Interior Lighting » General Lighting

Modern Interior Design

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:23:43 +0000

As an interior designer, you must stay on top of all the modern trends. Once you leave school, you will need to do this on your own. Modern interior design can be fun and quite expensive. Interior Designers know the tips and tricks to keep expenses down without compromising the quality and creativity of the design.

Interior Designers know the best places to buy furniture, window treatments, blinds and artwork to compliment modern interior design. They also know the where to get the best accessories, nicest plants plus flooring and anything else needed. Many of these resources are obtained online.
Interior Designers have access to the latest design software so that they can plan virtual designs and layouts of your living spaces. If you are planning to do your own modern interior design then there are plenty of resources available to you on the internet. There are many articles on the subject, which can easily be found using your favorite search engine. Your local library may carry the latest books on do it yourself interior design.

If you are planning to do your own modern interior design then you have to have a plan just like the professionals. You need to know what you have to purchase, how much it will cost and where you can actually find it. There is a lot of planning involved and you do not want to get started only to realize there is no way you can finish because you have run out of money.

Professional Interior Designers use the latest interior design software to plan a virtual design. This software can be very expensive for the average do-it-yourselfer. However, some relatively inexpensive programs will the same thing just not without all the bells and whistles.

Some tips offered by Professional Interior Designers for modern interior design include having from three to five sources of light in a room. Besides your general lighting, a room needs decorative and accent lighting. Lighting adds mood and atmosphere to a room.

In the past, most modern interior design was found in offices; now more and more homes are employing the styles of modern interior design. Some concepts are considered to clinical or sterile for homes, which is something you do not want and is a common mistake of someone who does not have the experience of a professional interior designer. Keep this in mind if you plan to do the work yourself.

Artwork can add personality to a room. If Art is too expensive for you then there are other ways to decorate your walls. If you have any photos or know of someone who takes many photos then they can make a great addition to your walls without costing anything.

You do not have to be a professional interior designer to decorate your home with modern interior design. However, if you are willing to spend the money on a professional, you can bet that it will be worth it.

By: Tom Houser

Bathroom Lighting Tips

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:17:36 +0000

So, you’ve been putting up with the tacky light fixtures that were installed when you moved in. Or worse yet, maybe you still have the bulb and string hanging from your bathroom ceiling. But more and more people often, the bathroom is used as a sanctuary, a place to relax after a long day. Steam showers, Jacuzzis, and more spacious rooms are partly the reason. Whats ofter overlooked is the lighting, which can make all the difference when it comes to aesthetics and utility. The secret to good bathroom lighting is layering the light. Layering, refers to using different sources of light. In the bathroom, it involves using both general lighting and task lighting.

The first Layer

The fist layer, as mentioned, starts with ambient or general lighting. The goal is to provide a warm glow to the room by providing a comfortable level of brightness without any glare. The most common sources of general light for the bathroom is a flush or semi-flush ceiling fixture. It is also becoming more common to use a mini-chandeliers in the bathroom. Ambient lights need to be placed in the center of the bathroom so that the light is spread out evenly.

How much general light do I need for my bathroom?

The rule of thumb for the first layer of lighting in the bathroom is as follows. Multiply the length and width of the bathroom- lets say 10ft. by 10ft. Take that number and multiply it by a factor of 1.5. So in the example above, you would need 150 Watts of general light as your fist layer.

The Second Layer

The second layer is task lighting. Portable lamps, tracks, and recessed lights are usually the sources of task lighting. However, these sources don’t work well at all in the bathroom. If you have a recessed light above the vanity mirror you’ve probably notices the shadow it casts on your face. It is not suitable at all.

Placement of bathroom sconces and bath-bars

Proper task lighting in your bathroom should surround you with light. The ideal source of task lighting would be two sconces on either side of the vanity and a bath-bar above the mirror. Sconces should be place about 6-8 inches above eye level or about 6 1/2 feet from the ground. They should also be separated by a distance of 28 inches or more. The bath-bar should be 30-32 inches in length, mounted above the mirror. FYI, many companies now offer “beauty wraps.” These fixtures wrap around your mirror, providing you with sufficient light.

How do I determine the amount of task lighting in my bathroom?

Calculating the amount of task lighting is similar to the example given above. The only difference is you multiple by a factor of 2.5. In the example given above, that would amount to 250 Watts of light.

Kevin Hatan

By: Kevin Hatan

Do You Know How To Choose The Right Lighting for Reading?

