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Posts Tagged ‘lighting’

Kitchen Design And Lighting Ideas

September 6th, 2011 No comments

If you have just moved into a new, old house, one of the first things that you will probably want to do is refurbish or remodel the kitchen, especially if you like cooking or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. If you use a kitchen a great deal, you will probably already have a good idea of what you would like the kitchen to look like in the end.

One of the first decisions to make is whether you are going to do it yourself or oversee it yourself. There is a lot of work in a kitchen makeover and I have seen amateurs spend years, literally years, doing what a professional could have completed in weeks. This always leads to family tensions. Once that I know of, it even led to divorce. It seems that everybody wants to boast that they are having refurbishments done, but no one actually wants to go through the hassle of having it actually done.

If you are not completely sure what you want your kitchen to look like, it is a good suggestion to visit show kitchens at home improvement stores and even pick up brochures there to study at home. You could also buy a few magazines and surf the Internet for suggestions.

Once you see a few examples that you like, be sure to cut out the pages and print off the image files after downloading them. This way you can build up a dossier of the things that you would like to integrate into your new kitchen..

Once you are pleased that you have all the components you like, you have to collate them. This does not have to be to scale or exact, but just as good as you can do with what you have. Take a large sheet of paper, say A3, and draw in your kitchen’s windows and doors.

Then cut out the pictures of the items you want from the magazines and brochures and stick them in place. If you think that this is not realistic, draw them in and label them clearly so that you can refer back to your picture file.

You need not stop at one design, you can play about with it. If you cut the pictures out, but do not glue them down, you can move them around until you are contented. You may also want to get the opinions of other members of the family and have a brain storming session

When you have finished, decide how you are going to illuminate the kitchen. Do you want a pendant light over the table? Do you want spots pointing at the cooker and the sink? Do you want hidden down-lighting to shine on the work surface? How are you going to see what you are doing? It is a very important question. Wall lights are good for ambient lighting.

In conclusion, you have to choose a colour scheme and you are almost ready to start, unless you are using a contractor and then you will have to select one first, but that will make up the contents of another article.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several subjects, but is at present concerned with researching wrought iron floor lamps. If you would like to know more or check out great offers, please go to our website at Wrought Iron Light

Make A Contemporary Home Gorgeous With Modern Lighting

January 16th, 2011 1 comment

It’s quite simple to beautify your surroundings with modern lighting. This is especially true if you have chosen to decorate in a contemporary style. Contemporary is the choice of many people these days because of the simplicity that comes with it. And because it means less fussiness, it also makes your home seem more comfortable, cleaner, and larger. That has lots to do with the clutter free idea.

The professionals will tell you that it’s necessary to have several different light sources in each room. This will give you lots of control to set the mood. It will also give you various options so that you can complete tasks that require brighter light.

Certainly, you know where to find all kinds of fixtures. There are stores all over the place no matter where you live, from DIY centers to light boutiques. However, you can also find modern lighting at good prices online. All you have to do is check eBay.

The problem with going to your local stores is that everyone pretty much has the same things. For something more unique, it’s best to go much broader and the easiest way to do that is by the Internet. As we all know, eBay is a wonderful place to shop. Not only are there individual vendors, there are also stores. Many of these people take their businesses very seriously, just like any conventional one.

And therefore, from the comfort of your own home, you can shop for items that come from Europe or Asia, or what have you. In other words, you’ll have something that is much more one-of-a-kind. That’s what creates interest when it comes to interior decorating. A space has to be interesting.

So, it’s time to apply light to the particular space. You should have a general fixture or general lighting which comes in the form of tracks, a ceiling mounted fixture, spotlights, and so on. You also have walls within the space that could definitely use some oomph. While sconces can provide that. Then its lamps and accent lights. For more interest, you can get lights that point up as well.

They will also help to bring a dark corner to life or make a piece of art become your focal point, for example. But the key to buy modern lighting is to find items that are not fussy. They must have straight lines and no embellishments. They should also tie in well with the furnishings.

