After the invention of the carbon filament incandescent light bulb way back in 1879, it became refreshingly easier to gracefully illuminate a face in the bathroom mirror.
Vanity lighting, which is the use of artificial light to illuminate a person’s face, has been around since the early 1900s. As you can imagine, lighting technology has changed remarkably over time. Back then, an even and diffused light source would minimize shadows and blur facial imperfections when someone looked at their reflection in a mirror.
Today, the technology behind vanity lighting has improved beyond recognition, but the sentiment behind it has not strayed far from its original purpose. It’s still a unique way of lighting a mirror to provide a more flattering illumination of a person’s face. This ingenious type still helps someone look and feel more beautiful.
Centuries later, vanity lighting fixtures are a popular way to enhance the ambiance in a bathroom. We all still want to look stunning the minute we catch our reflection in the mirror.
If you want your bathroom to feel warmer and friendlier, then the right choice of vanity lighting fixtures can even help you create a more inviting bathroom, one where you can enjoy your morning bathroom routine bathed in the glow of soothing light.
Although the perfect vanity light fixture can make all the difference in a bathroom, it’s often hard to decide what to select. With a wide range of styles, shapes, and sizes, you need to know just what you’re looking for to find lighting that works for your bathroom.
Here are some key ideas to help you find your perfect light fixture and take the first step towards creating a dream bathroom!
Lighting is an essential element in every room, whether you need it for reading, cooking, or getting ready in the morning. And when it comes to designing a bathroom, lighting is an essential factor.
With the right light fixtures and colors, you can increase the aesthetic value and functionality of your bathroom.
Ideally, you want the bathroom light to be soft and flattering, but not so dim it obscures the makeup you’re trying to apply or the clean shave you need to look your best. For example, you don’t want a glaring light but a soft-white lightbulb for daytime makeup application or shaving.
Most people opt for a table lamp with an incandescent bulb. This provides enough light while keeping it soft and flattering. The downside of these types of lamps is they don’t last very long, so you’ll have to replace the bulb often.
For a softer and more ambient light, you can use a floor lamp with an incandescent bulb or fluorescent bulbs indoors. These types of lamps are perfect for creating that “dressing room” feel in your own bedroom or bathroom vanity area.
While these are all workable options, the best way to create the right amount of lighting in a bathroom, one that is not too bright nor too dim and one that lets you see your face clearly in the mirror when you’re getting ready in the morning before heading out of the door, is to use a vanity lighting solution.
Vanity lighting is important for families who use a bathroom mirror during makeup application, shaving, haircuts, or other bathroom grooming routines that require excellent visibility.
Bathroom lighting is a key factor in determining how well someone can see everything in a small room. The best types of bathroom light fixtures have an adjustable head and one or more bulbs that can be turned on or off independently from each other.
Consider the location of your mirror and how much light you need when deciding on what type of light fixtures to install. For instance, if your mirror is close to a window, then natural daylight will suffice. Alternatively, if the mirror is far from a window and there isn’t enough light coming from that direction, then installing a lamp or recessed lights are probably your best bet.
Bathroom lighting is crucial to the overall feel of the space. A light fixture that is too high can make the space feel claustrophobic, while a light that is too low can make it difficult to apply makeup or shave.
The height of bathroom vanity lights is often a matter of personal preference, but some people like to have the lights above the mirror in order to avoid glare from their reflection.
The standard height of these fixtures is about 40-inches or 1-meter, although many people opt for lights that are between 54 and 75 inches or 1.5 and 2 meters.
While there are many options when it comes to positioning, lighting should never overhang the mirror. This is a safety hazard and can be dangerous.
Make sure that you install your light in such a way that it doesn’t hang over the mirror. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally knock it off while brushing your teeth or shaving.
There are various types of vanity lights that can be installed in bathrooms. Some of the popular types are mirror lights and bathlights.
Mirror lights, as the name suggests, are installed on the front of bathroom mirrors to provide illumination for getting ready in the morning. They are generally placed at a height where you can easily see your own reflection.
Bathlights, on the other hand, are usually found at the height of your head height and don’t just illuminate the mirror but light the whole bathroom. Besides helping you decide between your hair care products in the shower, they also make it easier for you to see what’s inside cabinets and under sinks.
The lighting in a bathroom has a significant impact on the mood and ambiance of the space.
When installing a light, you should consider the type of space you have available. Different types of vanity lights are better for different types of spaces and it’s important to choose one that will work well in your specific situation so that everyone can enjoy using your bathroom.
If you have open, airy space then pendant or chandelier lighting is best. If your bathroom is small and confined, then recessed lighting will not disrupt the flow of the space and will make it easier for people to use the bathroom.
Vanity lighting design can match the home design. This unique type of lighting not only enhances the mood with a unique ambiance but also gives homeowners a variety of options to design their home’s lighting.
There are lighting fixtures for popular home design themes, such as modern, rustic, and minimalistic designs, with a variety of colors and product designs.
At The Home Lighter, Inc. in Pacific Grove., the lighting showroom offers a wide variety of styles with different materials and prices.
The company provides high-end indoor and outdoor lighting to clientele in the Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel California area. They offer something for everyone at different price points. In fact, when you walk into the residential lighting showroom in Monterey Ca, you will be amazed at the sheer number of options currently available for residential lighting.
Seeing so many light fixture options in a store may seem overwhelming but the staff is there to help you find exactly what you are looking for and offer expert advice on how to select the best vanity lighting for your bathroom.
Enhancing beauty is one of the most typical purposes of adding outdoor patio lights to your space. If your space has a dining table, then outdoor pendants will be an excellent choice for you. If you have a spacious outdoor seating area, you might also want to check out the table and floor lamps.
