How Accent Lighting Works – 10 Easy Tips

  How Accent Lighting Works – 10 Easy Tips Changing the look and mood of your homes can be achieved with a little trick of accent lighting. With these helpful tips, you can achieve the very look you long for your homes. Tip 1: Bring light to the spots you want to see. With lighting, you can control where the attention in every room goes. Identify the things you want the people to see, and try to attract attention (and drama to it) with a little controlled lighting. Tip 2: Back or Up-lighting works wonders. Sometimes, reversing the obvious does wonders. Try to reposition the lights behind or below walls, a masterpiece that hints attention, or other pieces with great structural details. It will add a dramatic effect. Tip 3: A little dimming is good lighting. This can best be achieved with dimmers. Dimmers make light controlling easier – and can help you save electricity and bulb life as well. Try to use them to adjust in certain times of the day to level with the available light. Tip 4: Lamps, and Lamps. If you’re the kind that is fascinated with different lighting and different changes, lamps would be the perfect piece for your fascination. With lamps, changing the positions of light sources can be made easy. Tip 5: Directed lighting to highlight specific areas. Drawing attention to specific focal points in a room can really be a game changer. Tip 6: Consider track lighting. With track lighting, changing the direction of your lighting can be such a treat. Placing some track lights in strategic positions can give you numerous lighting possibilities. Tip 7: Hidden Lighting is appealing as well. Hidden lights go well with just about any home décor. Whether it be on walls, ceilings, or even floors, hidden lights bring the amazing on what is just of normality. And it always gets attention. Tip 8: Small things make big. A small fixture has lower consumption. That’s a fact. And the good news is, smaller power sources are now becoming brighter. This makes it easier to use smaller lighting fixtures for different lighting arrangements. Tip 9: Knowing fluorescent and incandescent. In general, fluorescent lights last longer and are more energy efficient. Incandescent light, will cost you more. Tip 10: Less lighting, more impact. More light doesn’t necessary mean better lighting. The real deal is with proper lighting – in creating the right kind of mood that you want to achieve. Less light (but in the right places), will do the job and bring that...

Increase Your Home’s Curb Appeal with Modern Outdoor Lighting

Installing modern outdoor lighting on your landscape will increase your curb appeal, increasing the overall value of your home while making it safer. Landscape lighting does not have to be expensive or ornate to create a dramatic effect. A few simple and inexpensive steps with basic landscape lighting fixtures should start you off on the right foot. Line either sides of your sidewalk with solar lamps. The easiest kinds of these lamps are the ones that will require you to press a spike into the ground. They are also the most environmentally-efficient because they do not require any wiring or electric maintenance costs. Such use of lighting will give instant appeal during daylight hours (as they usually come with attractive, weather-proof shades) as well as safety during nighttime when visibility is low. Install a targeted lamp to face individual groupings, foliage arrangements and trees. Give these areas a rustic appeal with a lamp that features natural materials (faux ones should do) like the Java 30″/34″ Table Lamp with 2″/3″ in Walnut/Antique Honey Wicker Shade by Patio Living Concepts. Put similar lamps at the base of your widows in a planter box, for instance. Better yet, get yourself a pot that lights up like the 120 Volt Fluorescent GardenGlo Planter by Patio Living Concepts. A light just outside your window will allow you to see through it at night and deter others from seeing in because of the glare that it causes. This should do a good job of keeping you safer. During the day, the landscape lights serve as decorative pieces and offer visual appeal. To highlight the entrance of your home, install wall lights on either side of your main door. One of the hottest picks today is mid-century style wall lanterns that will give an interesting mix into you modern home. The Mesa Small Wall Lantern by Kenroy Home would give you ample lighting so you can comfortably read on your patio come nighttime. Install solar-powered landscape lamp near your mailbox or address market near the curb. This will help add beauty to the entrance of your property and should get potential buyers to stop their cars and visit the house. This will also identify your address and illuminate your mailbox come sundown. So are you now ready to make your home more appealing to its potential buyers? Get started with these ideas...