And, the materials should all be the same. That means that you shouldn’t choose brushed nickel for one and polished brass for another. They will just clash. Of course, interior decorators that are professionals know how to mix and match different items, but they are in a different league. Try to stick with what you know will work for sure.

When picking modern lighting for a renovation or replacement project, you ought to check the Web options. Many contemporary lighting items can be found to improve your home’s decor.

Chandelier Lighting and the Modern Home

January 13th, 2011 No comments

For a long period of time, chandeliers have been used to ward off bad luck. However, unlike some other forms of home light fixtures, vintage chandeliers often attempt to show certain events in history. In other instances it has served as a family heirloom and the insignia of noble families – much like coats of arms. Therefore some antique, vintage chandeliers are nothing short of priceless and are auctioned for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While the frame could possibly be constructed of cast iron or timber, they are adorned with thousands of trinkets of value. Many people who prefer these kinds of vintage chandeliers, probably like them due to their uniqueness and the character which they posses which is lacking in some of the other popular decorative jewelry items. If you want do something other than going with the trend and if you want to stand out from the rest, maybe a vintage chandelier would fit the bill.

The highest price I have heard a chandelier change hands for over two million Euros. Off course you can find ones that are much lower in price than that. Some could cost as little as $5000. Keep an open mind, be prepared to be blown off your seat when you hear the prices – remember these are not bathroom light fixtures that you are buying.

Unlike chandeliers that may be constructed with precious metals and stones, which you can find almost anywhere, true antique chandeliers are not easy to find and may not suite every intended ceiling. However, a vintage chandelier is still a useful thing to have if you do have the ability to afford it.

Spend enough time in your search and you will find chandeliers that are rife with historic turning points.Some such chandeliers could be ideal as a main foyer piece, go online and look at these types of chandeliers which are available. In contrast, a less famous chandelier will cost proportionately less.

Some of these chandeliers are truly beautiful works of art that are just more than mere chandelier lighting. Even the stories behind such chandeliers are often very interesting and heartwarming. If you dare to be different get your vintage chandelier today!

The Art of Decorating With Chandeliers

January 12th, 2011 No comments

Amongst all of the really cool classical structures I’ve had the good fortune to visit, the single one, above all, that holds a unique spot in my heart is the palace that is home to one of my favorite grand chandeliers, The Palais Garnier in Paris. By the way, one of my preferred Broadway shows was also written around this structure, The Phantom of the Opera. The Palais, The Broadway Exhibit and this post have a single factor in common – all three have a Chandelier at the center ot them all.

Weighing over five tonnes, it hangs, perched from the ceiling of the main hall. This masterpiece can be described by not other means than by calling it opulent.

Considering the effects of the chandelier upon its surroundings when most people would be marinating in the wonder and beauty of the palace and the performance of some of the best talents in the country borders on the insane. I know. But I an’t seem to help myself as I am in the process of choosing a chandelier for my own home.

At the end, it occurs to me that it needs to be a little bit of both. The surrounding, in this case The Palais Garnier, provides a frame for the artwork of the chandelier. And the chandelier provides an accessory that shines in the presence of the greater building. In the end the relationship between the chandelier and the home is symbiotic.

The advice I received, that the truth of the matter is something in between, ties nicely to the fact that it is a symbiotic relationship. In this case it makes it evident that the aesthetic hue of the chandelier must be in harmony with the aesthetic temperature of the home in which it hangs.

Chandeliers do make the home but only when the home is well designed to start with. The luxury of the chandelier is only appreciated and valued when it is placed as the finishing touch not the foundation stone of the design. All chandeliers are refined and detailed and carry the air of class and taste. It shows refinement in the owner and portrays a sense of Victorian elegance. Chandeliers are the focal point of the room but not in the sense of all eyes looking up with straining necks. Instead the chandelier is the focal point by default where its presence, while out of the fray, provides the feel of class rather than the sight of it.

Learn more about Chandeliers. Stop by Home Lighting and see what it can do for you.

