Bright Ideas

Bright lighting is a necessity in traditional work areas or areas that might find themselves used for work. Take your kitchen table for example, your home office is comfortable and filled to the brim with supplies, but we all know that your children will never complete their homework unless under your watchful eye. Keep your tabletops well lit with fixtures that make it easy for everyone to be able to read and write without strain. 

Overhead fixtures such as ceiling pendants and chandeliers make it possible to see directly on the table they are covering. Whether you need low lighting for a romantic dinner or an awakening light for a quick crash course in statistics, it is advisable to have your high use tabletops illuminated with a fixture on a dimmer switch. Be prepared for what life throws at you with tools that make it easy for you make your rooms more comfortable for you with a flick of a switch. 

Brilliantly Budget Friendly

Great lighting on a budget is a cinch with some smart shopping strategies and an eye for quality. If you are looking for a great lighting fixture that will go well in your home, but you do not have the budget you think you should to make it happen, take solace in sales. Many companies have a wide selection of their quality products on sale either in their stores or online. Keep an eye out for seasonal discounts and discontinued lines.

If you have time to spare and do not need a lighting fixture right away, take your time looking for the perfect light for you. Shop around and spend some time getting to know what you like. Online deals are plentiful, therefore with a watchful eye you are sure to find your favorite fixture on sale and ready for the picking. Great lighting and design should not have to be scaled back due to budget, have fun shopping and scouring your favorite stores for that perfect fixture.

A Well Lit Bath

A bathroom is most people's first stop in the morning and last one at night. In the morning, as we all rush to get ready for work and try to look our best, we need bright light. In the morning, bright white light wakens us up and tries to refresh us. By bedtime we all want the opposite of bright, awakening light. Soft lighting can produce a spa-like mood which is nice and calming. This is perfect for that much needed relaxation at the end our day. A dimmer switch is an important element for the bathroom that is sometimes overlooked for this room. The switch allows you choose the best lighting for the moment.

Create an inviting space that is well illuminated, but that can accommodate your individual needs. If you are lucky enough to have a soaking tub in your restroom, it might be a great place to add an individual lighting element directly above. This not only gives you lighting for when you decide to get some reading done in the tub, but it provides additional safety so that you do not slip on any wet surfaces.

Keeping It Real - Real Bright

Just how bright should you keep the rooms in your house? Some may want to keep their living room very dim to hide the influx of toy soldiers that have taken over the room, but is this the correct thing to do? Most people have a tendency to prefer a very bright room, as it allows our brains to work at a higher level. By having a room brightly illuminated, the light easily reaches our eyes making things easier to make out and see. Most people prefer to have a dim bedroom, which provides a calming mood for sleep time. Though at times, such as when you clean it is best to have bright lighting. Lighting for bedrooms and living areas therefore are best maintained with a dimmer switch. This way you can control the level of lighting necessary for your individual needs.

Another way to maintain different levels of brightness in a room is to use layered lighting. Instead of having one blaring light in a room, use lamps and task lighting to provide options. This way you won't burn out your eyes each time you sneak into the kitchen for leftovers.

Help Plants Grow

Lighting is essential to your plants, so when the winter months begin to take hold of those precious hours of sunlight it is time to up the ante for your household plants. It can be difficult to provide enough lighting due to seasonal changes or lack of window space, but there are a variety of bulbs that provide the right lighting depending on the type of plant. 

For vines and ferns, incandescent lights work best. These bulbs not only light up the room, they are great for plants with low lighting requirements. Fluorescent lights are great for plants with low to medium lighting requirements. These plants are generally culinary herbs, orchids, etc. These bulbs are also great if you are planting an indoor vegetable plant to supplement your morning omelettes. With their more powerful lighting you can actually mimic the sunlight quite well. So if playing classical music is not making your plant happy, consider its lighting to help it achieve the results you are looking for. 

Halt for Holtkotter

German engineering has always been magnificent. Whether we are contemplating purchasing a car or light fixture, German products have long been known for their steadfast quality. Long lasting and sleek, Holtkotter is a company that focuses on building lighting fixtures that have been deemed "the ultimate lighting machines." That is no small feat considering the many outstanding fixtures out there.

What makes these fixtures so extraordinary? Solid engineering and unsurpassed functionality make these fixtures perfect for any room. These contemporary pieces offer classic lines to any room. So when you are sitting in darkness and wondering what you can do to add light and style....channel your German side.

