Artificial light is a necessary feature for home kitchens. In this space, you work with sharp tools and depend on your eyes to chop, read labels, inspect food and clean up afterward. With so much importance placed on kitchen lighting design, you have to be practical.

However, this shouldn’t limit you from making a bold statement in your kitchen. Each kitchen is different, therefore, you have to ensure your lighting design is optimal for what you have.

Find the Focal Point of Your Kitchen
Because each kitchen is different, making sure you focus on the focal point of your kitchen can help guide your lighting design. These areas include a kitchen island, kitchen table, dining room table or a cooking space.

You simply want to focus on whichever area is the most important. If you don’t have room for a table or kitchen island, your cooking area would be the biggest focal point. However, if you have an island and a small kitchen table, you might want to focus on the island, where you prep and prepare food, instead of your small kitchen table.

Pendant Lighting Options
For the most part, pendants are great in kitchens because they provide general illumination that spreads light effectively. Pendants tend to make kitchen spaces seems bigger as well (which is critical if you are working with a small space). However, there are a couple variations of pendant lighting fixtures that can be used in a kitchen.

• Down-Light Pendants – For direct light, you want to use a down-light pendant. This fixture is perfect for illuminating task areas. If you want your centerpiece fixture to go over a kitchen island or cooking space, you will want a down-light fixture to easily see while prepping and cooking food.
• Up-Light Pendants – For a more general illumination that won’t feel like a spotlight, you want to go with an up-light pendant. These fixtures are ideal for kitchen or dining tables where you need some ambient light, but not directional light. Also, down-light fixtures can be unflattering to your guests while sitting at the table.

Additionally, there are numerous spherical or chandelier lighting fixtures that can also be used in a kitchen. These types of lights tend to provide ambient light as well. Whichever fixture you choose, make sure it’s practical before it becomes the centerpiece of your kitchen.

Visit your local ALA showroom or go online to americanlightingassoc.com to learn more about kitchen lighting options.

Regardless of the size of your space, lighting can have a huge impact. However, lighting is also one of the most underused tools in design. Considering it affects the way humans view everything in their line of vision, one would think it would be more widely employed. Major renovations aren’t always necessary to highlight the best parts of your living quarter.

Create an Illusion

With the proper lighting, you can trick the mind into perceiving the desired effect in a room without tearing out walls or changing all your furniture. A well planned lighting scheme can give you all the results with a fraction of the effort or cost.

As most of us know, brighter rooms appear bigger and often more welcoming. If you wish to give a small room more grandeur, lighting and neutral-colored paint are your best friends. Light to mid-toned shades of paint will make walls appear wider and work well with both artificial light and sunlight.

When using lighting to enhance a space, think vertically. The ceiling and floor act as the fifth and sixth walls in the room; sending light to these extra “walls” will add height to your ceilings.

Incorporate Functionality

The key when dealing with smaller spaces is to eliminate unnecessary clutter. To get the most out of your space and to help it look its best, you want everything to have a purpose – this extends to your lighting as well. Options that offer maximum functionality while also enhancing the design of your home are best.

Recessed lighting is a great addition to a room that already has a main ceiling fixture and decorative accents. Today’s recessed LED bulb fixtures provide an even wash of light, allowing you to avoid the spotlight effect of traditional bulbs. Placing these lights on a dimmer is key, as you will need to adjust them as the natural light in your home cycles throughout the day.

There are many ways you can use lighting to enhance your space, and working with a trained lighting professional is the best way to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Visit americanlightingassoc.com to find a lighting showroom near you.

While it should be a primary concern, lighting is often a last-minute addition to an otherwise carefully calculated home design.

Lighting can make or break a perfectly coordinated room. The beauty of your furniture, the style of the art on the walls and the sleekness of your floors and counters won’t matter if the lighting design does not highlight everything in the proper way. 

It is key homeowners recognize that lighting serves a far greater purpose than simply allowing us to see when it’s dark outside. Lighting has a profound effect on the mood and function of any room, and it can determine how the area is perceived by those within it.