The key to using outdoor patio lights for beauty is adding just enough lighting without overdoing it. Generally, outdoor entertainment spaces require less energy than indoors. Too much light will detriment your outdoor space enjoyment. Typically, the eyes will dilate to allow more light in after you move to a darker space. Similarly, a bright glare will make seeing in a nighttime environment harder. When creating an outdoor patio lighting plan for enhancing beauty, glare should be your primary concern.
The best way to do outdoor patio lighting is to direct the light just where it is needed. Overhead lighting, e.g., outdoor pendants or string lights, is an excellent option for ambient lighting. A sturdy string light zig-zagged over an entertaining space brings about a tremendously soft, overall light and creating an ideal entertainment atmosphere.
If you need a fan, there are plenty of fans for outdoor activities, and they offer light. This lighting fixture is ideal for environments that have high temperatures, even at night. However, the fans may not provide attractive light options. If the entertainment space is covered, you can choose outdoor pendants, flush mount ceiling lighting fixtures, or recessed lighting.
Sometimes, the entertainment spaces are used for playing games or even reading. These activities require more direct and bright lighting. Ensure you use overhead lights that have enough output for these activities to be carried out. You may also use the portable table or floor lamps instead of overhead lighting. There is a wide range of rechargeable table lamps that will last longer before exhausting energy. Plug-in floor lamps are also becoming popular in outdoor lighting since they provide a polished high-end impression. If your entertainment space has activities like grilling, check out for targeted options like barbeque lights to give the ideal light needed.
Always remember accent lighting to complete the entertainment outdoor space lighting layer. Low-level accent lights can be used to define areas and highlight spots where missteps are likely to happen. Step and small deck lights can highlight stairs or defining a boundary. Spot and floodlights will create a visual entertainment space and also expand your patio to a landscape.
More lighting ideas include:
Popularly known as spotlighting, it is a standard-voltage landscaping lighting used to illuminate high-intensity beams upward. They are installed ideally above the ground level, just below the trees, making them look more statuesque. Bullet-shaped lights are best for places with tall trees, while short vegetation like shrubs requires well-lights to give the entertainment space an impressive look.
Lanterns produce soft low-voltage accent lighting in small areas in outdoor walls or decors. Most lanterns are made of glass and metal and are installed atop windows or arches. They are ideal when playing board games or when having snacks and beverages. Unlike clear lanterns, translucent lanterns will create a diffused glare-free lighting without distracting other backyard lighting fixtures.
Some entertainment spaces may have several paths. Paths should be well illuminated to avoid simple injuries. The illumination fixture used in the space might be inadequate to light up these paths, and path lighting will be necessary. Path lighting fixtures are usually installed on the ground on both sides of the pathway.
There exist many path lighting options, including solar LED options. However, solar-powered path lighting fixtures are not recommendable since they have low light output and low lifespans.
Kitchen lighting fixtures are used when you are preparing your dinner outside the house. With proper lighting, your family and guests will be able to see what they are eating. Barbecue lights are also an excellent option for grilling activities.
Fire pits look great in entertainment spaces in cold environments. They tend to cast a decent light amount on everything around them. However, they are likely to cast a lot of shadows and darken some places. It would be better if you are cautious when sitting around the fire pits so that you do not trip over other people’s feet.
You can place under cap lights around the fire pit to illuminate the foot traffic area. This way, you will illuminate the over-shadowed places to avoid mere injuries.
Apart from choosing a lighting fixture solely for enhancing beauty, the fixture should also provide security to you and your guests. Since the night is young and full of terror, your guests are likely to feel much safer when there is just enough light to assist the see around. Security lights will scare off intruders and destructive animals, thus providing you with safe entertainment.
Outdoor wall lighting is a safe and accent lighting fixture used to illuminate small recessed areas on shadow-lurking yards. They can be mounted on vertical surfaces like above stairways or around sunken seating areas.
An excellent example of outdoor wall lighting fixtures is wall scones. Wall scones are great options for enhancing the ambiance of your entertainment space. The perfect wall scones for an entertainment space should puddle the light on the ground and not aim it out into space. However, wall scones are generally designed to be used in spaces with limited depths. You might want to incorporate other outdoor patio lighting fixtures to spread light evenly if your patio is deep despite using wall scones.
Designing impressive beams over the dining area will also add to the beauty of your entertainment space. This outdoor patio lighting idea is used to create a sophisticated vibe. It can be used alongside an intelligent table and chic chairs to add to the ambiance.
Utilizing the above outdoor patio lighting ideas guarantees an impressive look on your entertainment space. Most of these ideas are DIYs, but you might also hire an expert if you feel you cannot deliver what is required. If you are a Santa Cruz resident, check out The Home Lighter for outdoor landscape lighting in Santa Cruz CA.
Lighting your home is essential in improving your general living. Some common home lighting mistakes that people make can lead to a lack of light where needed or wasted energy. Here are six common home lighting mistakes everyone makes.
Using one source of light will leave dark spaces in your home. You will not have enough light to perform functions, especially in your kitchen. Adding layers to your lighting will increase your home comfort and add balance to ensure all areas in the room receive sufficient light.
Areas like the kitchen require ample light since it’s where you prepare your food. When you don’t have ample lighting, you may end up struggling to cook or hurt yourself when using utensils like a knife. You can improve lighting in your kitchen by installing simple fixes such as under-cabinet strip lighting or overhead track lighting with adjustable lamps.
You can add layers such as task, ambient, and accent lighting that will work together to achieve balanced lighting. You can use the ambient layer for overhead lighting and the accent layer for creative lighting on artistic elements. The task layer is for functional spaces for activities like the kitchen.
Accent lighting is rarely used since it requires a bit of creativity to pull it off, but it can bring your room to life with the right application. When using ambient lighting, ensure that you also incorporate other lighting layers to prevent your room from looking flat and dull.