The Real Cost of Ceiling Fans

December 5th, 2010 No comments

Have you realized how the cost of everything seems to just be spiraling out of control. As such, I have started to think about my choices to reduce any and all payments particularly the ones that repeat month-to-month. Of my monthly bills, the one that really gets me stressed each each month is my heating and air conditioning bill. Between the power, bill to run that and to have it inspected, cleaned and serviced, I seemed to be spending a quite a bit of money.

My research yielded very a few of options and most of them involved substantial modifications to my way of life – not just mine, but my whole family’s. I was not prepared just yet to undertake that kind of change aside from maybe just changing some Home Lighting. Then I discovered an easy, efficient idea. I read that ceiling fans were a great way to circulate the air in the home, be it winter, summer time or any of the other milder seasons. The article presented the situation that fans, in addition to circulating cold air, did the exact same with warm air. So in the summer time using them with the air con, the fan could assist circulate cool air all through the room although in the winter ceiling fans could assist flow into the warm air from the scorching spots in the room to maintain the a more even temperature.

I must say my initial response was less than enthusiastic. My first thought was that if that was true, why wasn’t everyone doing it and why hadn’t I heard of it before. My initial hesitation aside, I proceeded to find the appropriate ceiling fan and had it installed. One in each room downstairs. Within a few weeks I was convinced and not because there was any savings yet in the energy bills. I had yet to receive one after the installation. But what was a pleasant surprise was the gentle breeze from the down wash of the rotating blades. To my surprise the family room had an immediate change in air quality as the air was not stagnant.

The room also began to really feel cooler and I was in a place to put the thermostat up to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Instantly there was a drop in the energy bill. We did not just turn the thermostat up because we thought the Ceiling Fans would do the job, we turned them up simply because the rooms fell a great deal cooler when the fans had been rotating. I guess the breeze effect, kind of just like the wind chill factor during winter, really made a distinction.

The pleasant, breeze like feeling really made the difference at home by improving the air quality and removing that faint hint of musty odor. The fans also managed to drop the summer-time bill by almost 20%. We were running the air-cons less and enjoying the col breeze more. Sometimes, we even shut the air off and kept the fans running especially those summer evenings when we had a storm. The decision to install ceiling fans throughout the house with the objective of cutting down energy costs proved to be the right one. I am glad we did it.

At the end of the the day, regardless of costs and aesthetics, the Ceiling Fans has proven to be a fabulous way to cool the house and circulate the air, especially during the summer and winter months when the windows are shut tight.

How To Integrate Flush Mount Lighting

December 1st, 2010 No comments

For flush mount lighting, professional designers are usually hired. But this doesn’t mean that the home improvement enthusiast needs to feel discouraged. Quite the contrary in fact, many rooms in your privately owned house can be virtually transformed by relatively simple flush mount light fixtures.

As this won’t necessarily cost an arm and a leg either like chandelier lighting, you don’t have much excuse not to do it all your self. Try to stay away from using old tungsten light bulbs and try to use fluorescent bulbs that consume approximately 15% of the energy for the same light output. .

Popular in kitchens and offices where more directional light is required it can also be used to highlight a painting or sculpture. It gives a brighter, crisper light than the traditional tungsten light bulb and highlights features far more clearly. When completing the design for a room it may be beneficial to include some form of flush mount lighting display. The point you must consider is that all choice of lighting is an easy one if you consider the entire landscape rather than just the way a certain lamp may look.

There are some crazy designs out there that stretches the imagination, look at them with an artistic eye to appreciate their beauty. The lights provide illumination as a basic but also lend an aesthetic flavor. The point of departure for all lighting plans, the flush mount is the anchor that holds the key to aesthetic illumination.

There is the proven relational benefit of unwinding in front of a suitably lit aquarium. Never forget that natural light is the most precious form of light that comes into your house. It can be enhanced using glass ornaments and reflected around using mirrors. The coverings that you use at your windows can affect the amount of natural light that is available.

For flush mount lighting official places, professional designers are usually hired.

