Archive for the ‘Lamps’ Category
Table lamps can offer great functionality and aesthetic enhancement to a room, their portable nature also requires less design commitment than other types of lighting for the home. That said selecting the perfect table lamp can feel like a daunting task, but with the right pointers it’s really easy.
Our best tip is to start with the type of lamp you’re after before deciding on the style. That may feel counter intuitive at first because we’re all very visually oriented and aesthetics are typically the first concern, but by starting with the type or intended task for the lamp you’re ensuring the lamp will actually perform its intended task, rather than just sit there looking pretty.
Here are some tips for selecting the right table lamp
- First decide on the application. Decorative table lamps only need to provide the proper amount of ambient light in the room and yes, being attractive doesn’t hurt at all. Reading lamps benefit from a diffuser, aiming arm and dimmer switch. Buffett lamps, as the name suggest, are meant to illuminate a surface at standing height. Likewise, desk lamps are intended to provide illumination for a desk, but shield the light source from direct eye contact.
- Consider selecting a lamp made from a heavy material. Because a table lamps are free standing, it’s always a good idea to select something substantial that will be stable in its place. Lamps made from solid wood, cast iron, brass, ceramic and natural stone are great choices for the home. This is true whether you are getting a table lamp or a floor lamp
- The right shade can make or break the lamp. There is more to shades than just their aesthetic appeal; the shade can greatly affect the amount of lighting that you get from the lamp. An opaque shade will send light only up or down whereas a diffused shade will spread the light around in multiple directions. You do want to consider the aesthetics as well, though. For example, do you want a shade made from a hard fabric like vinyl or one made from a soft fabric, such as silk?
- Don’t forget the dimmer. It is always good to have different light level options with your lamps. Many portable lamps come with built-in dimmer/slider switches to make this simple for you.
- Pay attention to detail. People get right up close to portable lamps a lot of the time so after you’ve selected the proper lamp type; it’s worth it to pay attention to the great decorative detail that can be found on some portable lamps.
- Don’t ignore the light bulb. These days it is very important for you to look at what type of light bulbs can be used in the lamps that you choose to purchase. Traditional incandescent light bulbs are being phased out so you may want to look for a lamp that allows you to use a CFL bulb or better yet, an eco-friendly LED light bulb.
- Keep in mind that special applications may benefit from specific lamp types. For example, piano lamps and desk lamps are suited to specific tasks and may not be right for general use.
Lighting is something that is made all over the world. In fact, many of the best light fixture designs come from amazing exotic locations. That said it is important to try to buy American-made products as often as possible. Luckily options are beginning to really open up for people who want terrific American-made lights.
Why Buy American?
Buying products that are produced in America helps to improve the American economy. Unemployment is still shockingly high. If we choose to support businesses that employ people in United States factories in stores then we are effectively supporting local jobs.
Additional reasons to buy American include:
- It supports American working standards. There are laws here (such as child labor laws) that do not necessarily exist in other countries. Buying American made products supports those working standards.
- Buying American often means supporting green efforts. There are environmental standards for the factories here that aren’t always in place in other places. This is important when it comes to lighting as more and more consumers seek to be greener in their own lighting usage.
- Sometimes American lighting may be less expensive than other options. This is due to reduced shipping costs although it does vary depending on many other factors.
Options for American-Made Lighting
You may be ready to consider buying American-made lighting but just don’t know where to start. Some of the top lighting choices right now in this category include:
Win a sleek, contemporary LED reading lamp from the Sax collection by ET2! With its streamlined hardware and floating curves, the Sax LED table lamp resembles a piece of modern sculpture more than a desk lamp, but its thin, 5 watt LED puts out a cool white light that is easy on the eyes as well as the environment. The winner will get to choose between a matte white or a glossy black finish.
HOW TO WIN: This contest is open to followers of Lighting By Lux on Twitter and Facebook who live in the U.S. Either following us on Twitter or “liking” us on Facebook will automatically enter you for a chance to win. Do both to receive two chances!
The contest runs from now until June 1st, when we’ll select the winner at random from among those who have followed/friended us during that time. We’ll announce the winner on June 1st on both Twitter and Facebook, as well as here on the blog.