When installing home lighting, most people usually forget about small spaces such as pantries and closets. Others install a single overhead light that does not sufficiently light up the whole room. It leaves shadows on the storage space and shelves, making the task of finding items very challenging. You can also install LED tape lights or under-cabinet lights in small spaces so that you can navigate easily. These lights also make your storage appear stylish and clean.
Incorporating lighting controls in your lighting plan is essential to aid in automation and to adjust your home lighting. Timers, dimmers, and motion sensors can help you save money on your electricity bill when appropriately used.
Dimmers are ideal in creating a more intimate ambiance with low-level lighting such as dining rooms, master bathrooms, living rooms, or bedrooms. They are also suitable for incandescent lamps to help reduce energy consumption and heat emission. Installing dimmers in your incandescent bulbs will help to increase their lifespan. Alternatively, you can use LED bulbs to change their color, dim, and perform other practical and fun things using your smartphone.
There are two types of motion sensors that is the vacancy and occupancy sensors. They turn the lights on or off when you forget. Timers are ideal for outdoor lights when used together with photocells.
Choosing the correct fixture is as important as placing it effectively in a room. Placing the fixture in the wrong place can ruin the room’s design and cast shadows. A room can have a cave-like feeling even when it has plenty of lights due to poor positioning.
When using recessed can layout to light your kitchen, ensure that you place the lights above the workspaces or countertops rather than over the entire room. This is because can lights fail to illuminate vertical surfaces with enough light where the eyes perceive the light.
Another example of lights that are often placed in the wrong position are wall sconces in the bathroom. To reduce shadows cast by overhead lights, ensure you put them at eye level about six inches from either side of the mirror.
Excess use of recessed lights around the ceiling is not appropriate as downlights do not light up walls. To sufficiently light up the room, your walls need to reflect the light. Superfluous use of recessed lights will leave your rooms poorly lit and increase your electricity bills. Install recessed lighting in ideal places and combine it with other types of lighting such as stylish pendants, beautiful chandeliers, wall and floor lamps, or track lighting systems.
Choosing the wrong light bulb for your room can make it feel dark and cold. One of the first mistakes people make when buying a light bulb is getting the wrong wattage. The amount of energy used in a light bulb is referred to as the watt. Using energy-efficient light bulbs can save your money on your electricity bill while giving the same amount of light using fewer watts.
It’s essential that you perform a little research to determine the wattage requirements of your home lighting fixture. Light bulbs have their wattage requirements, and the wattage limit is labelled or printed on them. If you are unsure of your existing light bulbs, you can uninstall them to confirm. To save energy in your home, you can use lower watts than the recommended but do not go higher as this could cause a fire.
Another common mistake with light bulbs is ignoring the lumen rating. This shows how bright the light bulb is. A light bulb with a higher lumen rating will appear brighter. When choosing a light bulb, remember that you need different levels of brightness in different rooms. Workspaces such as the kitchen require more light. Thus, you need to install light bulbs with a higher lumen rating. Other areas such as the living room or the bedroom can have light bulbs with lower lumen rating since they do not require a lot of brightness.
Your design and use of your rooms will determine the lumens you need. If you are looking for a design aesthetic that is dark and moody then, you will go for a lower lumen, while a bright design will require a higher lumen. You can adjust the lumen with seasonal changes or when you repaint your walls.
Buying the wrong light bulb color is a common mistake most people make. Light bulbs have different color hues and a wide range of light temperatures. The temperature of light bulbs is measured in Kelvins (K), and it affects how the room feels. Warm light bulbs range from 2000K to 3500K and give your space a cozy and soft intimate feel with a yellow or orange hue. It is common with vintage light bulbs such as incandescent light bulbs or Edison bulbs. You may also notice this type of hue during sunsets and sunrises. This color is ideal for rooms such as the bedroom, living room or dining room.
Natural or cool light bulbs range from 3500K to 5000K and give off a truer white color. It is identical to light present in the afternoon and morning outside. It gives a room a crisp, clean and inviting feel ideal for closets, bathrooms and offices.
Daylight light bulbs range from 500K to 6200K and give off a similar light to that of a sunny day at noon. It is a good choice for work spaces such as garages and kitchens since it is more crisp and clean than natural light.
Blue light bulbs are over 6200K, and they are not ideally used in homes. However, people with seasonal effective disorder or artists may use this type of light.
Some people may forget to light the exterior spaces or install too much lighting. Lighting up your exterior spaces can improve the security of your home. However, a bright exterior light shining on your window will affect your comfort while you sleep. You can install solar landscaping lights to improve the beauty and safety of your yard at night. Motion-activated security lights are also vital in conserving energy and improving convenience as they light up after detecting movement.
If you are making any of the mistakes on the list, you may need to correct them to conserve energy and improve your comfort at home. If you have any issues with interior lighting fixtures santa cruz ca, you can visit the Lighter Inc. in Pacific Grove for more information.
A well-lit room provides more than light to perform your everyday tasks. It is, therefore, necessary for the light source to be functional and well-balanced. Using a mix of task, accent and ambient residential lighting solutions can help you transform a dull room into a vibrant one. Our home lighting showroom in Santa Cruz CA offers conventional as well as custom fine lighting for your residence and office buildings.
Lighting accessories that shed light to create ambiance in a given space make it easy to move around. While natural light can be the source of ambient lighting during the day, this task is fulfilled by pendants, cables, tracks, recessed cans, and lamp lights at night. Suspended from fixtures, pendants and chandeliers provide both ambient and task lighting in a room whereas wall-mounted ambient lights are meant to illuminate the surrounding surface. Ambient lighting can be created in any room with the right light source.
As the name suggests, task lighting’s main purpose is to illuminate a particular work area. Whether you are working at your home office or in the kitchen, around the work table, countertop or sink, task lighting plays an important role to get the job done. A task lighting source that is placed too close to the workspace can be more efficient than when it is hanging from the ceiling.