Chandelier Lighting For Small Homes

December 1st, 2010 No comments

Home Lighting especially chandeliers have been a serious point of contention between my wife and me. She is convinced we need to get one of the foyer and another for the dining room. I can’t seem to even understand the need for one, much less two. But because my wife has been right on more than just a few occasions when it comes to home decorating, so I decided to be smart about it and do some research before I put my size 13 in my mouth again.

Well as it turns out, chandelier lighting is good for you – well to be more specific, its good for your eyes unlike other light fixtures or movable lamps like, let’s say, flush mount lighting. Never would I have considered it in a million years. Here is what I found out. It turns out that white light is not good for the retina in your eyes. It will possibly scar the retina over time.

All the design matters aside, a chandelier diffuses and breaks light down so that the resulting emanations are broken ever so gently to their constituent colors. When the colored light is bounced of the ceiling it is then in different wavelengths, simulating the light of the sun. The second issue is a little more complex in its physics. Chandelier lighting, us the result of two things built into the chandelier. The first is the diffuse lighting of the prisms. And the second is the number of these prisms that make the light scatter.

Let me take a minute to explain the prisms from a rudimentary scientific point of view to explain the benefits of chandelier lighting. First, little about the sun. The sun does not emanate white light. We just think it does. The resulting light we see is made up of many colors. If you want to know what colors they are, take a look through a prism and you will see it. It is literally a rainbow of colors.

So, coming back to chandelier lighting, the crystals that adorn the chandelier act as thousands of prisms, like the millions of droplets of water that cause rainbows. In this case the chandelier lighting is so soothing to the eyes because it breaks light down to its natural components. Have you ever strained your eyes looking at the rainbow? Or, have you strained your eyes in bright white lights.

Well, it turns out, having a chandelier in the landing and the dining, may not be such a bad thing after all. Having dinner under soft comforting chandelier lighting would be a good change.

The Case For Under Cabinet Lighting

November 28th, 2010 No comments

Now that you have your kitchen set up you are ready to begin enjoying it right? Wrong! Before you get cooking, take a look at what your light fixtures are. It can be very tempting to leave the old lights exactly where they are. Money is tight – after all your renovation was already a little over-budget, and you probably don’t have a big budget to work with, so you might be tempted to leave those old lights and leave it that. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! At the very least gets new flush mount lighting and use Eco friendly bulbs.

Even if money is tight, this is one area in your home where you should spend a little extra money. The kitchen that you spend most of your time – you and all your children and your family – is very important to the overall harmony of the house. How could lighting fixtures be responsible for the success of your home? Well, if you have to be sitting for long periods of time, you are going to want to be comfortable, or you will think of every excuse in the book to go out or head to the mall. The ambiance of the kitchen – and the aroma it has, go a long way in judging the success of your kitchen. You know what is the best piece of lighting for the kitchen – under cabinet lighting.

When you get out to search for under cabinet lighting keep the designs you have and the effect you intend at the back of your mind. Take note of the height of the cabinet? Be sure you find under cabinet lights that are energy efficient and the height is just below eye height – it would be better if they were adjustable in height and could tilt.

Under cabinet lighting is very important in a family kitchen, particularly if you have any type of wooden cabinets – light or dark. It will keep your space lit ? functional, and romantic – aesthetic. It will even protect your eyes by naturally shielding direct light from your eyes.

Good under cabinet lighting can cost you a lot of money and since you will likely have a low budget for starting up your kitchen pay attention to sales and discounts. It would also be possible for you to buy them used and then have them refurbished. Just be sure to inspect the fixtures carefully if you are purchasing it second-hand. But as with most things the best place to pick them up these days – aside form a local store sale – is to buy them online.

Remember, an investment in a good quality under cabinet lighting is a long term investment in your kitchen as well as your health. It’s not something you want to take for granted or cut corners on.