People have no desire to spend time in poorly lit spaces. They may not necessarily realize why they prefer one area of a home over another, but lighting tends to play a key role. Rooms that create uncomfortable glares or are too dark will cause melancholy moods. They can also cause people to strain their eyes, leading to uncomfortable headaches.

A well-lit room, on the other hand, will do the opposite. Good lighting can enhance people’s moods and contribute to happier, healthier vibes throughout your home. 

How lighting changes a space 
There are so many ways that light will change a space, including how large or small it feels, the function it serves, as well as its mood and depth. 

When it comes to size, light can be used to make a large room feel smaller and cozier, or a small room feel less confined. Darker rooms typically feel more cramped, so using a lighting effect, such as directional recessed spot lighting to reflect off the walls and make them brighter will add a feeling of openness to a small space. Additionally, you can use multiple circuits to break up a larger space. 

Rooms that are designated for specific tasks, like reading, doing homework or cooking, should include task lighting over the area. You can also use spot lighting to highlight a specific element in a room, like a work of art or an especially beautiful piece of furniture. 

The best rooms, however, involve multiple types of lighting that create a layering effect. This gives the room depth. 

Layering and depth
Layering involves utilizing not only a variety of lighting types, but also a variety of fixtures. You can create a beautifully textured lighting scheme when you use a combination of lamps, recessed lighting, wall-mounted lights and more. All of this will contribute to the personality of the room.

Once you gain an understanding of exactly what kind of light each fixture gives off, you will be able to create the precise atmosphere you desire. When experimenting with lighting design, you also have to remember that light creates shadows and reflections. These can also contribute strongly to the design of a room. When choosing a type of lighting, make sure to consider the type of shadow it casts and whether it will be a positive or negative addition to a room.

Every single light fixture in your home should serve a distinct purpose. None should be purely decorative, as that is a missed opportunity. If you aren’t sure how to make lighting a vital segment of your interior design, consult an ALA member lighting professional. An expert can help you design a lighting scheme that combines the style you’re looking for with the role the light needs to serve. 

For more information on the perfect lighting design for your home, visit americanlightingassoc.com.

ALA recently compiled a list of frequently asked questions, along with their answers, to help consumers pick the right bulb.

What types of bulbs are available?

There are three basic types:

1. Halogen incandescent
2. CFL (Compact Fluorescent)
3. LED (Light Emitting Diode)

The halogen incandescent is very similar to the traditional household incandescent bulb, except it is somewhat more efficient.

The compact fluorescent, or CFL, is more efficient still, but its use is expected to decline due to the growing popularity of LEDs.

Today, LEDs are the most efficient, longest lasting, and often the most suitable for home lighting. The new models look very similar to traditional bulbs, and the slightly higher up-front cost of these bulbs is mitigated by their extremely long life.

I am standing in the store looking at light bulbs; what do I need to look for?

Check the package for the following:

• Lumens: How bright is the bulb?
• Color: Is the light from the bulb a warm 2700K or a cool 4000K?
• CRI: Does the bulb render colors beautifully? 80+ is good, 90+ is great!
• Dimmable: Can I use this bulb with a dimmer switch? What type of dimmer is compatible?

Bulbs are now market in “lumens” rather than “watts.” Why the change?

Watts only measure the amount of power a bulb draws. Bulbs with the same wattage may put out very different amounts of light. Lumens tell you how much light a bulb actually emits.

Light bulbs seem to come in a choice of colors now; which color is best?

Check the “Lighting Facts” label on the bulb carton. The label is required for all bulbs sold at retail for residential use and provides operating information as well as color information about the light from the bulb. Color information is shown as “Light Appearance.” A bulb that provides “warm” light with a rating of 2700 to 3000K (K stands for Kelvins) will closely match the color of a standard incandescent bulb. Bulbs with higher Kelvin ratings, such as 4000 to 5000K, will appear blue-white or “cool” in color. See the bulb lit before buying it, if you can.

How is the efficiency of a light bulb measured and rated?

Efficiency (or efficacy) is the light output of the bulb (lumens) divided by its power input (watts), i.e. lumens per watt. The standard household bulb of a few years ago rated for 60 watts generated around 800 lumens and had an efficacy of about 13 lumens/watt. Today, an LED bulb rated for 800 lumens would draw about 8 watts, for an efficacy of 100 lumens/watt, making it significantly more efficient!