Accent lighting brings accent to a specific area that it illuminates. It is used to focus on a particular object, such as collectibles, paintings, artwork, or a decorative element. In some instances, it is used to wash a wall with soft or colored light. Track lights and sconces are all a great way to use as an accent lighting source in a given space.
The best way of illuminating a space is to lay out a lighting plan where there are flexibility and room for accommodating various light sources. It’s also a good idea to use dimmers, energy-efficient lights, or remote controls to switch to a variety of light sources to suit different moods, as well as facilitate energy savings. Now that the functionality of various lighting has been discussed, let us look at the different lighting systems offered by our home lighting showroom in Santa Cruz Ca for your residential lighting solutions.
Track and recessed lighting has become a trend in many modern or contemporary residential buildings. Track lighting fixtures come in various shapes and sizes, and they are a great way to illuminate areas where accent or brightness is absolutely needed, such as the kitchen and home office. They are sold in low voltage and high voltage systems along with adjustable spots. The spots can be adjusted individually and work as both accent and ambient lights. Cable systems, on the other hand, run on thin with adjustable fixtures throughout the line. They can be positioned as required and placed in any room to achieve the desired look. Recessed lighting being the standard for kitchens for decades are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes as well. Some of these residential lighting solutions vary in terms of the color, bulb, and baffle.
Ambient and task lighting is made possible with pendants and chandeliers hung from the ceiling, in kitchens, staircases, and wherever high ceiling exists. They offer an element of style while illuminating the room at the same time. Pendants and chandeliers are a great choice for areas around the dining table. Choosing a fixture that is easy to clean and maintain is the smartest way to accommodate these types of lighting in your home. Height is another important consideration here. As a rule, hanging the fixture around 4 feet or more above the dining table is considered safe. Transparent shades provide enough light around the area as well as allow the light to reach the ceiling. If you need the light directed downward, then by all means go for an opaque shade.
LED lighting bulbs and fixtures are no longer a new concept in today’s households. They have become a standard in most contemporary style homes and offices. These residential lighting solutions can serve various purposes in every nook and corner of the house you can think of. The LED light bulbs come in various shapes and sizes and fit well in different fixtures. Standard bulbs can be used to replace incandescent bulbs found in old chandeliers and pendants. Likewise, halogens in recessed lights are being replaced by LED lights in modern homes. They are easily compatible with wall sconces and other types of decorative fixtures. They can be utilized in myriad ways and are far more energy-efficient than most light sources.
A home’s natural light source isn’t limited to doors and windows. Transparent ceiling glasses and panes can be used to make the skylight effectively flood your room with sunlight. They also let you have a view of the sky and vegetation around the property while offering the needed privacy. And the most useful thing of all, they drastically reduce your energy bills. The key is to have the right balance of both skylight and other sources of light. Supplemented with pendant lights and recessed lights, they are worth the cost of installation in the long run.
Your lighting needs are likely to be fulfilled from more than one source. And you can even mix and match various fixtures in a single room to create a different visibility effect. What type of fixture you purchase for your residential lighting solutions will also be influenced by the following aspects as well.
By now, you might have learned what lighting fixture is best suited for a specific area of your house. But a room isn’t complete unless you give a personal touch to it, or coordinate the fixture with the rest of the elements in it. There are countless ways to achieve this task, both in costly and inexpensive ways. Displaying artwork, collectibles and paintings are some of the ways to add a personal touch and enhance the functionality of your lighting source. Some personal touch or coordination will need to be thought through at the start of the renovation or remodeling. For instance, skylights and pendants for high-ceiling are easier to install during the construction or remodeling of the house. Other types of light fixtures can be put in position at any time.
When purchasing a light fixture or deciding its placement, efficiency should be one of the priorities. Because some light fixtures can be the most power-consuming of all your appliances, deciding which one to buy and where it will go is an important – and ultimately energy-saving – decision. For starters, consider fixtures that are dimmers and compatible with energy-efficient bulbs. Placement of appliances, workspaces, and other items in the room should also be a matter of consideration here. As a rule, think about placing your appliances in the kitchen within easy reach and under a well-lit area. In other words, you shouldn’t have to adjust the recessed lighting fixture’s position to see what is inside the oven or to walk around the countertop.
Whether you want a freestanding floor lamp or built-in accent light is left to you. Like anything else, there are reasons to have different fixtures for different rooms and tasks. And there are pros and cons to each one of these fixtures. While freestanding lamps are less expensive and easier to change if need be, built-ins require meticulous planning and are difficult to replace once installed. For more information on various lighting bulbs and fixtures for your residential lighting solutions, contact The Home Lighter, Inc. in Pacific Grove.
While renovating a kitchen, choosing ledges, cupboards, equipment, and other high-sway things is frequently focused on, while kitchen lighting is left for the end or attached as a bit of hindsight. Any fashioner will advise you, however, that lighting is vital for each space, particularly a practical one like the kitchen. Since the alternatives—pendants, ceiling fixtures, school building lights, sconces—are almost unending.
The core of your home and your most lived-in space, your kitchen is the place where you make suppers, prep after-school bites, and everything in the middle. More than some other room in your home, it is essential to ensure that your kitchen has different layers of deliberate lighting. Here, we breakdown how to pick kitchen lighting to help you locate the correct lighting to enlighten this dedicated space.
Lighting around your working areas in the kitchen makes it simpler to perceive what you’re doing while you’re cooking or accomplishing some other work in the kitchen. This is also known as task lighting Many reach hoods accompany a coordinated light for over the cooking surface, yet you additionally need lighting over your island, landmass or table. By and large, task lighting ought to associate with 30″ over the work surface. Enlighten dull corners of your cupboards with movement sensor initiated lights that go on when you open the bureau and off when you close the entryway. Under-bureau lighting is additionally a decent alternative for adding additional light without occupying a ton of room.
