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| Lighting Design Tips |
| Check here often for tips on selecting the right lighting for your home, the correct placement, and how to care for your lighting. This can be anything for where to hang a chandelier to how to properly utilize accent lighting to spark a unique and "illuminating" room design. |
| Language: English |
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| New BlogSite |
| 2008-06-12 14:49:00 |
Lighting One Design Tips has moved to www.lightingonelighting.com I apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Please visit... and subscribe today!...
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| Proper Lighting for your Home Design |
| 2008-06-09 10:18:31 |
Proper lighting gives form and texture to a room by warming a dark corner, highlighting a favorite piece of art or creating just the right mood. With proper lighting your customer can experience a quiet evening curled up with a good book, or tell a great story at an exciting party. Lighting gives a small child the security to sleep at night, while allowing a young mother to tuck her angel in before she lies down. Yet lighting can provide so much more. Studies have shown that bright rooms can energize people while darker rooms cause people’s moods to be more depressed.So then, what is proper lighting? Proper lighting for one person may not be proper for another. There are many things to consider when determining your lighting needs. Lighting is used thr...
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| Important Consideration For All Dimmers |
| 2008-06-02 13:36:01 |
It is important to understand what type of fixture and bulbs you will be dimming. Most incandescent fixtures can be dimmed. However, you must be careful when trying to dim low voltage devices, as most of the time, they will require a special dimmer. If you have a fixture that uses an electronic transformer, you must use a dimmer specified for that application. Likewise, if you have a fixture with a magnetic transformer, a special type of dimmer should be used. Remember too, when dimming fluorescents you will need to know about the type of ballast used by the fixture to determine the correct type of dimmer.I don't mean to be repetitive but always be sure to have a licensed electrician install any new dimmers. For more information on dimmers, or for recommendations on local electricians, yo...
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| More on Dimmers for your Home Lighting Design |
| 2008-05-30 13:28:02 |
As we mentioned in my last post, there are various types of dimmers. Today, we will discuss more about each type and their respective uses.Integrated and Programmable Dimmer SwitchesIntegrated and programmable dimmers allow you to create and save preset lighting settings within a room. Some of these systems offer hand held remote controls, so you can go from a bright room to a romantic scene at the touch of a single button without leaving the comfort of your loved one’s arms. Touch DimmersA touch dimmer adjusts the lighting as you push a button on the wall receptacle. Some touch dimmers will allow an instant recall of the last setting before the lights were dimmed. Some of these dimmers also have indicator lights so you can more easily repeat levels of...
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| Dimmer Controls in your Home Lighting Design |
| 2008-05-27 13:28:07 |
Dimmer switches allow you to create different moods in a room. With some of today’s more sophisticated dimmers you can control lighting for your entire home using various home automation systems that control the lights through radio frequency and computer technology. These sophisticated systems create and save pre-selected, timed settings. Now you can turn on lights before you get home from work. These sophisticated systems are expensive and may be outside the budget of many of you, however there are many more options available for the average customer. Dimmers do more than just dim the lights. They also save money by turning down the intensity of the light, to conserves energy and extend the life of the bulb. As you dim the lights the voltage is lowe...
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| More on Switches for your Home Lighting Design |
| 2008-05-16 11:24:00 |
Our last post discussed the standard switches. Today, let's talk about Pilot Switches.A pilot switch has a toggle that glows when the fixture is on. These switches are used when the switch is located away from the light fixture. You could use pilot switches outside a doorway at the top of stairwell leading to a basement. When the pilot switch is glowing, you know the light is on, without having to go down in the basement to see.Next posting we will discuss dimmer switches. Remember to always be sure to have a licensed electrician install any new switches. For more information on switches, or for recommendations on local electricians, you may contact your local Lighting One showroom. Use the locator listed at http://www.lighting-one.com/ to locate your cl...