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:05:53 +0000

There are a number of factors to take into consideration when deciding on the best kind of lighting for reading. Although more and more individuals are deciding to gather information about the world we live in by means other than reading a book, a significant part of the world’s population continues to read traditional, printed material in the form of books, magazines, etc.

The younger reader experiences fewer problems with poor illumination while reading. For example, some research concludes that we need only half the light at age 30 to have adequate reading illumination as compared to what we need at age 60 to read the same material. Age 40 seems to be the beginning of diminishing eyesight for most. The older we get, the more we are prone to eyestrain, blurring vision and headaches as a result of inadequate lighting while reading.

So, the first and primary consideration is selecting a fixture that will provide the right amount of illumination.

The rooms in your home where you do most of your reading should have lighting that illuminates the area in a general way that makes the room feel attractive and inviting. Where possible, combine general light with directed or task lighting. The lighting selected for reading should be considered supplemental and an addition to the general lighting used in the room.

A number of writers on this subject offer a variety of suggestions and options with respect to the type of lighting fixtures to use for reading. I am a strong believer in the use of what is called full spectrum lighting. This type of lighting is also known as natural lighting and was originally used for providing simulated natural sunlight to help with the growth of indoor plants. This natural lighting is easy on the eyes, brings out the true colors of what it illuminates, and relieves eyestrain.

The most common type of full spectrum light is the incandescent bulb, although full spectrum lights are also available as fluorescent fixtures. Several years ago, these natural lighting fixtures were hard to find and fairly expensive when compared to more conventional lighting sources, but they are currently available in nearly all home centers and in many grocery and discount department stores.

The life expectancy of natural light fixtures is comparable to that of traditional light fixtures and well worth the extra few dollars.

The best type of directed lighting unit to buy for purposes of reading are by and far the gooseneck lamp. While a table lamp may be more attractive, it has the disadvantages of not being able to direct the light to where it is needed and in general is not adjustable. Lighting manufacturers have gotten savvy to the need for designing and manufacturing stylish and attractive gooseneck lamps and you can find one to meet your own particular decorating tastes with very little trouble.

Directed or task lighting provided by a gooseneck lamp should be positioned behind your reading chair or couch. The lamp should be positioned behind you according to whether you are left or right handed to avoid overshadowing as you read. Right-handed individuals should position the lamp behind their left shoulder while left-handed persons should do the opposite. If you have a mixture of “handedness” in your home, everyone should be advised about this positioning.

Using a white of lightly colored shade will help with the illumination of the material while darker colored shades absorb rather than reflect the illumination.

Glare is another major consideration when using a reading light. With a gooseneck lamp, position the bottom of the shade at eye level to avoid glare. The gooseneck lamp makes it easy to adjust the height of the light source depending on the size of the person using it.

Indirect lighting has become popular over the years and provides a concealed light source, which diffuses the light and eliminates glare, which can be a real problem in causing eyestrain and a number of other vision-related problems.

Installing dimmer switches will allow you to regulate the intensity of the light generated and serves the purpose of making one fixture useable for both older and younger readers.

For the serious reader, a light stand can be a real boon. The stand can be positioned to keep the material at the best distance and angle for optimum reading as well as helping keep it in focus and reduce the strain of holding a book while you are reading. Reading stands are particularly useful for the older reader and those with medical conditions that make it more difficult to hold a book steady for any length of time.

Let common sense and an awareness of your particular comfort level be an important guide in setting up your areas for reading. If you find some of my suggestions just don’t seem to work for you, try to discover why and make adjustments accordingly.

A lot of people find it restful and relaxing to read before or as a prelude to falling asleep. There are some special considerations to keep in mind if you are one of these people.

Many sleeping areas use overhead lighting fixtures as their primary source of illumination. First, overhead lighting in the bedroom usually doesn’t provide enough brightness to read comfortably and second, overhead lighting provides too much overall room lighting for anyone getting ready to go to sleep. This is a particular problem if you are sharing a room with someone who is not a “snooze-reader”.

Here are some other ways to light the sleeping area for the reader. Use a small table lamp positioned on your side of the bed making sure that the shade is low enough to avoid glare, use lamps that are attached to a mechanism that can be swung into just the right position over the reader (a variation on the gooseneck lamp), use a floor lamp with three-way bulbs to decrease the intensity of the illumination and finally, position a fixture on the wall directly above the reader that will cast only enough light to illuminate the book or other reading material.

