March 11th, 2010
Closets tend to get overlooked when it comes to planning effective lighting for the home. But poor lighting in a closet or dressing area can be just as bad as trying to get dressed in the dark. Good lighting, on the other hand, can make all the difference when it comes to leaving the house with socks that match each other and don’t clash with the rest of your outfit. Flattering lighting can also provide an ego boost as you stand in front of the dressing room mirror. Read on for some lighting guidelines that will help you avoid any wardrobe malfunctions.
The most effective method of lighting your clothes is with a strip of light mounted along the front edge of a shelf above the clothes rail and hidden behind a pelmet. Cool, white light that mimics daylight will do the best job of letting you see the true color of your clothes, helpful for anyone who has a habit of mistaking navy blue for black.
This method can be repeated above closet shelves to illuminate their contents. Small LED lights can also be placed at the top of shoe cubbies. These touches not only help you to better see what you’re doing while picking out an outfit, but also lend your closet the feel of a posh boutique.
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February 18th, 2010
Bedrooms are our refuge from the world, a safe place to get away from the day’s hassles, a sanctuary for rest and romance. Bedroom lighting can go a long way toward creating this feeling of safe haven. The right lighting can even help our brains switch gears from dealing with a busy day to preparing for sleep.
The best bedroom lighting is heavy on soft, ambient light that creates a warm and cozy feeling while casting a flattering glow on you and your partner. This sort of lighting is best achieved with a few lamps with warm, low- to medium wattage bulbs placed around the room. If you have a flushed center ceiling light, consider switching it out for an indirectly-hung pendant light that can do a better job of bouncing fill light off of the walls and ceiling.
If you have a high or sloped ceiling, you can create more fill light by adding wall sconces to fill the dead space above the door line. This can also be achieved by hiding uplighting on top of tall pieces of furniture, such as an armoire, to bounce light off of the ceiling. Washing a closet door with downlighting is another way to bring in fill light and enliven dead space.
Task lighting is also an important consideration in a bedroom. Whether you read in bed or in a nearby chair, use a table lamp, a wall-mounted swing-arm lamp or a pendant lamp suspended above the nightstand, the guidelines are the same: opt for an opaque shade that directs light downward. The bottom of the shade should hit just above the shoulder — high enough to illuminate the work space and low enough to keep the light out of your (or your partner’s) eyes. Another option is to install adjustable recessed lights in the ceiling over the bed, with dimmer controls within easy reach of each side of the bed. Such directed, focused light allows you to read without disturbing your partner’s sleep.
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February 17th, 2010
The bathroom is yet another multi-purpose room with its own unique lighting requirements. In the morning, it needs to be bright and functional to help us wake up and get out the door. In the evening, it can take on a more spa-like atmosphere, allowing us a sanctuary for pampering ourselves and easing away the tensions of the day. Just like any other room, a bathroom should be lit in layers that can be adjusted appropriately. But the bathroom’s primary functions have special lighting requirements that should not be overlooked.
Task lighting in the bathroom is key. The sink and mirror should be lit in such a way that faces are lit evenly, without shadows, for makeup application or shaving. To accomplish this, more than one light is generally necessary. A row of bright bulbs above the mirror is a common method for vanity lighting. Even better is to flank the mirror on each side with a light box or a fixture mounted at eye level.
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Tags: Bath Lighting
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January 31st, 2010
In many of today’s homes, dining areas, like living rooms, have evolved into multi-functional spaces wherein dining is only one of many activities carried out within. As with any other multi-use room, lighting in dining areas should be flexible enough to accommodate all of the different ways the space is likely to be used. This is once again achieved through a layered combination of ambient, accent, decorative and task lighting.
One thing that hasn’t changed about dining rooms (and dining room lighting) over the years is the tendency for the dining table, and the decorative light above it, to be the room’s central focus. However, often the necessity to move the table over to make room for a home office or storage unit means that this central focus isn’t necessarily in the center of the room. This can create a problem for centrally-hung chandeliers and pendant lights.
One solution is to hang the light on a swag chain or a pulley system. A swag chain can allow the light to easily be moved over the table. A pulley system allows the light to be raised closer to the ceiling so that it is visually tied to the ceiling rather than the table, so that it doesn’t look odd if the table isn’t centered directly underneath. With this in mind, another option is to forgo a pendant light altogether in favor of a flush or semi-flush lighting fixture. Flexible recessed lights aimed either at the four corners of the table or at the centerpiece are another option.
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January 29th, 2010
In the past, we’ve taken a look at lighting for living rooms, kitchens, home offices and children’s rooms. Over the next few weeks, we’ll help you cast the rest of your house in its best light, beginning with entryways. Whether you have a roomy front porch leading into a spacious grand foyer, or a simple stoop leading into a corner of the front room where you’ve stashed a coat rack, your front entry creates your home’s first impression. The right lighting can help to ensure that that impression is a good one.
Outside: After dark, no matter how large or small your front entrance and the path leading up to it, safety is the first concern. Light any potential obstacles and provide enough light to make visitors feel secure as they approach your home (and to ward off those whose interest in your home is less than savory). Use eye-catching light fixtures to help guide visitors to your front door, and make sure your house number is well-lit. These steps will go a long way toward making guests feel welcome before they even set foot inside your home.