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| Guide to Switches in your Home Lighting Design |
| 2008-05-13 11:29:29 |
The standard light switch is the key to controlling the layering of lighting. Besides the classic two-way toggle switch, your local lighting showroom may carry three-way and four-way switches, pilot switches, motion sensors, timers, as well as a wide range of dimmer switches.Today we will discuss the Standard Switches.The classic single-pole switch controls a light or an outlet from a single location. Three-way switches operate in pairs to control lights or receptacles from two locations, allowing the you to turn on the lights from the opposite sides of a room or opposite ends of a hallway. Four-way switches are used only in combination with three-way switches to control lights and receptacles from more than two locations. When you need to control a fix...
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| Diffusion in Your Home Lighting Design |
| 2008-05-09 09:28:48 |
Diffusion is where the light is softened to remove some of the glare. A white opal type diffuser will cause a light loss through the glass of approximately 30%. If the lens is more frosted or crackled, the amount of light lost is closer to 10%. Stained glass, although very decorative has a very high diffusion factor. In some cases, much of the light will not pass through the glass at all.Keep this in mind when planning your lighting design. You need to determine the uses of the room that you will place your fixture or lamp. If you absolutely love that tiffany lamp and the colors complement your room, by all means go ahead and use it (I love tiffany myself)! However, if you plan to use the space for reading, make certain ...
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| Color Rendition & Your Home Lighting |
| 2008-05-05 13:33:09 |
Two things determine how we perceive the color of an object in the home. The first thing is the surface color of the object itself. The second is the color of the light that shines on it.Imagine if you will, a rich cobalt blue vase. If you illuminate it with a blue light, the color of the vase will be intensified. However, if that same vase is illuminated by a red light, the vase will appear dull and “grayish” in color. The vase absorbs the red light and since there are no blue rays for the vase to reflect back, it has this grayish appearance.Now imagine how lighting affects the colors of your home furnishings and wall colors. It’s important to consider the lighting you currently have when you change your home furnishings or decorating materials. I...
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| Color & Lighting Your Home |
| 2008-04-28 09:21:14 |
We tend to think of midday sunlight as the standard for pure white light. However when daylight is passed through a prism, the visible light is actually rendered as equal parts of a continuous spectrum. This spectrum is taught to schoolchildren by the name ROY G. BIV. Each letter standing for the visible colors produced by white light in the order it appears across the spectrum, Red, Orange Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. In contrast, artificial light sources give off varying amounts of these colors. Incandescent light includes most of the spectrum but has a large proportion of red and yellow. When dimmed, incandescent light will become more orange in color.Many people think of fluorescent light as being high in green and blue, but today fluorescent bulbs come in over 200 colors.H...
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| Care & Cleaning - Fixtures |
| 2008-04-25 16:43:42 |
Whether inside or outside the home, pollutants can damage your lighting fixtures. Although these damaging effects cannot be eliminated, preventive measures will help reduce them. For interior fixtures, common sense is a good rule. Weekly dusting will help preserve the finish and beautiful characteristics of your products. Polished brass finishes weather more quickly than other metals, but a specially treated brass finish is available through your local Lighting One showroom. Powder coated cast aluminum materials also offer a durable construction to withstand the elements. For glass accents, clean only with a water-dampened cloth. We discourage using a commercial glass cleaner unless the solution absolutely will not touch the metal frame. Always check the recommendations of the manufacturer before performing any of these maintenance and care guidelines.Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Steps to Take in Creating Your Home Lighting - Step 3 of 3 |
| 2008-04-21 14:47:48 |
Below are the different types of lighting and a description of whether they are general, accent or task lighting.Ceiling fixtures are best used for general lighting. Chandeliers also create a general lighting atmosphere. Dimmers can add drama to any room featuring a chandelier. Don't be restricted to using this feature in the dining room. Hanging fixtures, such as those used in a foyer, will offer general lighting that will create a comfortable level of lighting. Pendants are a versatile way to create task or general lighting. Consider hanging several pendants at various heights over your favorite reading chair for a stylish accent. Portable lamps will create general, task, and accent lighting, but have the added bonus of being mobile. Table lamps, floo...