Add a touch of dramatization and balance a crystal fixture in the kitchen over your kitchen island or over the sink. On the off chance that you don’t have the overhead space for an enormous crystal fixture, you can accomplish a similar impact with a flushmount roof lights and pendants loomed over the island regularly make a reasonable, rich look.
Encompassing lighting is the base layer that makes a room usable. As in different rooms, this is for the most part lighting that begins from the roof. Recessed lighting is the current ruling pattern, yet you can likewise look to flushmount installations or even track or rail frameworks.
The way to surrounding lighting is to give a steady light layer, and recessed lighting achieves this effectively. When spreading out recessed lighting in a kitchen, you’ll need to zero in on territories that aren’t covered by different apparatuses like pendants or undercabinet lighting. To put it plainly, consider where your feet will be, and you’ll need to guarantee that space is lit.
In the event that you have a cookroom style kitchen or walkways made by an island, a solitary column of properly divided recessed lights will finish your encompassing lighting plan. In the event that your kitchen embraces the dividers with nothing in the center, a matrix example will guarantee even enlightenment across the space.
Task lighting is quite possibly the most basic (and frequently disregarded) lighting types in the kitchen. Generally, the kitchen is a work space, so ensure you have the correct lighting in the correct spots to empower you to work securely.
Your kitchen ledge is by and large your workspace, and this is the place where it’s generally imperative to consider the work surface, where you’ll be and the light source above. A seriously projected shadow where you need to show your blade abilities can be awkward and out and out risky.
The second key to kitchen indoor lighting fixtures is under the cupboards. This is definitely not an extravagant extra that can be disregarded, regardless of whether you’re hoping to go negligible. Truth be told, introducing undercabinet lighting is everything thing you can manage to improve the usefulness and climate of a kitchen. There is a wide cluster of frameworks and apparatuses that can be added on to existing cupboards, just as completely custom rail units that coordinate your lighting and electrical plugs into a consistent backsplash.
On the off chance that you have open racking or no overhead cupboards, don’t surrender. More modest, directional sconces or downlit pendants can be utilized in products to make task brightening and a sensational plan explanation.
While we’re calling them out independently here, highlight lighting regularly crosses classifications and helps fill the need of encompassing light.
Emphasis kitchen lighting is the place where we will play a bit, with less hard estimations and to a greater extent a plan factor than surrounding lighting. Mainstream places for ambient lighting incorporate over an uncovered ledge like an island or landmass, over the kitchen sink or over a table, on account of an eat-in kitchen.
For islands and landmasses, you need to choose home lighting installations that scale effectively to the workspace. Plan to leave free space on each uncovered side of the work surface to guarantee you don’t to thump your head into it. An overall principle of leeway is 30 to 36 crawls between the surface and installation, yet this can be changed dependent on your stature or the width of the apparatus.
Other mainstream choices are a pendant, or even a sconce, for giving convenient highlight light over a kitchen sink. This is an ideal spot to pop a reasonable little piece of adornments for the room. For either a pendant or a sconce, a directional kitchen lighting pointed downwards gives an additional lighting option as well.
For indoor lighting fixtures, you will want to consider the style you are going for when you are choosing the completion and consider the equipment you as of now have in your kitchen. Contingent upon the home lighting apparatus, the completion you pick can give the completed piece an alternate look. Choose whether you need to combine your completions for a more cleaned look or blend your completions for a somewhat more varied vibe. In the event that you decide to blend completes, we exhort picking one completion for all your lighting and one for your equipment. Metal tones add warmth to a space, while Oil-Rubbed Bronze brings difference and accuracy. Cleaned Chrome and Polished Nickel are exemplary decisions on the off chance that you are searching for a more smoothed out, contemporary look.
It significance of lighting is sometimes overlooked while you are finishing your kitchen. You invest all that energy selecting the best cupboards and machines and afterward stay with the fluorescent installation that accompanied the house originally. However, don’t be afraid to tackle that lighting project. Kitchen lighting can help your kitchen look completed and really bring the room together.
For any homeowner, having precise lighting in a bathroom is the most crucial thing. It does not only optimize your vision in the busy mornings but also sets your mood. Therefore, the importance of bathroom lighting should never be ignored. It should be done so that the design and style complement your home’s interior lighting.
For homeowners refurbishing an existing bathroom or working on a new bathroom project, vanity lighting is a vital element of a well-designed shower room. In some homes, especially the old ones, they either don’t have the vanity lights or those that exist also serve to illuminate the bathroom.
Such cases tend to ignore the role of vanity lights since the duties performed at vanity, such as grooming, requires special consideration than the ambient luminescence used for general lighting. Also, for older people to see properly, they need four times more light than people below 25 years. This is according to a study conducted by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
When it comes to bathroom vanity lights, it should be taken with the seriousness it deserves compared to general lighting. Remember that bathroom lighting fixture operates in potentially wet surroundings, which poses a risk of electric shock to the user. Therefore, homeowners seeking lighting solutions in Pacific Grove should look for professional lighting consultants such as the Home Lighter, Inc. for all their bathroom vanity light needs.
Vanity lighting refers to the lights mounted over a shower room sink, on top of the mirror, or either side. The sink may have a vanity cabinet surrounding or not while the mirror may be mounted against the wall or in a part of an operational drug cabinet.
In both cases, the bathroom lighting requirements remain the same.
Essentially, vanity light is supposed to serve as a component of the bathroom lights scheme. Like in other rooms, different lights such as ambient, accent, and task lighting greatly benefit the bathroom.
Although under-designed or smaller shower rooms rely only on ambient lighting, others entirely depend on vanity lights to fully brighten the space. The second one is preferable as the vanity lights can serve as both general and task lighting.