Now the fine print: this offer is open to U.S. residents only. Contest void in Florida, New York, and Rhode Island. Also void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Lighting by Lux reserves sole and final judgement in contest, no ifs, ands or buts. Maximum two contest entries per person. Contest entrants must become a follower of Lighting By Lux on Facebook and/or Twitter between the date of this post and June 1st, 2010 in order to be eligible.
When you were a child, did you mother admonish you not to read in the dark? Did she tell you to turn a lamp on so you wouldn’t ruin your eyes? You probably didn’t think much of it at the time. That’s because your young eyes didn’t struggle to see even in dim light. Now that you’re getting older, though, Mom’s words might be echoing in your mind. That’s because our eyes start to worsen as we age and we begin to need better light to read by. Don’t worry; this isn’t really because of the squinting that you did as a kid. And it’s a problem that you can easily deal with by selecting the right lighting for reading.
So what happens to your eyes as you age? Quite a few things happen actually. Some of the changes that your eyes go through as you get older include:
* The cornea becomes increasingly opaque.
* The lens of your eye starts to absorb more light than before.
* The lens of your eye begins to yellow and specifically absorbs more blue wavelength light than before.
* The diameter of your pupil decreases.
* Your retinal illuminance levels decrease.
* Fat deposits build up in both the cornea and the lens of the eye. This leads to scattered light in the eyes. Scattered light blurs images.
* Your ciliary muscles weaken and your lens hardens. This combination makes it more difficult to focus in changing light.
Choosing a lamp shade might seem like a relatively simple task, but in truth, there are several things to consider. The wrong shade can not only turn your new designer table lamp into an eyesore; it can also throw off a room’s entire lighting scheme. Below are some things to consider that will help you select just the right shade to compliment your lamp and enhance the overall lighting in your space.
Shape – This is probably the easiest rule to remember when shopping for a lamp shade: match the shape of the shade to the shape of the lamp base. A rounded base, for instance, should get a round shade, while a square or rectangular base should get a square shade. Bases with a combination of curves and angles can happily go either way.
Proportion – More important to shape is the size and proportion of the shade you choose. A lamp shade should measure about one- to two-thirds the height of the base, and two times the width. It should be tall enough to cover all of the lighting elements and hardware without covering up any of the base, and the widest part of the lamp shade should be about a half-inch wider in diameter than the widest part of the base. Read the rest of this entry »
With the traditional job market having yet to stabilize, more Americans are working from home today than ever before. Whether going freelance, starting a home business or simply telecommuting to save money, working at home generally requires a home office, be it a small desk tucked away in a corner of the kitchen, a coat closet converted into an office nook, or an entire spare room repurposed for the task. Whatever form your home office takes, it has its own set of special lighting requirements.
If your work space doesn’t get a lot of natural light, or if you do any nighttime work, then it’s important to create a good amount of ambient light. A “good amount” depends largely on what you do and what kind of mood lighting makes you most productive. A writer, for instance, might work better in a dimly lit room that encourages imagination; whereas a crafter might find a bright space to be more inspiring. Since overhead fixtures tend to be too bright, it’s best to use indirect lighting sources such as uplights or downlights that reflect light off of the walls and ceiling, creating a soft, diffused light that mimics natural light. If that’s not practical, consider putting your overhead light on a dimmer switch so that you can control the amount of light it spreads over the room.
To prevent eye strain, your computer screen should be brighter than the ambient light in the room (but should never be the only source of light). If the room has windows, place the computer monitor perpendicular to them to reduce glare and prevent the screen from getting washed out.
The most essential light in any work space is a good task light. This might take the form of a Banker’s Lamp, a simple table lamp, a floor lamp for reading or, in the case of a kitchen or closet office, under-cabinet lighting. Like the ambient light, your task light should also be dim enough that it doesn’t overpower your computer screen, and it should be placed near the spot where you’ll do non-computer work, on the opposite side of your dominant hand and low enough to prevent shadows from obscuring your work.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to create a comfortable and inspirational lighting scheme for your office that works as hard as you do.
When you think of lighting and art, you might automatically think of gallery-style lighting meant to illuminate a painting or a photograph. It’s easy to overlook the light fixture itself as a decorative object; but lamps can not only be an integral part of the décor, they can themselves be works of art. A classic example of the lighting fixture as a work of art is the Tiffany lamp.
