Light Up Your World

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a room. After all, it not only provides way to see the room's features, but it can also enhance those features to their fullest potential. In fact, it is safe to say that lighting is no longer defined as simply something mounted to a wall, ceiling or pole. Today's lighting choices can range from the elegant to the quirky, and retro to contemporary. Additionally, the functions of indoor lighting are categorized as task, accent and ambient and are defined as follows:

• Task lighting illuminates an area where a specific activity is to occur and is typically an overhead light. This type of light is often used in a reading area, a food prep counter, or other task-specific location.
• Accent lighting is used more for decoration than for a specific function. It is generally used to highlight artwork or architectural features or perhaps create a specific mood.
• Ambient lighting is generally diffused lighting that gives low, or soft, light that is complimentary to entertainment or movie/TV watching.

For many of today's homeowners having energy efficient lighting is also important. Popular energy efficient light bulbs are incandescent bulbs which are great for cabinets, decoration, track lighting, or tasks light; quartz-halogen bulbs which work well for specialized light fixtures, recessed down lights, or projecting light a long distance; fluorescent lights which are ideal for shadowless work lighting and indirect light and the "natural" lights also known as full-spectrum lighting. Most professionals recommend that you select the type of bulb you want first, and then find fixtures that will work with your choice.

There are also three types of interior lighting-surface, recessed and track lights. To determine what will work best for your needs, a basic understanding of each type will be useful.

1. Surface or hanging fixtures are typically mounted to a housing box or suspended from the box by chains or a cord and they generally provide a bright central light with soft shadowy edges. In some cases, a surface light may be plugged into a receptacle, but otherwise they come with their own mounting hardware. Examples are chandeliers or sconces.
2. Recessed down-lights are often low voltage lights and spaced across a ceiling area. Depending on the type of bulb and the housing chosen, a recessed light can be focused to a specific area or cover a wide area of a room. Some types, known as semi-recessed lights or eyeballs, can be rotated. Recessed lighting is especially popular in rooms where artwork is displayed.
3. Track lights can be mounted to a wall or ceiling in a straight, angled, rectangular or even curved pattern. The tracks can be as long or short as you would like and offer an assortment of lighting positions. The tracks can hold clip-on lamps, spotlights, decorative lamps, and pendant fixtures, making them both versatile and functional in a variety of home or office situations.

For more information on lighting visit www.thelighthousede.com.

Article indpendently authored by Janet m Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflec the views and opinions of The Light House.

Lighting Fixtures and Lamps - How to Get Better Selection, Quality and Prices

Prior to the 1950s, the housing industry had a very basic view of the styles and décor which was made available to the average family. Very minimal thought was placed in the lighting décor of a building. The exceptions were hotels, government buildings, wealthy estates and the like. As more and more individuals and families were able to realize the American dream; the average family's ability to put customized personal touches into the home began to become more common.

Fast forward to today and the options a home owner has available to them is truly astounding. Researching different styles and materials with respects to lighting and decorating can take several weeks or more, when building a custom designed home. Even if the home owner is just having a remodel done or replacing some lighting fixtures, the task of sifting through hundreds of different lamps and then selecting complementary shades for those light fixtures can be daunting.

Big block home improvement stores have streamlined this process, but will usually have a limited selection of cookie cutter styled lamps and lighting fixtures. The quality of these samples can often be average to mediocre due to mass production and very limited quality control overseas. There is an excellent alternative.

There are well over a hundred different and distinct lighting manufacturers throughout the country and much more throughout the world. While no one lighting store can possibly stock every style and model, these shops will have a remarkable variety. It is quite probable that these specialty lighting stores will have catalogs which the home owner may "checkout" or even keep.

One avenue the home owner may want to explore is whether the lighting shop has any returned special orders which have been discounted. An individual may find that perfect designer light fixture at a fraction of the original cost. Another method for receiving deeper discounts is to place a larger product order. The lighting shop is likely to be much more flexible with pricing if the number of lighting fixtures, lamps and decorative items ordered is of a sufficient quantity. These savings probably will not be as large if the home owner is purchasing just a few fixtures for a smaller remodeling project. One other good idea for the home owner to ask about other resources the lighting shop may be able to provide. Many shops will have an in-house lighting designer which can work closely with a builder or interior decorator.

Because of the overabundance of home improvement centers and the "push the product through" mentality, specialty lighting boutiques have enjoyed much success. With this added success, many of these shops have become major suppliers of fine lighting at regional levels. As the specialty store grows, wider selections and savings can be taken advantage of by every home owner while still receiving superior quality over the home improvement centers or hardware store.

For more information on specialty lighting and light fixtures visit www.thelighthousede.com.

Article indpendently authored by Daniel P Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of The Light House.

The Light House, Inc. Gets A Web Redesign By Peerless Web Solutions

The Light House, Inc. is proud to announce that it has had it's website redesigned by Peerless Web Solutions.

The Light House, Inc. is a home lighting center providing manufactures of lamps, fans, fixtures, mirrors, and shades. The Light House also while provides consultations for remodeling and new construction in DE, PA, & MD.

Visit www.thelighthousede.com to learn more.