Currently, modern shower rooms demand sufficient bathroom vanity lights. It does not just revolve around getting the correct light amount or quality; it’s also crucial to pick a stylish vanity light that complements the interior lighting as well as the existing décor of your home. Here are four tips that can help you choose the right bathroom vanity lights for your home.
The vanity lights that your shower room requires depends on the layout and size of your bathrooms vanity. If your bathroom is fitted with a single-sink vanity, then it’s advisable to use a pair of wall sconces.
This helps to flank the mirror for the most uniform lighting. According to the American Lighting Association, sconces are supposed to be installed 28 to 30 inches apart, and 60 to 70 inches high from the sconce bottom to the floor. This layout helps to ensure that there is uniformity in lighting for all vanity tasks.
A vanity light installed over the mirror is the other option available either by default or by design choice. In such cases, ALA recommends vanity light fixture to be about 1/3 the mirror’s width and not shorter than the mirror itself. On the other hand, bathrooms fitted with more expansive countertops and double-sink varieties require a multi-light vanity fitting mounted above the mirror. In such cases, you are supposed to pick a configuration of 2 to 4 lights.
Also, ensure that the light is not larger than the cabinet, regardless of how they are fitted. On the other hand, you may have two similar vanity lights each over each sink, thus providing an asymmetrical look. The recommended height for a bathroom vanity light is 75 to 80 inches from the bathroom floor.
The style of the bathroom lights that you pick is largely dependent on your aesthetic preference. Different homeowners have differing lighting tastes, and preferences. Also, vanity lights installed beside the mirror produces more uniform lighting than those mounted on top of mirrors. Homeowners are advised to skip overhead lighting if possible, especially when it comes to recessed lights to avoid shadows that make vanity tasks problematic.
For bathrooms with limited wall space, one should consider installing the lights on the mirror’s surface for as long as you abide by the measurements recommended by ALA. Also, dangling a pair of lockets on both sides of the mirror acts as wall sconces where wall mounts are not required. Installation of frosted bulbs, glass, or globes provides even increased light diffusion, which counters the vanity’s uninvited shadow play.
Proper installation of bathroom vanity lights ensures that all vanity tasks are achieved as you want it. That’s why when it comes to task lighting, the magnitude of brightness is vital. ALA recommends approximately 1600 lumens on the lower side for any vanity lights.
However, this number can be altered, for example, if the fittings that you pick has an incorporated LED light source. This means increased efficiency in terms of energy consumption. With this, homeowners get a lower output of up to 1200 lumens. That’s why it’s imperative to consider this when choosing your lighting fixture. On the other hand, you can go for fixtures with higher lumen output and mount dimmable fittings with a separate switch. This enables you to alter the light level according to your needs.
The light requirement that you need for your bathroom depends on the authorities’ building codes. This is also dependent on the location of your project. For example, some jurisdiction requires the lighting fittings within six feet of a shower to be wet rated. These are some of the safety measures in bathroom lights. However, these codes are not applicable in well-ventilated shower rooms as they are not considered wet surroundings.
Currently, the majority of homeowners prefer LEDs as the main light source for vanity lights. This can be attributed to their energy efficiency, design compatibility, performance as well as their performance. However, with the advancing technology, superior amounts of technical specifications are developing.
Homeowners are now paying attention to numbers such as Color Rendering Index, which shows the extent to which the lighting renders color to the eye. In this case, it is advisable to pick lighting with a higher CRI, i.e., above 90. This enables you to see your real skin, hair color, or makeup in the mirror.
The other number that homeowners are paying attention to is the color temperature. It refers to the degree of warmth or coolness of the light. In this case, the coolest is the blue light, while the warmest is firelight. Kelvin scale is used to measure the color temperature. For the majority of the indoor uses, LED lighting should not exceed 3500K.
Lastly, we all know that electricity plays a crucial role in lighting our homes. However, people have lost their lives to electric shock. That’s why it important for any homeowner to acknowledge the fact that electricity on its own is dangerous.
For homeowners in Carmel, Monterey, and Pacific Grove, please pick a professional electrician such as Home Lighter, Inc. for all your bathroom lighting installations. At Home Lighter, Inc., we pride ourselves with a team of highly trained professionals who are experts when it comes to technical and practical installation issues.
We also understand all the legal requirements governing all electrical installations in the areas that we offer our services. Therefore, for all of your bathroom vanity lights installations, don’t hesitate to call us. At Home Lighter, Inc., we will not only get it done but also done right.
You’ve gone hammer and tongs to make your home and yard look out of this world – that’s alright! So, why let the nightfall hide this hard work? With a click on a switch and some well-placed landscape lights, you can put it all back on display again. When done right, outdoor lighting can be a fascinating way to show off the breathtaking architecture of your home, expand usable space, and revitalize your yard. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of everything you need to know about outdoor light systems.
Currently, most exterior lighting systems are low voltage – probably because their installation costs and energy uses are down. For instance, the systems we install for our clients use about 10V to 15V alongside LED technology for long-lasting life. Although low-voltage systems operate at a fraction of the power used in a standard 120V system, they achieve a full-range visual effect.
All of these go into building a memorable exterior lighting solution to highlight your home’s architectural features and draw attention to prized trees and plantings. Looking to show off your Monterey property with landscape lights? You can trust us for all your lighting solutions in Pacific Grove.
Lighting systems typically work with a stepped-down power. Thereupon, a low-voltage system features a transformer that reduces the 120V household power to a safe 12V. The system also comes with a fixture housing and a bulb. The housing determines the shape of the light beam and protects the bulb from elements. Other components on the system include a stake that holds the fixture in place and a cable to connect the system to the power in your house.
Landscape light systems ought to withstand elements. Since water conducts electricity, an ideal system should protect you from shocks and electrocution. Make sure to invest in a system with a good IP rating. IP stands for Ingress Protection – an assessment of how a product is resistant to water and other particles.
