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pendant lighting

LIGHTING

8 Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Home’s lighting

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Lighting can make a home more attractive and welcoming, or it can fall short. Homes with a shortage of lighting can be fine during daylight hours, but after dark, it will be hard to read or play games and there may be dark areas in hallways and corners. Lighting can make or break a home’s design and mood. But, modernizing light fixtures and adding light in halls and dark corners can make a dramatic difference in the home’s usability and comfort. New lighting fixtures can even lower lighting bills.

Home Lighting For Both Inside and Outside Areas

Good home lighting starts before you even enter the home. Modern exterior lights can be powered by the sun to charge during the day and light driveways, entries, and exterior areas at night to add to home security and curb appeal. Exterior lighting can create nightscapes of beauty and interest in home landscaping. Contacting a company such as nightscapes.ca can be the start of better lighting for the home and its exterior areas.

Solar-powered or LED lights can give a home’s exterior great lighting at a small cost. Patios and deck areas can suddenly be used for entertaining or relaxing in the evenings. Coming home can be well-lit and safe because of motion sensing entry lights. There won’t be any more fumbling for the keys in the dark. A well-lit entry is safer than a dark one.

8 Simple Tricks and tips To Improve Home Lighting

Moving to the inside of the home, lighting can be improved with an affordable investment. There are ways that interior designers improve the lighting in homes they design interiors for.

1. Choose one light fixture in a room to be a focal point, then add to that lighting with smaller fixtures located in crucial spots around the room. There are several types of lights, including ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, table lamps, sconces, floor lamps, and track lighting. Layering lighting can be very effective.

2. Purchase new light fixtures for each room that are the correct scale so they don’t get lost or overpower the room. Adding layers of light such as under cabinet lighting in a kitchen can be very effective. Accent lights can draw attention to special room features such as artwork or a fireplace.

3. Replace older light bulbs with more-efficient ones, and consider installing dimmer switches to control light levels and the mood in each room. Light fixtures that use three-way bulbs are the best.

4. Update old ceiling fans and lights with new ones that provide better energy efficiency and a modern look.

Replace Outdated Lighting Controls

5. Consider updating the light switches and controls to make use of smart-house technology and wireless options. With this improvement, people can control lights anywhere in the house or outside with one control device.

6. If money is limited, replace the oldest, or least attractive, light fixture in the house first, then replace other fixtures as money becomes available. The homeowner can take photos of each place they want a new light and take the photo to the lighting store for easier shopping. Lights can also seem brand new if they are given new lampshades.

7. Reduce the layers of heavy window coverings on windows and clean the windows to add natural light to a room. Consider using shades that can be lifted during the day and lowered at night for privacy.

8. Candles can add to the decor of a room. They can even be scented to add more interest. Then, they can be used as emergency lighting if the power goes out. Candles can also be lit to give a room a romantic feeling.

Walking through a house with a notepad in hand is a good way to make a lighting plan to follow. Make notes of outdated light fixtures or dark spots in rooms. Then, use those notes to add to or update the lighting.

SHOP LIGHTING…

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LIGHTING

Proper Lighting for Every Room in Your Home

proper-lighting-for-every-room-in-your-home

Whether you want to improve the lighting in your bedroom or are planning to renovate your entire home, plan for the setup of lights in different rooms. Each room in your house has a different function; therefore, they will need a more specific type of lighting.

To ensure maximum lighting, consult with your home lighting electrician and keep the following room-by-room lighting suggestions in mind.


Living Room/Family Room Lighting


Laying lights is an important concept when planning the lighting for your living room, which is an area of the house where most people gather and spend a long stretch of time together. The activities in living rooms include conversations, reading, watching TV, and other family activities. Install lights that bounce off the ceiling for ambient illumination. This type of lighting creates a strong sense of brightness in the room, as well as avoids the downward direction of recessed lights or shadows. Bouncing lights off the ceiling also suits the human tendency to see vertical planes versus looking at your feet.

Achieve this set-up by integrating valance or cove lighting into a room’s interior. If you have an entertainment unit or bookcase that doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, add a linear fluorescent or a piece of millwork behind.

Kitchen Lighting

This room’s focus on food preparation and cleanup requires careful consideration of ambient lighting. One of the main reasons sinks are located near the window is to take advantage of natural lighting. Augment the natural light with a recessed fixture or a ceiling-mounted one above the sink. Lights under the cabinet can also illuminate the countertop without relying on an overhead light.

Another basic lighting plan is to have a ceiling-mounted fixture provide ambient light with soffit lighting shedding light above the sink.

Bedroom Lighting

The bedroom needs lighting that promotes comfort and relaxation. Overhead lighting well-diffused by the frosted glass or other material creates a cozy ambiance minus the glare. If you want variety, you can also invest in architectural light or sconces flanking a wall mirror.  

Bedside lamps with warm bulbs are essentials. This enables you to turn off your lights without leaving the comfort of your bed.

