

The pendants shown in the photo are from the Effervescent collection. For more information, please visit www.lighting-one.com to locate a Lighting One showroom near you. Showrooms are independently owned and operated, so product may vary from location to location.

Fixing up your home during a recession

In today’s economy and housing market, many people are choosing not to sell their home, but to fix up their existing home instead. This way they can enjoy the property they currently own and when the market rebounds, the time and effort they put in will make their homes more saleable.

One of the largest mistakes a homeowner can make is to not hire a professional to aid in their renovation project, whether it is landscaping, interior design, or remodeling. One can usually see the difference in the finished project when a professional is designing the job.

Starting with outdoor space, a landscape professional can enhance the first impression of your home. In many instances it could be moving old overgrown plantings from the front to the rear yard, or adding to your existing plantings to give a welcome look to your property. In the rear yard, cleaning up and adding new plantings can make the home look younger and more saleable. Adding landscape lighting will both enhance the value to the property, as well as increase the “living space” of the home, as homeowners will enjoy their backyards more often.

Fixing up the interior should be guided by a certified interior designer. Working with color, texture, and light, a designer can give a home a more “comfortable” feeling, and can make spaces appear to be larger. They will work with you to create a home that reflects your personal taste. Their expertise knowledge, expertise, and guidance can help prevent costly mistakes, and can also eliminate features that would be a negative to future prospective buyers.
One aspect of interior design that is rarely discussed is that of interior lighting. If lighting is important to you, be sure to work with a Certified Lighting Designer with lots of lighting experience. It takes years of experience to understand how to use both direct and indirect lighting. Ask about color temperature. Light temperature refers to the color quality that different bulbs produce. Light fixtures and the quality of light they produce have a direct and dramatic impact on the rest of the room. The lighting of items in a room is important, and lighting can make or break a design. Not all light bulbs create light tones and colors equally. This can affect how your furniture and other things look when they are lit at night. A Certified Lighting Designer should be involved with all of your lighting within your project.

Many homeowners, when renovating a bathroom or kitchen, leave it up to their contractor help design their living space and lighting. One should let them make suggestions based on the available space, bur the final plans and layout should be done by a certified specialist.
As a certified lighting designer, I have seen hundreds of floor plans laid out by Architects, interior designers, and kitchen and bath showrooms that have fixture placement that would have shadows, and using builder’s fixtures that waste energy.

One of the additional benefits of upgrading and remodeling now is that you get to enjoy the beauty of your “new home” and will not be rushed to sell until the housing market recovers.

Written by Philip Finkelstein.
Philip is a Lighting One certified lighting designer,
and owner of Illuminations in Rockville Centre, NY
for the past 30 years.

Lighting One showrooms are locally owned and operated and in-store merchandise may vary by location. Product shown is 3653-OPF. For online purchases or to find your nearest Lighting One showroom, go to http://www.lighting-one.com/.

Task Lighting for Your Home Design

Task lighting is the lighting necessary to carry out specific activities in the home. Generally, task lighting is higher in intensity than other types of lighting. There are four primary tasks that require higher than average lighting levels.

1. Lighting for food preparation and cooking

2. Lighting for grooming (shaving, putting on makeup, etc.)

3. Lighting for reading

4. Lighting for a variety of activities in a laundry room.

Footcandles are the unit that we use to measure the amount of lighting reaching a task. A footcandle is a simple concept, and one footcandle is the amount of light reaching a surface that is one foot away from one candle when no other light is present.

The level of footcandles necessary to achieve good task lighting is approximately 50, and can be achieved in a variety of ways. Your lighting consultant can help you to better understand this concept and can help you to achieve this level of lighting.

No matter what your lighting needs are, a Lighting One showroom should be able to assist you and provide your more Lighting Design Tips. Visit www.lighting-one.com for your nearest showroom. Products vary by showroom location.

Mastering the Lighting in Your Master Suite

With today’s open master suites, the master bedroom has taken on a whole new dimension in the home. Decorative sconces, torcheres, portable lamps, or built in cove lighting can provide glare free fill light. If replacing a ceiling globe in the middle of the room, consider an opaque pendant that directs the light up and off the ceiling, unless the fixture is a light unit for a ceiling fan. (When a fixture is attached to a ceiling fan the light should not be directed upward as it creates a very annoying strobe effect when the fan is on.)

Where we have a master bedroom with an adjacent sitting area, more lighting will be required. Recessed lighting is one of the preferred ways to light a general area because the light source is concealed. The room will come alive through accenting artwork, wall washing or grazing. Another way to accent the room is through wall sconces.

Finally consider adding a few control switches near the bed so lights and nightlights can be controlled without getting out of bed.

No matter what your lighting needs are for your Master Suite, a Lighting One showroom should be able to assist you and provide your more Lighting Design Tips. Visit www.lighting-one.com for your nearest showroom.