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| Steps to Take in Creating Your Home Lighting - Step 2 of 3 |
| 2008-04-16 17:05:53 |
Once you’ve thought about what type of lighting effects you would like to create for a particular room, you will need to find the right assortment of lighting products to create the desired effect.When considering lighting, take these things into account:General lighting - replaces daylight Accent lighting - to highlight and accentuate Task lighting - for work areas Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Steps to Take in Creating Your Home Lighting - Step 1 of 3 |
| 2008-04-11 16:23:39 |
Decide what to light by analyzing the space in terms of:Function – activities that will be performed in this areaMood – to create an appropriate atmosphereStyle – contemporary, traditional, etc.Tasks – consideration to the tasks to be performedSpecial Objects – items to accent such as painting or sculpturesSeating Areas – consider results based on where people will sitArchitectural Features – special features to be emphasized Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/ Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Care & Cleaning - Crystal Chandeliers |
| 2008-04-08 13:36:17 |
Your investment in the sophistication and beauty of a crystal chandelier will last for generations, if cared for properly. Each crystal deserves careful handling during maintenance. Apply a water-dampened soft cloth to the crystals and the frame, or if needed, use commercially sold, non-abrasive, liquid crystal cleaning solution. Never wash crystals in the dishwasher, which causes permanent damage to the crystal components. If you have removed the crystals from the fixture for cleaning, avoid smudging during reinstallation by wearing cotton gloves.Image shown is 30286BS22 by Lighting One. Posted with permission from Lighting One http://www.lighting-one.com/ Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Lamp Shades to improve your Home Decor |
| 2008-04-01 11:35:11 |
Shade sizes are expressed in 3 dimensions. The first represents the top diameter, the second represents the bottom diameter, and the third represents the shade's height. One common rule is that the height of a shade should equal the measurement taken from the base of the lamp to the bottom of the bulb socket. However, some newer styles of lamps and accent lamps may vary from this rule, so discretion should be used when selecting your shade.The lampshade should be at least as wide as the widest point of the lamp body. Most people prefer the lampshade to be several inches wider than the lamp. In addition, the bottom of the shade should cover the bottom of the socket when viewed at eye level.The harp determines where the shade sits on the lamp base, and can be used to raise or lower the shad...
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| Outdoor Lighting for your Home Design |
| 2008-03-28 14:59:24 |
Outdoor lighting makes your home safer and more secure by providing necessary illumination for walkways, steps and entrances. The use of outdoor lighting, in conjunction with timers and photo cells, can add even more peace-of-mind by providing a lived-in look while you're away from home and insuring the area around the house is well lit when you arrive home after dark.The most common type of outdoor fixture is a brass wall lantern, although materials such as cast aluminum have gained popularity due to their rust-resistant qualities. Generally, a light mounted to one side of every exterior door is the minimum lighting for the exterior of a house, however it is recommended that a lantern or other wall fixture on both sid...
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| Wall Mounted Lighting for your Home Decor |
| 2008-03-25 16:55:39 |
Wall fixtures are used to provide illumination for a specific area such as a hallway or a bathroom vanity. Although traditional wall fixtures with arms remain the most popular form of wall lighting, more contemporary wall sconces are gaining popularity, especially for hallway or accent lighting.Wall lighting can offer needed illumination levels to prevent accidents on stairs, especially when an overhead ceiling fixture is not feasible. Wall lighting can also be used for reading in bed. Use two matching wall mounted or pendant fixtures installed 30" above the top of the mattress for best results.See a Lighting One sales consultant for more information and design ideas. Posted with permission from Lighting One at http://www.lighting-one.com/ Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Lamps for your Home Design |
| 2008-03-20 17:45:18 |
Accent lamps can be used in bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, entrances or any spot in your home that may require extra lighting. Because accent lamps are typically under 20" in height, they provide just the right amount of accent lighting for most any home.Table lamps typically range anywhere from 25" to 32" in height and are used for general purpose lighting in living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and family rooms. Floor lamps are also an excellent source of illumination, and are especially useful in dark corners of a room or any other areas that regular lighting may not reach.Desk lamps are typically 12" to 20" high and are used to light a specific work area such as a desk or small work table. When table space is limited, wall lamps are a good alternative, and are quite common in bedrooms....