Bathroom lighting

Halogen bulbs are the standard for bathroom lighting but compact fluorescent bulbs also help. You can also use recessed downlights or decorative lights for areas in the bathroom over a hundred square feet.

Complement this design by adding close-to-ceiling fixtures that can supplement wall brackets in larger bathrooms.

Mount one lighting fixture over the bathroom’s mirror to light up space but it can cause shadows on your voice. Avoid creating shadows by not mounting them directly over the mirror. If you’re using exposed lamps, avoid using higher wattage. Avoid going beyond 40 watts. Go for lights that provide crisp lighting to render your skin tone accurately.

In the shower, you can use ceiling mounted plastic units or recessed lights. Angle the lights to make sure your fixtures will sparkle.

The right lighting sets the right mood for the right room. Work with your electrician to determine which lighting option or plan is the best for your room.

SHOP LIGHTING….

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HOME DECOR, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – How to Layer Your Lighting

we-answer-wednesday-how-to-layer-your-lighting

“I have overhead lighting in my living room but it still looks and feels dark most of the time.  How can I improve the lighting in my living room?”

This is a great question and actually a very common concern. More often than not, homes are not designed and built with a lighting plan in mind.  Some builders are now offering that opportunity to buyers who have purchased from plans, to meet with an in-house design/decor consultant and review the lighting plans and they can make adjustments and some additions (at an extra cost).  But what about someone who has purchased an existing home? What can you do?

You still have options.  You could meet an electrician and see where you could add some extra ambient lighting sources such as pot lights.  But that can be costly.

Photo from tumblr.com  – This space uses different types of lighting – the ambient light from the ceiling fixtures and task lighting from the kitchen island pendants and the table lamps.  Look closely there are some candles on the coffee table too.

What you want to do and can do quite easily is layer your lighting. Think of your lighting plan a having 3 layers.  Each layer plays a role in the whole plan. Layering your lighting means to have different sources of lighting in one room.  Each source has a different function but they each contribute to the look and feel of the room. This way you can change up the lighting scheme throughout the day and to set the mood you like.  This is also a great idea for a room that serves multiple purposes (which is the case for most of us).

So what are the 3 types of lighting that should be in a room?

LAYER 1- Ambient lighting: this is the room’s overall light wash, this could be natural light streaming in from a window or it could be from overhead lighting.  This is your basic layer of lighting.  This type of light illuminates open areas, walls and main furniture pieces. For overhead ambient light, a dimmer switch is a great idea as it offers you options throughout the day to change it up with your mood. Examples of Ambient lighting include: overhead fixtures, pot lights, natural light beaming in from a window, and torchiere.

 

LAYER 2- Task lighting: this type of lighting is designed to help you perform activities at close range.  This type of lighting is more area specific.  For example, wall sconces or a swing arm floor lamp behind a chair is great for reading or a hanging pendant over a kitchen island are some examples of task lighting.  Task lighting is another layer in your lighting plan. Examples of task lighting include: table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces, and swing arm lamps.

Photo from eclecticallyvintage.com

LAYER 3- Accent lighting: this style of lighting adds a touch of drama to your space. This really allows you to change up the mood in your room quite easily.  Accent lights really let you direct the eye to objects you want to draw attention to, for instance picture lights or candles.  This type of lighting adds warmth (as well as drama) to a space. Examples of accent lighting include: picture lighting, library lights, spot lights, track lights, mini chandeliers and candle light.

Photo from Mattamy Homes  – Another great example of layering your lighting.  We see here the overhead lighting from the ceiling fan (double duty piece) and the pot lights.  The table and floor lamps add some great task lighting, perfect for reading.  And the wall mounted candle sconces add some accent lighting when needed.

Playing with the 3 layers of lighting helps create the mood in the room.  So for a gathering of friends and family, to create a cozy mood use layers 1 (on a dimmer) and 2.  For a more romantic mood, try blending various types of layer 3 (only spotlights mixed in with some candle light is very seductive).

When you are making your lighting plan you can mix up the styles of lighting from one category.  So a room could have a large picture window letting in lots of natural light (depending on time of day) with a beautiful overhead fixture and a few pot lights in the bookcases with a matching pair of table lamps flanking the sofa and a floor lamp or wall sconce behind a reading chair.  Add in some candle light or even twinkle lights by the fireplace and you have a room with a layer lighting plan that allows you to set any mood you like.  Plus this way you have light throughout the entire room, so it will never feel dark.

Photo from Zillow

 

You can never go wrong with adding extra light sources in any room.

I hope this helped bring more light into your life,

 

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LIGHTING, TRENDS, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – What is Sculptural Lighting?

we-answer-wednesday-what-is-sculptura
“I keep hearing the word “Sculptural Lighting” lately.What does that mean and how would I execute this trend in my own home?”
One of the things we love most about this job is the constant changing trends and the excitement of something new & beautiful. I love this question because when we were in Toronto this year at the Interior Design Show, sculptural lighting was a huge trend. So many people are seeing the value in having beautiful lighting in your space. It really is an art form.
 