With all of this new information, choosing a light bulb for your home can seem overwhelming and complicated. A lighting professional at an ALA lighting showroom will be able to help you navigate the world of light bulbs and ensure the bulb you chose is the right one for you.

For additional FAQs on light bulbs, click here.

This kitchen, lit with LED recessed can lights by Cree, Inc., has a warm tone, which mimics that of traditional incandescent bulbs.

The wrong color light bulbs can really ruin your design aesthetic. Although it may sound complicated, getting the right light is not as tricky as it seems.

Back when incandescent was our go-to light bulb, homeowners could pretty much count on their light looking the way they had hoped. However, with the advent of CFLs, halogen lights and now LEDs, the options have expanded and that can make things a little more confusing.

As many people have noticed, the new light bulb labels are very helpful when it comes to determining efficiency. However, things enter a gray area when it comes to choosing the appropriate light bulb color for every room.

Generally speaking, light bulbs with a lower Kelvin (K) rating are warmer in color temperature, while higher K ratings are cooler, or more blue in color temperature. A good rule of thumb for residential lighting is to stick with something between 2700 and 3000K.

While this information is a helpful guide, there is truly no substitute for speaking with a lighting professional about your light bulbs. It is a common misconception that lighting showrooms are only for those looking to purchase new fixtures. This couldn’t be further from the truth. ALA showrooms are a fantastic resource for any lighting need, whether it’s replacing the bulbs in your kitchen fixtures or redesigning a lighting scheme for your entire home. To find a showroom near you, click here.

While this may seem surprising, something as simple as the right lighting can improve both the value and attractiveness of your home.

How interior lighting impacts property value

Homes with outdated light fixtures or ones that are falling apart will, not surprisingly, be less appealing to buyers. When buyers walk through a home and see dated fixtures, what they really see is more renovation costs. New home buyers are typically stressed enough with the idea of saving for a down payment, anticipating closing costs and making monthly mortgage payments, the prospect of moving in and immediately having to begin renovations can be too much to handle. Updating your home’s lighting will give them one less thing to worry about and make them more willing to extend an offer – and one at list price.

Because energy efficiency has become so highly valued in recent years, it will be beneficial to make sure all of the lighting in your home is compatible with LEDs. Fluorescent tube lighting may still be a fixture in some older homes, and while it is in fact energy efficient, it can be an eyesore. Removing that tube lighting and replacing it with an LED fixture is bound to make your home easier to sell. A well-lit home can also appear larger, cleaner and newer than it actually is, so make sure to add lighting to any dark or shadowed areas as well.

Exterior lighting and your property value

Landscape lighting may be one of the most important types of lighting to increase your property value. Landscape lighting not only improves your home’s curb appeal, but it also makes the home feel safer and more secure. If you have any potential buyers coming to see your home at night, you certainly don’t want them driving up to a dark and gloomy exterior. Landscape lighting can make your home feel warm and welcoming from the moment visitors pull into the driveway.

Landscape lighting also improves the safety of your home by reducing the threat of burglars and making the prospect of walking to the door alone at night less intimidating. Buyers value outdoor lighting and will appreciate if you have already taken the time to install it.

Working with an ALA-member showroom is the best way to ensure you get the return on your investment in your home’s lighting. Also, a trained expert can help make sure the fixtures you’re choosing best fit the space and appeal to the greatest number of buyers.

For more information about updating your home’s lighting, visit americanlightingassoc.com.

For the American family, it seems that household expenses are increasing more quickly than ever. Managing a home, and the financial responsibilities that come along with that, is a burden for many households.

Forget about home improvements, decor, or renovations—paying the mortgage, or keeping up with rising electricity, heating, and cooling bills are big enough expenses on their own. In fact, maintaining the utilities in the home is the third biggest expense American households face, only surpassed by paying the mortgage or rent and paying into social security or a pension.

Conserving energy is one way we maintain some control over the expenses that come along with living in a home. At Modernize, we get excited about any change households can make towards a more energy efficient life. In this article we take a look at ways any family can save money on their home lighting expenses.