Kitchen Islands Done Right

Pendant lights get all the glory when in comes to adding design elements to your kitchen. Hovered over your kitchen island, pendant lights can make or break a design. Don't get stuck with pendant lights that are an eyesore and that will further deter you from cooking. When it comes time to choose which fixtures you should choose you should ask yourself how many fixtures make sense, how big they should be in proportion to the room, and how high they should be hung.

The first thing one must do when planning to use pendant lights is to follow the Rule of Three. Essentially, this rule states that in order for a look to achieve balance it must be repeated three times. Three pendants on a single plane usually do the trick. The second tip is about how high a pendant should be hung. Generally, a pendant's bottom rim should be 60 to 66 inches from the floor. This is an average number as people's heights and the design of the element should be taken into consideration. The third tip is regarding the size of the pendants. It is important to choose pendants that do not detract from the overall design of the room because of their size. Choose pendants that as a group make a statement. Choose your pendant lighting fixtures wisely with these great tips!

Chandelier Or Dust Mop?

If you chandelier looks more like a dust mop hanging in your foyer or over your dining room table, it may be time for a good old-fashioned cleaning. Freshly cleaned lighting fixtures allow for enhanced clarity and sparkle. Cleaning a chandelier is not small feat, though it is advised that they should be cleaned monthly to sustain their brilliance. First, make sure the chandelier has no power and allow the bulbs to cool. Once they have cooled, verify that the bulbs are securely in place so that moisture does not enter the sockets. Second, place a drop cloth or towel underneath the lighting fixture to safeguard your floor.

Using a specialized cleaner for chandeliers that allows you to spray the entire fixture without having to clean each individual crystal works best. Simply fully saturate the fixture with the liquid cleaner and the debris will fall onto the drop cloth. After 20 to 30 minutes, simply wipe off any excess cleaner with a soft cloth. Your light fixtures will then shine beautifully.  

Laundry Time

Everyone dreads laundry time. It is a sign that you have finally run out of all clothes and that you are about to be stuck washing in a room that has absolutely no character. The majority of laundry rooms leave a lot to be desired. This room is small and usually only carries the boring essentials of life...ironing boards, a place to fold, etc. Why not build a laundry room that you enjoy to be in. Design one that is stylish and can be used for other purposes than just suds.

Building a multipurpose laundry room that not only has space for the obvious, but that can also be used as a mudroom or craft zone is a no-brainer. If you have the extra room, use it to its fullest capability. When designing a place for craft work and for trying to get stains out, make sure you have the right lighting so that you can performs your tasks well. Consider some overhead lights and some pendant lights to not only bring you the function you need, but the style you want. So brighten up your work room with color, lights, and great design!

The Bigger the Better

When it comes to outdoor lighting, choosing lighting fixtures that are too small can be problematic. You want your guests to approach your home feeling at ease and not like they might be approaching a haunted house, unless you purposely decorated that way. For safety reasons alone adding larger lighting fixtures can help you thwart off any would be robbers and it will help you feel assured that all is clear.

A well lit home is an inviting feature that anyone can take advantage of. It is possible to add too much light though, the point of outdoor lighting is to make your home look inviting. A soft and warm glow is what you should aim for. When choosing the actual lighting fixture to be added to your home, remember that the fixture looks a lot bigger in the showroom than it will on your house. Watch the video below and learn some great tips on choosing outdoor lighting fixtures!

Time To Go Batty

Pumpkins, candy corn, and oh yes...scary decorations! It is that wonderful time of the year where for one night we can all act a little silly and show off our spooky decoration skills. Make your home the one all the kids and adults look forward to visiting with simple decoration ideas that will give everyone goosebumps. Lighting can make a house go from ranch style to haunted mansion quite easily. With the use of colored lights you can highlight your spooky decorations and really make them pop. Pick up some fake spiderwebs and pepper them with creepy insects. Then aim a black light at them to make them seem right out of a scary movie. 

Colored lights can also provide a surreal hue. Change out your existing outdoor lighting fixtures with bulbs in shades of green and if you are really into this season, add a fog machine. You will instantly transform your yard into an eerie ghost land that will even have the parents shaking. So have some fun this Halloween and get decorating with some fun lighting ideas.  

Don't Hate. Renovate!

Renovating can be fun! No really. Think of it as fun weekend task that you can do with your loved one, it's like cleaning but with longer lasting results. Now that the weather is getting cooler it is easier to do all those wonderful projects you have stockpiled in your to-do bank. One renovation that is always "fun" is making over your dining room table. It happens, you buy a brand spanking new table that you love and a couple of years into ownership it is stained with remnants of old dinners and rogue crayons. Refinishing a table is an inexpensive way (and great way to recycle) to get the look you want without shelving out the cost of a new one. Check out the video below for an instructional guide on how to achieve the look you want.