Sculptural lighting has a wide range of defining characteristics. Lighting fixtures have a functionality aspect
but they can also double as being abstract works of art. Sculptural lighting fixtures are so unique and eye-catching that they naturally become conversation pieces in their settings. The variety of shapes, colours, textures, metals,
materials and sizes are so vast, the options for your home are endless! (and so are the price points!)
 
Of course, we understand that changing the lighting in every room in your home is a large undertaking. The idea of having beautiful light fixtures in every room is not a reality for all of us, as nice as it would be. Choose the rooms in your home that you spend the most time in. Perhaps the living room or bedroom is a great place to start. These are often some of the most used spaces in a home. As well as the kitchen and dining room.
 
When we say “sculptural” that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be over the top. In a modern setting, a simple, pendant can be sculptural. Sculptural also means beautiful.
 
If you’re nervous about being too bold, try adding a chandelier in an open space. Having the crystal and metal mixture will look spectacular without being too much. If you are very adventurous, there are many shapes and styles that will suit your needs.
Here are some of our favourite photos from this year’s
Interior Design Show in Toronto (IDS 2016).

 

 

 

Choose something unique and tailored just to your personal taste!
I’m actually updating the lighting in my dining room – I haven’t chosen anything just yet but I will let you know when I do – it will be fabulous!
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LIGHTING, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – Pendant Predicament

we-answer-wednesday-pendant-predicamen

“What size and how many pendants should I hang over my kitchen island?”

The ideal number of lights depends on the style and scale of fixtures you choose, and how hardworking your island is. 

Here’s a guide to help you decide which solution is best for your kitchen.

One Large Pendant

Make a modern move by centering one over sized fixture above the island.  A large pendant with a translucent shade can offer both ambient and task lighting. This works very well if your kitchen island is also your dining space, which is something we have seen in recent years in condos.  This light fixture would act as your island lighting and dining fixture

 Two Medium Pendants

Hang a pair of lights evenly spaced over the island to illuminate the work space.  These lantern style pendants add great light to the whole space and have a timeless look that work with the kitchen.  This is a more current look that we are seeing a lot of in single family homes with large kitchens but also in smaller condo or apartment size kitchens.  It’s a clean balanced look and works with any style of decor.

 

Three Small Pendants

A trip of shapely lights will work together to brighten three different areas along the island.  Clear glass fixtures are visually light and mix well with the other style sin the home.  This is probably the most common kitchen island pendant arrangement, light the 2 medium pendant arrangement it works with all styles of decor.

 Other important points with kitchen island lighting…

1. Size and Scale.

One thing to really, really take into consideration is scale and proportion of lighting to island. Over sized lighting has been very on trend for the past few years but it is possible to be too big, so watch out!  Not sure what to do, start with the size of your island, we are seeing over sized (and super handy) kitchen island in homes of all sizes. For example, we had a client would installed a 10 ft island so we were able to install 3 medium sized pendants (equally spaced) and it looks perfect.

2. Mood lighting.

As with any lighting fixture, think about putting these pendants on a dimmer switch.  It is a really nice effect when you are entertaining and using the island for serving drinks and appetizers it really creates a warm and cozy vibe

3. Right height. 

The bottom rims of your pendant lights should hang about 30 inches above the surface of your kitchen island counter. An alternate way to determine the proper height is to measure from the floor upward. With this method, the bottom rims of the lighting fixtures should be positioned 60 to 66 inches above the floor. If the ceilings in your kitchen are higher than 8 feet, light from the fixtures will be dispersed more evenly if you increase the height of the pendant lights 3 inches for every extra foot of ceiling height. In addition, if you have tall family members, it’s a good idea to raise the lights a couple of extra inches to allow more head room.

 

Ideally, the bottom
rims of your pendant lights should hang about 30 inches above the
surface of your kitchen island counter. An alternate way to determine
the proper height is to measure from the floor upward. With this method,
the bottom rims of the lighting fixtures should be positioned 60 to 66
inches above the floor. If the ceilings in your kitchen are higher than 8
feet, light from the fixtures will be dispersed more evenly if you
increase the height of the pendant lights 3 inches for every extra foot
of ceiling height. In addition, if you have tall family members, it’s a
good idea to raise the lights a couple of extra inches to allow more
head room.Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5842703_high-lights-above-kitchen-island.html

 

We love fabulous lighting in any room and the kitchen is the perfect spot to add a show stopping fixture.  you have lots of options in style and size…let there be light!

Ideally, the bottom
rims of your pendant lights should hang about 30 inches above the
surface of your kitchen island counter. An alternate way to determine
the proper height is to measure from the floor upward. With this method,
the bottom rims of the lighting fixtures should be positioned 60 to 66
inches above the floor. If the ceilings in your kitchen are higher than 8
feet, light from the fixtures will be dispersed more evenly if you
increase the height of the pendant lights 3 inches for every extra foot
of ceiling height. In addition, if you have tall family members, it’s a
good idea to raise the lights a couple of extra inches to allow more
head room.Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5842703_high-lights-above-kitchen-island.html
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