It’s worth noting that bulbs are not waterproof. Regardless of the bulb used, investing in a waterproof fitting is paramount. Perhaps you’re wondering how to evaluate the best fitting to invest in. Don’t panic, the IP rating gives information on how waterproof a system is.
Recommended fittings for outdoor lights range from IP44 onwards with the IP65 being the most ideal option for fittings exposed to dust, direct rain, and low jets of water in all directions. The highest level of rating is IP68 which works well with underwater lighting.
While most individuals invest in landscape light systems to simply accent their lawns or gardens, others use varied lighting setups for safety and security purposes. Whether you’re looking to guide cars into the driveway, highlight scenic trees on the compound, or shed light on your property, there’s an outdoor lighting system to suit your needs. Here is a list of options to select when investing in exterior light systems.
Depending on the layout and size of your outdoor area, you’ve got to pick strategic points to install the systems to achieve appropriate lighting without creating a flood-lit look or over-lighting the area. Make sure to put adequate attention on the following points.
If you’re a homeowner looking for the best exterior lighting contractors Pacific Grove has to offer, The Home Lighter, Inc. offers fantastic outdoor bullet, well, flood, up, down, and wash lighting installments. We are committed to giving you an impeccable mixture of value, style, and durability. We pride ourselves in the following approach to come up with the most ideal installation, planning, and design.
First, we’ll assess your property for a clear insight into the outdoor space, entrance, and the house. We’ll want to make sure that you get an ideal outdoor light system that suits how you typically intend to use the space. We’ll also engage in a dialogue to understand exactly how you want the work done.
We’ll carry out a reconnaissance tour to your premises to pinpoint features such as trees, outdoor space, driveways, and walkways, to mention a few. We’ll then give recommendations on how best we can carry out a proper outdoor lighting installation.
The Home Lighter, Inc. aims at offering clients with smooth, quick outdoor illumination installation. You can trust us for professional installation work that is both aesthetic and durable. We are also thorough and use the best products available.
Investing in the best outdoor lighting solutions Pacific Grove has to offer is certainly a major decision. Homeowners in Monterey can opt to hire our team of lighting experts and enjoy a hands-on involvement with experienced professionals all through the process. Remember, there’s much more than just purchasing and installing these systems. You’ve got to carefully consider factors such as power source, placement, foot traffic, to mention a few. How about you hire us, sick back, and let professionals handle the rest of your lighting work?
While design themes vary, great lighting is one thing that custom homes have in common. Lighting comes in these three main types: ambient, task, and accent. Ambient lighting is called general lighting, and it is the main source of soft light that permeates a room. Task lighting, which is often a little brighter than soft ambient lighting, is used in work areas. Accent lighting highlights special areas or objects in a room. Using only one type of lighting in a room is nearly always a rookie mistake.
Consider some of the latest trends in layering lights, light brightness, sizing, and position that make each room in your home stylish yet approachable:
When you aim to impress, great foyer design and decor should be high on your list of priorities. Architectural details such as vaulted ceilings and arched doorways allow you to set the tone for the rest of your home. Here’s how the right lighting can make this area into the statement piece that you desire.
The most common lighting layer combination that you’ll find in today’s high-end entryways is one that includes ambient and accent lights. Top designers love to create drama in foyers with high ceilings by hanging pendant lights overhead. Low-ceiling spaces strike an appealing pose with decorative flush-mount ceiling lights and welcoming table lamp accent lighting. Dimmers are also popular in entryways, and they give you the option to change the mood of the room by raising or lowering light intensity in the space.
When replacing light bulbs around your home, you’ve likely noticed that there are different variations of light. These differences reflect the bulbs’ color temperatures. Soft white at 2700 degrees Kelvin (K), bright white at 3500K, and daylight at 5000K are the three main types of color temperatures. The color temperature that designers almost always suggest for foyers is soft white light that adds a warm, welcoming glow to the space.
Lights that are too small or too heavy for your foyer can look a bit off. For large, open foyers, consider using a cluster of pendants. A straight-line series of pendants looks well in a foyer that has a long, narrow hallway.
Place a pendant, ceiling light, or chandelier in the center of your entryway. The bottom of your chosen light fixture should be at least seven feet from the ground for single-story foyers and at least eight feet from the ground for second-story foyers.
If there’s one place in your home that marries beauty and function, it’s your kitchen. Kitchen lighting must be bright enough to support safe food preparation but soft enough to welcome friends and family. Here’s how to pull off a fabulous lighting system in your kitchen.
Defining your kitchen lighting system is not for the faint of heart. Recessed lights are the go-to ambient lights for contemporary and traditional kitchens. Track lights or decorative pendant lights serve as task lighting over sinks, kitchen tables, and islands.
Recessed lights or accent pendant lights call for soft white color temperature bulbs. Task lights that must illuminate cutting boards, sizzling skillets, or recipe writing should have daylight bulbs.
Choose kitchen lights that match your space and functional needs. If you have a large kitchen island that doubles as a food preparation and kitchen seating area, you’ll want to install a series of large pendant lights above the island. Consider dimmer-style pendants in this instance so that you can increase the brightness for food preparation and decrease it during meal times.
When using pendant lighting in your kitchen, leave at least 30 inches between the bottom of the light fixtures and the surface of your island or table. LED task lights in the form of strip lights, puck lights, and recessed lights are also used under cabinets to illuminate counter space. Install toe-kick lighting under cabinets and at the base of islands to make your kitchen safer for midnight snackers.
Formal dining rooms are making a comeback according to interior designers who watch the latest trends. Many people want a separate, elegant space that allows them to focus on savoring special meals while conversing with guests. If you’re blessed enough to have a formal dining room, illuminate the space with well-chosen lights.