After all is done rejoice in your dining room look and spotlight it with a wonderful new ceiling light to make your "new" table really shine.

Lighting That Sizzles

Looking for some spicy hot lighting to add to your most used room in the house? Make sure to clearly see what you are chopping in the kitchen with both task lighting and functional, sexy fixtures that are bound to be muy caliente! Task lighting is a necessity. You need to have a highly illuminated surface area when cooking, so that you are confident that you are adding 3 cups of sugar to the cookies and not that amount in baking powder. Easy to conceal due to their size and the way they are built, task lighting makes your kitchen truly functional.

Another lighting fixture everyone needs is a chandelier or set of pendants that speak to you. Find one that is modern and cool or one that reminds you of something out of a romance novel. Whichever you choose, make sure it is a piece that does more for you than just emit light!

Start Your Day Off Right

Feel fabulous about yourself from the moment you step out of the shower! Complimentary lighting and paint hues can do wonders for your self-esteem. Lighting in the bathroom should enhance facial features and be bright enough to shave or apply make-up. Glaring light is frowned upon as it be too harsh. Recessed lighting or canned lighting is also not an optimum choice for bathrooms as they can cast shadows across the face.

So give colored or coated bulbs a try as they are designed to enhance your features. Indirect or cove lighting with its hidden light source also adds a soft, warm glow. Another way to flatter your guests and yourself when peering into a bathroom mirror is to paint with hues that mimic skin tones. Hues from peach to warm beige look great on anyone, not matter their skin tone. So make your guests feel hot to trot when they make their grand exit from your restroom!

Balanced Design

In design, symmetry is key. Creating a clean look that shows off your keen sense of style is easy to do as long as you realize that there must be balance in your design. One easy way to achieve this is by buying accessories in pairs. Bedside lamps and night stands obviously should match, but by matching accessories the room does not end up looking chaotic.

Balancing a room with the use of accessories can be as simple as hanging art in matching, equal sized frames on both sides of the room. Another way to balance out a room is to match fixtures. For example, when using a focus piece such a chandelier in the bedroom, match the tone of the fixture to the sconces or bed lamps for instant balance. Have fun decorating with some eclectic pieces and learn how to put a look together that speaks volumes of your styling prowess!

Space Savers

Wall sconces are wonderful additions to any home. Whether modern or antique inspired, these lighting fixtures are a great way to light up a room when you are short on space. Using these sconces in your bedroom to frame your bed creates a romantic, yet sleek design that provides more than just functional illumination. Wall sconces allow you to also have more room on your night stands. Without a bulky table lamp taking up so much space, you can easily display a vase of fresh flowers or some sort of decorative element.

Lighting fixtures, such as wall sconces, provides a decorative touch to any room. Whether you are trying to simply bring some light into a dark corner of a room or hallway or simply trying to use it as a reading lamp, wall sconces instantly perk up any room. Check out the video below for some more ideas on how to use wall sconces in your home!

Recycled Art

Looking to spice up your home or office with a bit of art, but can not seem to find the right piece? When in doubt, make it yourself. Recycle a unique piece of wood or print and make it your very own. Not only will your friends think you are super creative, you will also be doing something green. One creative idea that seems to be on the rise is to recycle old wooden doors. Finding a door to salvage is a unique experience. Sometimes they can be found in antique shops or even at the Goodwill, finding it is part of the fun! 

No matter how beat up or how ornate the carvings may be, finding something that is beautiful to you is most definitely a treasure. So go hunting for a piece that makes you happy, whether at an art gallery or hidden in the back of an antique store. Then light it up with a simple spotlight to showcase your treasure! 

An Instant Facelift

Tired of your kitchen's overall look, but just don't have the energy (or funds) to change it? Giving a room in your house a quick and easy face lift is a cost effective way to keeping your home looking refreshed and stylish. Adding a distinctive lighting fixture to a room is a fun way to add a little accent to space. One way to change the mood in a snap is to simply change out the shades of your existing lighting fixtures.

Pendant lights and table lamps generally have shades that can easily be switched out with ease. Shop online and discover the many designs and colors that these shades come in. Simply verify the correct size needed and find a shade that matches the look you are going for. So whether you are looking to change your room in to an oasis of relaxation or trying to spice things up, a lamp shade can make a huge design difference!