Table Lamps Lighting Moving Forward

November 28th, 2010 No comments

My trip to India was a smashing hit. The trip was on business to locate and photograph modern and ancient artifacts of interior design value. The trip took me to the center of India, south of its capital, to a city called Rajasthan. [I:http://buildernews.galanter.net/files/2010/11/JackPowell0.jpg]

My assignment on this trip was to go in search of designs to be used in our summer collection of interior light fixtures. The piece was supposed to be anchored around movable lighting like floor lamp lighting and table lamps lighting. Specifically, I was in search of the British-India colonial feel of elegance and intricately designed table lamps. Everyone knows that ornaments and lamps found in this part of the world were exotic, but I had a pleasant surprise when I saw its treasures for my self.

To appreciate table lamps, you have to relinquish your utilitarian view of table lamps and adopt a view that there is tremendous artistry and elegance in hand crafted designs. These designs eventually are the catalyst to a serene and cozy atmosphere. There are two portions of the table lamp that provide the opportunity to set the tone of the room. Here in Rajasthan, the base consists of hand etched silver complimented by the lamp shade of pure Tibetan woven silk.

There was one table lamp that just absolutely astounded me. This table lamp was about three feet tall with a base made sterling silver with intricate carvings, it told the story in detailed pictures of the Rajashtan Prince from birth to puberty, his early ascension to the throne and his teenage marriage up to his eventual demise. Sixty years of a nobleman’s life delicately hand carved. The story starts at the base and spirals its way through the top. There were two of them sold as a pair and they were the only one like that. A unique pair of table lamps.

Table lamps are great in the living hall, the walk way, in the master bedroom or guest room. The pair I described above will be a fabulous master bedroom piece. When it was engraved and made, it was obviously used as a wood burning lamp. Since then it has been retrofitted with the necessary wiring and fittings to be an elegant electric table lamp.

I eventually bought the pair of table lamps lighting the front of the store, after much persuasion – not those two I wrote about, but another pair that was a fraction of the price. But I did manage to take a bunch of pictures of it. That was free.

The Art of Designing Pendant Lighting

November 23rd, 2010 No comments

Interior design and Home Lighting is actually a private option depending on private taste and spending budget. It’s as personal as your toothbrush and it is not up to other people, including extended family members to comment disparagingly on interior style suggestions that don’t essentially please the, After all you do not make snide feedback of their plastic-wrapped couch do you? So take DIY tasks a action additional and spruce up your living space together with your own handy work, that includes putting up pendant lighting.

Pendant lighting and Table Lamps tends to make a extremely sweet addition to your house, regardless of season. Prior to we get any further lets just consider a moment to explain what we mean and refer to pendant lighting. You can pretty much do a quick lookup to find pendant lighting. They are light fixtures the hang – like pendants – thus the name. Pendant lighting are a cross between a chandelier along with a flush mounted ceiling light. Think of it this way, it’s like you took a flush installed light fixture and extended it through the ceiling by a few feet.

There are more than just a few styles you need to operate with. Particularly if you go on the net and go to your favorite lighting retailer or did a search, you will probably be spoilt for options. Pendant lighting is really a genuine deal with that will increase the visual equity of your house. Pendant lighting goes nicely in places precisely where the ceiling is higher.

If there’s a large open area in the ceiling for example slim and tall corridors or hallways, using flush installed lighting is not aesthetically optimum. The use of pendant lighting however, shortens the length in between the light and the ground and increases the length between the light and in addition the ceiling. This outcomes in a mild tome close to the ceiling, illuminating it enough to know it’s there although casting a bright flood of light close to the ground.

Pendant lighting is reminiscent with the historic roman types precisely where cast iron chains connected in the direction of the ceilings held heavy cauldrons stuffed with burning wooden to offer light. This idea of lightning freed up space on the ground especially in the center of the room precisely where there might not have been any pillars. When there were pillars, these same pendant lightnings hung from trusses. The fit of ceiling pendant lighting utilized on walls and pillars with the use of trusses remain a design that is extensively utilized even till today.

Pendant Lighting could be hung through the ceiling by anchoring it in the direction of the ceiling beams.