Dining rooms don’t multitask as kitchens do. As a result, dining room lighting is less complex than kitchen lighting plans. You’ll want a chandelier or a pendant that gives off dimmer-controlled ambient light in the room. Decorative sconces and table lamps are popular accent lights in today’s dining rooms.
The color temperature in dining room lighting is nearly always soft white. Dining rooms are ideal spaces for dimmer lights that can set the mood in the space and make it look more elegant and sophisticated.
The size and shape of your primary source of ambient light are largely based on your room’s size. Decorative sconces will vary in size and shape based upon the object that they surround.
Your dining room’s ceiling light should be centered above your dining table. If you have a chandelier or pendant, you’ll place it at least 30 inches above the surface of the table. You’ll want to place pairs of decorative sconces around pictures, hutches, or mirrors in your dining room.
Whether your living room is an extension of your kitchen within an open floor plan or you have a separate space that’s dedicated to your love of reading, you’ll need the right lighting to make the space stand out.
Depending on how you use your living room, you’ll need all three types of lights to make the room beautiful and functional. An ambient ceiling light, a floor lamp, and some well-placed sconces may be all that you need to illuminate a living room that’s used mainly for movie nights. If your living room is the hub for sewing projects and hours-long reading, you’ll want more task lighting such as track lighting, a floor lamp, or a table lamp.
You’ll want the soft white light that emanates from incandescent-style bulbs to light your living room. This warm-colored light is ideal for your living room’s ambient and accent lights. Up the intensity of task lights for sewing or reading with daylight bulbs that start at 5000K.
Your chosen living room lights should scale to your room’s size and its furnishings. You’ll enhance a large living room with an oversized chandelier that can either be contemporary sleek or classically chic. Chandeliers and sconces come in a variety of shapes. You’ll want to choose shapes that complement other architectural details in the room or that offer contrast.
While ambient living room lights usually shine from above, the placement of accent and task lights varies by the functional spaces in your room. Pairs of sconces are popularly used to frame focal points such as fireplace mantles, mirrors, and windows. It’s also common to place a dimmer-style floor lamp in a corner space to chase away shadows as well as provide task lighting near seating.
Bedrooms are relatively small spaces, so the lights that you choose for them should pack a visual punch and meet your functional needs for the space.
Choose a chandelier or pendant for ambient lighting that makes a bold statement and add table lamps on nightstands as accent lights. More contemporary bedrooms also look great with a set of matching pendant lights around the bed that serve as task and accent lighting.
Soft white ambient light from your chosen chandelier or pendant should be bright enough to do common bedroom activities such as making up your bed or folding clothes. If you like to read in bed, a pair of adjustable wall-mounted sconces that use bright white bulbs is a great choice.
When it comes to bedroom ceiling light fixtures, it’s okay to go big. This is especially true if your bed lacks an impressive headboard that could serve as the focal point of the room. If your room’s scale necessitates a smaller chandelier or pendant, you can still make the room bright and pleasant with table lamps and floor lamps that align with the size of your nightstands and other furnishings.
Place wall-mounted sconces above nightstands on either side of your bed. A pair of pendants that suspend from the ceiling to about 30 inches above your nightstands also offer task lighting for reading, paying bills, and doing crossword puzzles in bed.
Bathrooms are some of the most used spaces within your home. While these rooms are primarily valued as functional areas, today’s bathrooms have become spaces for relaxation, pampering, and kid-friendly fun. Here’s how you can use bathroom lighting to meet your household’s unique needs for these spaces.
You’ll need more than your bathroom fan’s light to guide you from half-awake to fully dressed and ready to greet the world. As with most rooms in your home, you’ll need a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting to meet your expectations for the space. Recessed lights are the most popular type of ambient lighting in today’s bathrooms. Wall-mounted sconces double as decorative fixtures and task lighting for personal grooming.
Bathrooms typically need brighter lights than most other rooms in your home. You can achieve a good balance between mood lighting and safety-related task lighting by installing dimmable bright white bulbs.
While recessed lights work well for small, low-ceiling bathrooms, larger bathrooms that have higher ceilings look better with decorative flush-mount ceiling lights or dramatic chandeliers that flood the space with light. Wall-mounted sconces must be sized according to your wall space and the dimensions of the vanity that it surrounds.
Ambient lights in bathrooms are mostly found suspended from ceilings. This is true for recessed lights in showers or chandeliers that hang above free-standing bathtubs. These lights must be wet or damp rated for safety reasons. Wall-mounted sconces are best placed on the sides of vanity mirrors to give the best light to one’s face for grooming. A task light that sits above a vanity mirror is a second-best alternative if you don’t have wall space on the sides of your mirror.
A finished basement is a bonus space that can be used as a recreation room, a home theater, or a guest suite. However, the lack of full windows makes basements a challenge to light properly. Here are some tips for creating a light-filled basement that everyone can enjoy.
Track lighting is a popular option for ambient lighting in a finished basement. This type of lighting system offers the abundant light that a basement needs without taking up extra space on floors or walls.
You’ll want plenty of soft white light fixtures for ambient light in your basement. Use bright white bulbs for task or accent lights that shine on work areas or art.
The versatility of pendants makes them popular in the basement as ambient, task, and accent lighting. When you want to use pendant lighting to illuminate a large space in a basement, choose a large, dramatic pendant or a cluster of small pendant lights that are hung at different heights.
You’ll want to choose track lights that span the length of your basement. Flexibility is a major benefit of choosing these types of lights. If you rearrange your furniture, you can change the layout of the track lighting system to accommodate the new look.
Ready to try out some of these lighting trends in your home? The Home Lighter in Pacific Grove, CA has a distinctive selection of indoor and landscaping lights to inspire any lighting project. If you don’t find exactly what you want for your project among our collection of quality, name brands, we’ll work with you to make custom pieces that will reflect your personal preferences and functional needs for the space.