If you don’t sleep alone, your goal is to keep the non-reader in the dark while you are reading. Some strange individuals (self-included) sleep soundly with the lights on or off. If this doesn’t cause a problem for your partner, consider whatever lighting works best and even consider a timer that can be reached easily if it shuts the lights off as you are just getting to the part of the book that reveals whodunit.

A few individuals find portable book lights handy. These LED light sources never burn out and generally last up to 20 hours on a set of batteries.

While not a complete or comprehensive guide to lighting for reading, I hope that this brief overview will provide you with some basics to consider.

By: Chuck Lunsford

Lighting For Your Basement

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:55:24 +0000

Many houses are built in such a way that the sun does not shine in through the window to light up the room during the day. And it is even worse on a rainy day; you will have to put lights on during the day which should not be necessary. Sometimes houses are not built with many windows, which will also make the house rather dark inside. Many people also like to turn their basement into another room that can be used for something other than storage, but there are normally no windows in a basement, or if there is, it is a really small one.

With a little creativity, you can turn your basement into an inviting room where you would just love to spend time. A few great ideas for your basement would be the following:

- Try adding draperies with lights behind and next to the drapes. This will help to get a bit of warmth into the walls. Try and cover the bare walls as much as you can

- A basement normally has a lower ceiling than the rest of the house, get rid of track lighting from your options. It is best to have roundabout general lighting, dimmable lights if possible. In other words, no fluorescent lights should be installed.

- Many people like to turn their basement into an entertainment area, and this area would need a pool table! But remember that if you want to have a pool table up there you should have a light directly above the table.

If you are still not sure as to what to do with your lighting, go to your nearest lighting store and explain to them what you would like to do. They will tell you exactly what you need.

It is important for your home to look good, and there’s no better way of doing that than with getting the correct lighting for each room.

The Kitchen

The kitchen should a light that’s bright enough to light up the whole area of the kitchen; all corners. This is because this is the area of the house that most of the time is normally spent cooking. No fluorescent or dim lights should be in the kitchen.

The Lounge

The lounge can have a slightly dimmer light, but not too dim as this is normally where the television is on and people are intrigued at what they see on the TV. It is important that there is enough light so that your eyes do not have to strain when watching TV. The lights should NEVER be off when someone is sitting in front of the TV screen.

The Bathroom

The bathroom light can really be how you want it to be; as long as it is enough light to light up the whole area, there shouldn’t be a problem. The bedrooms need to have normal lights, not too dim and not too bright. Too bright or too dim will hurt the eyes and disturb the sleeping pattern of the person.

By: Joseph Then

Halogen Lighting Fixtures

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:15:24 +0000

Halogen lighting fixtures have improved over the past few years. They are the preferred lighting option where high light quality or precise light focusing is needed.

Halogen lighting fixtures are available in a wide range and are used for a variety of applications. These applications include cable lighting, picture lighting, display lighting, lower-level lighting, track lighting, and fixtures. Halogen bulbs are a form of radiant lamp bulbs that contain halogen gases that increase the efficacy of the bulb but they are pricier to buy when compared to regular radiant bulbs. They can be either tubular or low voltage bulbs. Low power halogen lamps are not low energy lamps. Halogen lamps are not as efficient as fluorescent lamps but are slightly more efficient than normal bulbs of the same wattage. They are most appropriate in certain situations due to their tight focusing feature like for bringing art alive or lighting over a small area. A halogen lamp is actually a specific type of incandescent lamp, often featuring a parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR), which improves light focus. Halogen lighting fixtures give off a very bright white light, and they maintain their light output over time.

Halogen lights are used for “down-lighting.” Down lights provide a bright pool of light in a different way than general lighting does. They are normally used to highlight corner pieces of plants. Halogen lights should be fixed with lower wattage and more efficient bulbs. Efficient 35W halogen lamps are available that produce as much light as a standard 50W lamp.

Halogen cable light system and halogen track lights, which are easy to install and require no professionals for installation, are also available. These fixtures are easily interchangeable. Halogen lighting fixtures need to be changed less often than incandescent fixtures and can be dimmed easily. They have a superior beam control that allows light to be carefully focused. The difficulty with halogen fixtures is that the light can be too bright for living rooms and they can become very hot and should not be left unattended for long periods of time.

By: Jason Gluckman