MORE lighting?!?!? Never enough...

MORE LIGHTING?!?!?
More lighting?!?!? Think you have had enough? I just don’t want any of my friends, family or clients to forget the lighting….and of course I will only cover these topics briefly, so ask me for more details or find an expert in your area. (If you live in Great Falls, Mt, remember that Scott at City Lights is pretty awesome.)

Last blog, I gave a rule for determining the size of a chandelier and I will add these 2 rules: the diameter can be determined by adding the width and length of the room in which it will be placed(12' +14'=26')-convert this sum into inches (26") for the diameter of the fixture. In a dining room with the fixture to be hung over a table, the chandelier should be about 12" less than the table width.

Last week’s blog was about lighting and I want to follow-up with a few mistakes homeowners can and have made with lighting.

1. Not taking advantage of dimmers with halogen and incandescent bulbs as this will lengthen the bulb’s life and use less energy. A dimmer is available for low-voltage lighting, but is more expensive.

2. Don’t forget to have side –lights, such as sconces, and not just a down light at a bath vanity. It is more flattering and realistic to have lighting at the top and sides.

3. Don’t forget to use the 3 types of lighting, ambient, task and accent, in your space. Ambient is the general lighting for moving around and talking. Task lighting is for a more concentrated task such as chopping veggies or reading. The accent lighting is to highlight artwork or tile you’ve chosen.

4. Installing recessed down lights everywhere is one of the most common mistakes lighting designers see. Usually the recessed cans are inexpensive contractor grade and are not very efficient at shedding light on vertical surfaces. Remember that installing these recessed down lights in a high ceiling can leave your space feeling dark as they do not have enough “oomph” to get the lumens to the areas you need it in. In other words, the light will spread and not be sufficient to light what you need lighted.

5. Don’t forget task lighting in the kitchen. These can be xenon, LED, or fluorescent and be installed right under the wall cabinet. IN ADDITION, buy bulbs with a better CRI (remember this term from last week?) for a more pleasing light.

6. Remember to have separate controls for the different types of lighting in the space. You can do this with switches, or more advanced systems that allow you to control the lighting from your laptop or a programmable wall box.

7. Use more lighting sources or more wattage in your lighting if choosing darker surfaces for the space as darker surfaces absorb more of the light/lumens in the room.

8. Choosing light fixtures just because they “look good” or “match” can end up wasting energy or getting poor light output. There are so many different lighting manufacturers that there is bound to be a fixture with the perfect options for your space.

*** Remember, to avoid these mistakes be sure to consult a designer or lighting specialist to help make choices.

DESIGN QUOTE of the WEEK: (My husband hates this one!LOL)
“A house has to evolve and change.”—Furniture designer Julian Chichester, November 06

Pictures: Siding off-new cabinets next to fireplace-new siding

Remodel update: Last week we finished the floor, starting to install trims, cabinets have arrived with the bases installed, the concrete countertops have been templated and I am trying to put closets, décor and cabinet contents back in order. I am picking out tile for the ½ bath and laundry room. Siding should resume tomorrow, with a new walk-in garage door added. We are certainly looking for the end! And, we will have another trip to the dump...although I have donated everything possible, some items were just too dilapidated to keep in circulation.