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| Recessed Lighting for your Home Design |
| 2008-03-17 10:49:18 |
Recessed light fixtures can be used for concentrated down lighting, which creates attractive and inviting living areas for the home. This effect is perfect for lighting a kitchen counter or bathroom vanity because it confines illumination to one specific area, making detailed tasks easier to perform. Recessed lighting works best with other lighting and can be dimmed for special effects. Recessed light fixtures can also be used for accent lighting. You can draw attention to a painting, a plant or any other noteworthy object in any room in your home. Rooms may appear larger with recessed light fixtures by washing a wall in light. This technique--perfect for small living areas--adds visual depth by creating shadows and contrasts.More information on Recessed...
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| Landscape Lighting - Design for the Outdoors |
| 2008-03-12 16:22:09 |
Landscape lighting can be used to improve the beauty of your home’s exterior while providing security and safety. Enhance the ambiance of your property at night with low-voltage landscape lighting of trees, shrubs and flowers, plus increase safety by lighting up stairs, driveways, walkways and grounds with post lanterns and tier lights. Low voltage lighting uses only 12 volts of electricity and is safe to install.You can easily create a lighting plan by choosing one or two points of interest and make these the centerpiece of your landscape lighting display, then build the rest of your lighting plan around your focal point. Unique landscape features, such as sculptures and shaped shrubbery, can be highlighted using ...
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| How do you light your foyer? |
| 2008-03-06 09:03:53 |
The appropriate lighting in a foyer is often guided by the scale of the room. Whatever the size, however, the use of layering is a useful and appropriate solution.In almost every situation, the use of a decorative fixture in the center of the ceiling is desirable. In two-story spaces, the use of a larger chandelier will fit well for creating both task lighting and ambient lighting. The chandelier also will bring attention to itself and create a desirable accent focus.In one-story spaces it is often more appropriate to use close-to-ceiling fixtures, or smaller chandeliers that have an appropriate scale in proportion to the ceiling height. In today’s marketplace there are thousands of interesting options in decorative fixtures that are either surface-mounted or close-to-ceiling.To create ...
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| Decorative Accents for your Home Lighting |
| 2008-03-05 08:32:53 |
The most common applications of decorative accent lighting are under cabinet lighting for kitchens, accent lighting in entertainment and curio cabinets, picture highlighting, backlighting on the top of cabinets and "toe" lighting around the bottom of cabinets.Newer, more decorative under cabinet lights are now available to replace and upgrade older fluorescent fixtures. Halogen lights are also gaining popularity in this category.More information on Accent Lighting is available in Fundamentals of Accent Lighting. See a Lighting One sales consultant for more information and design ideas.Posted with permission from http://www.lighting-one.com/Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Ceiling Lighting for your home decor - Pendants and Chandeliers |
| 2008-03-04 10:32:42 |
Ceiling fixtures provide excellent general room illumination. Pendants can also be used to add more light to specific areas such as a kitchen table, and ceiling mounted fixtures are ideal for general lighting in the foyer. For safety in hallways, install lighting fixtures approximately every 8 to 10 feet.Chandeliers or pendants with 200-400 watts of overall wattage provide abundant illumination for a dining room. The diameter of the fixture should be 12" less than the width of the table, and the fixture should be centered over the table and installed 30" above the table to allow for headroom when standing.To prevent accidents, stairs should be lit top to bottom, with switches in both places. Ceiling fixtures or recessed...
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| Kitchen Lighting |
| 2008-02-29 22:22:04 |
Because of the wide variety of tasks that occur in the kitchen, it is always useful to install a variety of lighting layers that provide flexibility and adequate task lighting. As a general rule, it is useful to apply a minimum of three layers in any kitchen. The first layer for consideration should focus on the primary tasks that occur in the kitchen. Of course, this will be task lighting at the work counters where food preparation and cooking will take place. If possible, the most ideal first layer is to apply undercabinet lighting directly above the tasks. This type of lighting can be selected from a variety of sources, including halogen, xenon, an...