The Tiffany lamp began as the brainchild of Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder of the well-known jeweler, Tiffany and Co. Louis was already well-known for his stained-glass windows when the invention of the electric light bulb by his contemporary, Thomas Edison, inspired him to use left-over pieces of stained glass from his windows to create light-up electric art. He unveiled some of the first Tiffany Lamps at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and his studio began manufacturing them commercially in 1895.
Although Tiffany has long been given credit for the elaborate Art Nouveau designs that marked the height of his lamps’ early 20th century popularity, in February, 2007, the New York Times reported that historians had uncovered documents proving that the creative talent behind many of the more popular designs actually belonged to Clara Driscoll and the team of women she supervised, who worked for Tiffany in the uncelebrated role of “glass cutters.”
Regardless of who originated the designs, the Tiffany lamp is a timeless, still sought-after classic. Authentic originals have sold in auction for millions of dollars, and are exhibited in art museums all over the world. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a millionaire or an art collector to enjoy the beauty of a Tiffany lamp in your own home. Licensed reproductions are still made today by manufacturers such as Meyda Tiffany, Dale Tiffany and Quoizel, offering the same quality of the originals at a fraction of the cost.
We’ve put together a comprehensive lamp shade buyers guide that covers all the basic styles, shapes and accessories to help you choose the right shade for your lamp. Over the next few months we look forward to expanding our selection of lampshades as they’ve been a most asked for item throughout the year.
Choosing the best shades for your lamps is easy with a little knowledge. Vocabulary first – you and your lighting professional can communicate better once you’re speaking the same language… Continue reading “Choosing the Right Lamp Shade to Enhance Your Lamps”.
Q. What are the historical roots of Tiffany?
A. Louis Comfort Tiffany was the son of Charles Tiffany, the famous New York City jeweler. Tiffany became a legendary artist, painter, designer and architect who thrived in the late 1800s to the early 20th Century. He invented new methods of creating stained-glass lamps using a new type of glowing, Favrile iridescent glass, which is indelibly associated with the name Tiffany. He was a world traveler and was inspired by much of the art and antiques of Europe, and in response he created many Roman and Mediterranean designs, among several other styles.
Today, several different companies including Dale Tiffany, Kichler, Quoizel, Meyda handcraft Tiffany reproductions using the same type of glass and designs that Tiffany himself used. These companies also create their own original designs as well.
Q. Who were some of the other important early pioneers of Tiffany-style lamps?
A. There were other studios doing various types of decorative lighting. One was Duffner and Kimberly, and Meyda Tiffany has a reproduction collection of its lamps in its line. Another was Handel Studios, well known for painted and leaded glass shades with quality that rivaled Tiffany’s. In addition, the Pairpoint Corp. produced reverse-painted, three-dimensional floral table lamps during the 1920s. Other artists who were developing Nouveau and Mission designs were William Morris, Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley. Their designs were a little different from Tiffany’s, but they all used art and stained glass.
Another company, Quality Bent Glass, manufactured Tiffany-style lamps for Tiffany studios and is also credited with making the original Coca-Cola® chandeliers. Quality Bent Glass was founded around 1900. Meyda Tiffany acquired the company about a decade ago and continues to use the original tools, molds and techniques.
Q. What are some of the more popular styles in Tiffany and other art glass designs right now?
A. Stained-glass windows and fire-place screens, some of which are Tiffany or Frank Lloyd Wright designs, are popular. Quoizel also has their Autumn Ridge Series of outdoor lanterns and indoor lamps and fixtures with hand rubbed bronze frames. Additionally, Meyda offers the Old Forge Collection of American-made custom-crafted steel lighting and accessories that incorporate art glass shades with wildlife designs, featuring the Lodge look that is popular today.
Q. What style of decor compliments Tiffany?
A. Tiffany lighting works with almost anything. Perhaps the best word to describe the look is “eclectic.” Using art glass and Tiffany’s famous copper-foil construction process, Meyda has introduced many looks in decorative lighting. From the new Metro line with a contemporary look to fleur-de-lis, sunflower, grape and rose styles, Meyda integrates Old World craftsmanship with fresh, new looks and original designs. Most importantly, custom Tiffany and other art glass lighting and decor can be created in nearly any design and size imaginable