Illusion: Inside, use the lighting tricks we’ve discussed in previous posts to your full advantage to set the tone you would like visitors to carry with them throughout your home. If you feel your grand foyer is too spacious and daunting to new visitors, dimming the lights and directing lighting toward the floor will make the space feel smaller and more intimate. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Foyer Lantern
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January 27th, 2010
As mentioned in our last post, track lighting has come a long way in its evolution from the rigid, clunky-looking design that achieved popularity in the 1980s, giving it a resurgence in popularity and making it one of the up and coming trends for 2010. Here is a more in-depth look at what to expect from today’s track lighting.
The track lighting family has expanded to include three categories: fixed rail lighting, free-form rail lighting, and cable lighting.
Fixed Rail Lighting is the least flexible, but it’s also the most budget-friendly choice, making it the most widely-used form of track lighting in today’s homes. As the name implies, it consists of a single rail with a fixed number of light fixtures at manufacturer-selected intervals. The light fixtures usually swivel and can be angled at any direction. They can be mounted on walls or ceilings, and joined together to accommodate long spaces. The rails range from straight and utilitarian to artfully curved with decorative details. Low-voltage versions have a transformer at one end of the track that delivers power to the light fixtures, allowing for relatively easy DIY installation.
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Tags: Track Lighting
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January 23rd, 2010
A new year often brings new direction–not only personal resolutions, but also changes in social and economic thought that are reflected in home decor and lighting trends. That’s as true as ever in this new year, with continual advances in technology and energy efficiency making it easier than ever to go green with your lighting. Here are some growing lighting trends to watch for in 2010.
Hidden Track Lighting – say goodbye to the rigid tracks and exposed hardware that one generally thinks of when it comes to track lighting. The latest version, also called cable or monorail lighting, offers attractive fixtures and flexibility that the old style lacked. Run off of a single low-voltage transformer, they are also more energy-efficient than their predecessors, making them a popular choice with homeowners.
Chandelettes and Mini Chandeliers – bring the refined look of a chandelier to small spaces with one of these fixtures that add all of the sparkle and drama without the size or power requirements of a full-sized chandelier.
Deep Metallic Finishes – rustic metal tones like brushed nickel and oiled bronze are gaining popularity in choices for lamp base and lighting fixture finishes. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Trends
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December 31st, 2009
For 100 out of the last 102 New Year’s Eves, people from around the world have rung in the New Year by watching a lighted ball drop over New York’s Times Square (the two exceptions being during WWII, when the New Year was instead met with a moment of silence followed by the ringing of church bells).
Although the tradition hasn’t changed, the ball itself has gone through a lot of changes over the century, the most recent being to go green by replacing its combination of incandescent and halogen bulbs with energy efficient LED lamps. As we prepare to ring in not just another new year, but a whole new decade, here are some facts about this year’s New Year’s Eve Ball to keep in mind as we approach its annual hour to shine.
The newest ball is a 12 foot geodesic sphere, double the size of previous Balls, and weighs 11,875 pounds.
It’s covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals and powered by 32,256 Phillips LEDs.
Focus Lighting created the lighting design, which uses over 3,500 lighting cues for a brilliant, kaleidoscopic display of light.
The lighting design is carefully orchestrated to highlight every facet of each crystal, making the sparkle visible from as far as 500 feet. Read the rest of this entry »
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December 20th, 2009
‘Tis the season for entertaining guests. Whether hosting a big holiday bash or a small, intimate dinner party, you want your lighting to set the right tone and to feel as special as the holidays themselves. Although the season brings to mind all things “merry and bright,” that doesn’t necessarily extend to your lighting. Follow these tips to achieve an inviting lighting scheme that will make your guests feel reluctant to leave.
The key to party lighting is to combine softness with sparkle. Soft light sets a warm, inviting tone that makes your guests want to linger. Dim or darken overhead lights, and allow accent lighting to create warm pools of light around conversation areas. Dimmed lighting will also let your Christmas tree or other holiday lights shine more brightly, creating a festive holiday mood.
Add to the ambience with candlelight by spreading votives or pillars around the room’s perimeter. If you have a fireplace, light a fire (if it’s a faux fireplace, light a grouping of pillar candles in the hearth). If there are children in attendance, consider battery-operated flameless candles or LED tea lights. You can also emulate candlelight by stringing clear holiday twinkle lights across the mantle or along bookcases, creating soft, ambient light with a hint of holiday glitter. Read the rest of this entry »
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December 13th, 2009
If you’re not one of those people who had their holiday gift shopping done by September, don’t feel bad. You’re not alone. The pressure of last-minute shopping can make gift ideas even harder to come by. We’re here to help with some ideas for giving the gift of light this holiday season.
For the shopper on a budget, a night light is an inexpensive way to light up someone’s life. Even in homes without small children, a night light in the hall or bathroom can make nighttime trips both safer and more soothing, especially when said night light doubles as a work of art, such as this artful Christmas Tree Nite Lite from Meyda Tiffany.
For the photographer or art collector on your list, consider illuminating their prize piece of work with an easy-to-install cordless picture light.
Anyone with a home office will appreciate a decorative task light for their desk. Whether a traditional banker’s lamp, a classic Tiffany table lamp or a contemporary swing-arm lamp, there are options available to fit virtually any style or budget. Read the rest of this entry »
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