Switch to ENERGY STAR® Lighting Fixtures

Choose ENERGY STAR® compliant lighting fixtures to light your home. Whether it is a kitchen ceiling light or the lamp in your living room, making the change can save you as much as $60 on lighting costs each year. While you’re at it, install an ENERGY STAR® qualifying ceiling fan in heavy traffic areas of the home. These fans allow you to light your home with minimal energy consumption and keep your home comfortable during seasons of extreme temperatures without overusing your HVAC system.

Change Your Bulbs

When you make the switch from conventional incandescent light bulbs to LED light bulbs, the bulb can last as much as 40 times longer before needing to be replaced. For some homeowners, cutting back on light bulb expenses may seem insignificant when compared to monthly utility costs, but when money is tight every penny counts. Changing to LEDs is also good for the environment, because these light bulbs are capable of producing the same amount of light as conventional bulbs while using significantly less energy.

Install Dimmers

Dimmers are a great option for any home, because they allow easy adjusting of light levels without completely turning off the lights. Adjusting light levels isn’t just about changing the mood in the house—it also provides a way to control the amount of energy your light fixtures use.

Using Timers to Schedule Your Lights

When you have a lot on your plate, or if other members of your household are not conscientious about conserving energy, it can be difficult to make sure every light in your home is off when not in use. A timer allows homeowners to schedule lights to turn off when no one is home, producing significant utility savings over the long term.

When it comes to living a greener lifestyle in our home and saving money on utility expenses, it is really the small, everyday choices that make a difference. By simply turning off lights when they are not in use and following energy conservation tips listed above, households can save as much as 10 to 15 percent on lighting related energy costs each year.

About Modernize: Modernize has set out to create a fresh experience to help homeowners looking to upgrade their home by providing educational content and ideas for inspiration. They have relationships with top contractors in the industry who can help make your dream a reality.

]]> http://blog.americanlightingassoc.com/tips-on-conserving-energy/feed/ 0 http://blog.americanlightingassoc.com/five-common-home-lighting-mistakes/ http://blog.americanlightingassoc.com/five-common-home-lighting-mistakes/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2016 22:13:08 +0000 http://blog.americanlightingassoc.com/?p=364 Continue reading →]]> There are plenty of ways to give new life to your home through lighting design; however, there are also a few common mistakes that can keep your lighting from truly making your home shine.

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to revamp their lighting design only to feel like something is missing in the end.

If there appears to be a void or a piece missing in your home’s lighting design, here are five common lighting mistakes you may be making:

1. No Control Over Your Lights
It may sound simple, but light dimmers, motion sensors, timers and automated systems all help you stay in control of your lighting. When you’re unsure if the room is too dark or too bright, dimmers help you test and easily solve the problem with the perfect middle ground. Moods and uses of rooms change, and so should your lighting. Additionally, having better control of your lights will help you save on energy bills.

2. Light Fixture is Not the Right Size
Another common mistake in home lighting design is using the wrong size fixture. For example, when homeowners use too small of a chandelier in the dining room or bulky desk lamps in the living room, everything can seem disproportionate.

The best way to prevent buying irregular fixtures is by measuring them in the showroom. Eyeballing is tough in showrooms because fixtures tend to look smaller in the larger space of the room. A professional from an experienced ALA-member showroom will easily be able to assist you in ensuring you’re picking the right fixture for your space.

3. Wall Pain Colors Don’t Match the Fixture
When you try multiple different lighting fixtures in a single room, but still can’t find the right light, it’s likely due to the paint color on your wall. Even though this might seem obvious, slightly different hues in the lighting fixture and the color of paint can do different things. Usually, lighter colors worth better with brighter, statement fixtures.

4. There’s Too Much Furniture in the Room
While having too much furniture in a room seems like it has little to do with lighting, it actually makes all the difference. In face, the color and abundance of furniture can dictate the brightness of a fixture by having certain colors or items to bounce off. The more items there are, the more likely it is your light will create shadows. With fewer items and brighter colored furniture, the light will bounce off efficiently, illuminating the room.