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| Bathroom Lighting Solutions for your Home (Part IV of series) |
| 2008-02-28 08:14:37 |
Lighting for the water closetIn smaller bathrooms, the vanity lighting is often sufficient for general lighting in the water closet area. However, if the water closet is far from the vanity or is placed in a separate compartment, it is necessary to provide a separate light source for that area. It is useful to provide a decorative ceiling mounted fixture for this purpose, or a recessed fixture placed close to the water closet.Decorative fixtures are being used more and more for bathroom applications. In the water closet area it is also appropriate and useful to use wall-mounted decorative fixtures that provide excellent task lighting.General ambient lightingPlacing a decorative lighting fixture in the center of the bat...
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| Bathroom Lighting Solutions for your Home (Part III of series) |
| 2008-02-27 08:26:31 |
Fixtures above the mirrorIf placing fixtures on the side of the mirror is not possible or practical, there are many fixture options that can be placed above the mirror. Typically, this placement is more common and often easier than placing the lighting on the sides of the mirror. The key to create a successful lighting solution is to choose a fixture that is appropriately sized to the size of the mirror.A general rule of thumb is to provide 100 watts of incandescent lighting for every 18" of horizontal width of the mirror. Placing fixtures above the mirror is equal in quality to fixtures placed on the side as long as the fixtures provide an adequate intensity of light.DimmingUsing a dimmer on the vanity fixtures is extremely important and can add tremen...
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| Bathroom Lighting Solutions for your Home - Part II of Series (Incandescent vs Fluorescent Fixtures) |
| 2008-02-26 10:29:18 |
Incandescent FixturesIncandescent wall fixtures for the vanity area are available today in an extraordinary range of styles. The older incandescent vanity strips that used exposed globe light bulbs remain available, but are not generally the best solution for purposes of an appropriate design solution. Interestingly, these vanity strips do provide an excellent quality of light and that is why they are often used in dressing rooms in theaters and movie sets. Whatever the style, it is extremely important to find fixtures where the light bulbs are shielded by a shade and therefore not visible. However, it is also important to find fixtures with shades that have enough diffused quality so that the light effectively exits from the fixture without creating gl...
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| Bathroom Lighting Solutions for your Home Decor - Part I of series |
| 2008-02-22 08:39:41 |
Much as with the kitchen, master bathrooms are a central focus of the modern home and should therefore be provided with a variety of lighting options. Focusing on the various tasks that occur in the bath can be a guide to providing appropriate lighting.Lighting for GroomingThe most important task lighting solution and the first layer for consideration is lighting at the vanity area. The primary task here is grooming, including applying makeup, shaving, etc. The grooming tasks generally require the highest level of lighting in the bath, and this lighting solution is therefore extremely important.The most ideal solution for grooming is to provide lighting at the sides of the mirror. Placing the lighting at the sides allo...
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| Accent Lighting for your Home Design Style |
| 2008-02-21 12:27:18 |
Accent lighting is any type of lighting that brings attention to itself or to an object. Most commonly we think of accent lighting as any light that focuses attention on an object. Paintings, framed photographs, posters and three-dimensional art are likely candidates for accent lighting.Accent lighting also can be considered to be lighting fixtures or built-in lighting that has an artistic quality which brings attention to itself. Almost any hanging fixture can be considered to be a form of accent lighting since the fixture is a predominant and artistic element that brings attention to itself.Posted with permission from http://www.lighting-one.com/ Visit www.lighting-one.com for more details.
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| Task Lighting in your Home Design |
| 2008-02-21 12:26:42 |
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 cooking2. Lighting for grooming (shaving, putting on makeup, etc.)3. Lighting for reading4. 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, ...
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| Ambient Lighting for Your Home Decor |
| 2008-02-21 11:53:33 |
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 bedr...
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| Trends in Lighting Design for your Home |
| 2008-02-21 11:52:01 |
Lighting designers and manufacturers proudly combine fashion and function in their designs, creating compelling decorative lamps and fixtures that do more than simply illuminate – they beautify a home.Lighting products including chandeliers, table lamps, wall sconces, and floor lamps are available in a variety of shapes, styles and finishes to help change the look and function of a room. Although common and traditional polished brass fixtures remain popular to this day, a variety of other finishes are now available and have increasingly gained popularity with consumers in recent years.Decorative lighting is used for style as well as function. Many homeowners today are focusing on using coordinated families of lamps and...
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