5. Not Using Energy-efficient Bulbs
Homeowners are still slowly adopting new LED light bulbs, but these bulbs actually provide you with a better range of light. LEDs work off a larger temperature scale, which allows you to get the perfect color of light.

Visit your local ALA showroom to speak with an experienced lighting professional and avoid these common lighting mistakes.

Improper lighting can make something about a room feel off. Is your living room so bright it feels like a hospital hallway? Is your kitchen gloomy rather than warm and welcoming?

The most beautiful lighting design is typically accomplished through the art of layering. Done right, layering can liven up a room or draw attention to your favorite elements in your home.

The three lighting categories 
The first step towards achieving enchanting lighting is to learn the three types of light: ambient, task and accent.

Ambient lighting provides overall illumination in a room, creating a uniform wash of light. Think when you walk in a room and flip on a switch – this is likely the ambient light source for the space.

Accent lighting helps focus the eye and can be used to showcase works of art, house plants or other accessories. Task lighting, as the name implies, is used to illuminate areas for specific activities, such as reading or food preparation.

Building your layers
When setting up a room, designers will often begin with ambient lighting. This can range from a single light fixture in the center of the room, to a ceiling fan light fixture, to recessed cans around the room.

If left by itself, ambient lighting can seem flat. Luckily, you can create contrast with accent lighting. Accent lighting serves the important purpose of highlighting the hard work you put into the design elements of a room and the unique architectural features of your home.

Finally, consider what you want to accomplish in the room. If it’s making dinner, consider under cabinet lighting to illuminate your work space. If it’s an office, you may need a table or desk lamp to help you get your work done. Utility should be the primary consideration when designing task lighting.

Of course, the design of your lighting fixtures is an important aspect of putting a room together. Mix and match floor lamps, table lamps and wall-mounted fixtures to add visual interest to your room. Today, most fixtures, even lamps, are compatible with dimmers, so consider adding dimmers to all the light sources in your room, which allows you to customize the space based on how you’re using it at the time.

Visit your local ALA member showroom or go online to americanlightingassoc.com to learn  more about lighting design.

Icicles, when confined to the gutters, can be a tell-tell sign of an ice dam, which can result in water damage and leaks throughout your home. Luckily there are measures you can take to prevent such winter inconveniences; some are as simple as adjusting your interior lighting fixtures.

What is an ice dam ?
Ice dams occur when the snow on your roof can’t escape because of water that has frozen around the roof’s perimeter. As the heat from your home melts the snow atop your roof, the water seeps in, causing possible damage to your insulation, walls, gutter, etc.

This is due to the movement of heat throughout the home. Heat travels to the roof surface in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation, all working in tandem to melt the trapped snow.

While it’s important to know that ice dams in no way indicate a construction error, you can help prevent serious damage to both the roof and interior of your home by being vigilant and making a few home improvements before the temperature drops.

Using lighting to guard against leaks and ice dams
Convection is heat traveling through a solid, while conduction and radiation refer to heat traveling through air and electromagnetic waves, respectively.

When combined with the heat given off by recessed lighting, there can be more heat in the attic area than normal. To prevent ice dams, the roof needs to at least remain an even temperature, if not cooler than the rest of the house.

Downlights give off a considerable amount of heat via convection if not airtight, and are often not insulated properly. The easiest way to remedy this is to either replace the current fixture with an IC-rated light, or to reconfigure parts of the insulation.

When a recessed fixture is powered on, its heat makes the exterior cavity hot. IC-rated lights protect against any combustion that may occur when the house meets the insulation. If all of the insulation in your attic or roof area is flat, it’s likely that you do not have enough to cover your downlights; insulation should be thicker around a downlight to contain heat. It is a safety hazard to place non-IC-rated lights against insulation – if working with one, be sure that your fixture is the recommend distance away from any insulation.

Taking either of these precautions will minimize the amount of hot air flowing to your roof.  If neither of these are an option you can switch to LED or CFL light bulbs, as they emit less heat.

Though better insulation should eliminate much of the heat buildup, using a roof-rake or ice melt can also help to do away with ice dams.

To select the best winter lighting for your home, visit an ALA showroom near you. For more information, and to find a location go to americanlightingassoc.com.