Exterior Outdoor Lighting Theme Ideas for Your Garden

Exterior outdoor lighting does not have to be limited to a few motion-sensitive flood lights on your garage or rows of low-voltage lighting in the flower beds. If you try to explore other options, you will find that there are so many festive and creative outdoor lighting ideas that you can tie in with your general landscape theme. With some inspiration and imagination, you should be able to transform your yard into an ambient and attractive outdoor retreat for the whole family. Tropical Thunder If you have a tropical-themed garden, with lots of fuchsias, ferns, and palms, skip electric lights and put up bamboo torches. They should be available in most discount chains and home improvement stores for a few dollars apiece. Make sure that they are easy to maintain and will last at least three seasons. Also, do not install them near low-hanging branches or fronds so nothing gets caught on fire. If you have a good amount of money to spare, buy torches made of metal like stainless steel, aluminum or copper.  One example is the Cambridge 80″/85″ Single/Four Lantern Patio Lamp by Patio Living Concepts. Twinkling Lights Once Christmas comes, most homeowners string colorful lights along their door frames and roof lines. You can, however, create such festive look even when it is not the holidays. Strategically-placed lights can create a festive outdoor living space during those warm summer nights as well. If you have a patio, arbor, or picket fence; string a strand or two of rope lighting. You can also do the same with trees by wrapping  mini lights around the boot and low branches for a virtual canopy of lights. Focal Points To capture the look and feel of a hotel garden, install floodlights with colored lenses in strategic spots all around your garden. Position them so that they shine upward and illuminate the signature trees of your yard. If you a waterfall or pool, floating lights should make the focal point of your outdoor space. The LED Lighting Ball by Infinita is a big ball of light that floats on pools and ponds. You can adjust it to give soft to intensive levels and gives you more than 160,000 colors. Going Green Installing lights require you to lie down and bury electrical cords. Hoping that moisture does not get can be very challenging. To capture the look of traditional low-voltage outdoor lighting without going through the hassles of installing them on your own, consider using solar. They already come with a solar cell and a rechargeable battery inside. If you can, splurge and go with the Solar Stake Light – Espresso Finish by Outdoor Greatroom Company. They should last for years but make sure that you install them in spots where the sun can shine on...

Home Interior Lighting Design Ideas for Your Child’s Room

Lighting just might be the most overlooked element in any room design. Many people fail to see that it is one of the most important;  though, especially in a multi-functional space like a child’s ’s room. Aside from giving illumination; it also does a good job of giving the space style and personality. Whether it is a kid’s room or the master’s bedroom, there are primarily three types of lighting: Ambient lighting that creates a pleasing overall glow like recessed, ceiling mounted and overhead fixtures. Task lighting that illuminates certain activities like reading or homeowner like lamps and sconces. Accent lighting that highlights design and architectural elements like a recessed ceiling light positioned to shine on a piece of artwork. Each room has to have both ambient and task lighting. Accent lighting will be the icing on the cake, the element that will make all your hard work in picking the right murals, paintings, and window treatments better shine through. Here are some home interior lighting design ideas. Paper lanterns. To help visually divide a large and shared space, use inexpensive paper lanterns in various sizes and colors. Suspend them at various heights to create a focal point. Nightlights. They can comfort small children once they are tucked in bed. Choose one that comes in a child-friendly design and gives a soft glow. Ceiling fixtures. A vintage swag light fixture is a great solution near the glider, as floor lamps are topping hazards in a baby’s room. Desk lamps. Desk lights should be utilitarian, but do not skimp on style. Opt for an adjustable lamp with a wide and stable base like the Graham Desk Lamp by Adesso. Table lamps. Accent lights have to make a bold impact. The curves and glossy black finish of the Globus Table Lamp by Kenroy Home will stand out in a dainty girl’s room. Drum pendants and task lighting. Drum pendants like the Timpani Pendant by Adesso above beds and homework tables combined with the nightstand perfectly illuminates a room. Reading lights. Encourage your child to read by creating a book nook. A comfy chair, pouf and good reading light are all that you need. For older children, a floor lamp should be one. LED lighting. A great magical element that you can add to a nursery is a starry ceiling. You can achieve this with fiber-optic LED lights installed in the crawlspace. When lighting a child’s room, you need to think about safety as you pick your lighting fixtures and lamps. It is highly recommended to go with lighting that unbreakable, Also, recessed lighting is so much safer than wall or ceiling fixtures that can be hit with paper planes and balls. Be attuned to things that can fly through the air. Try to imagine what a curious toddler can topple. Babies can easily pull or push lamps over so make sure...

10 Home Interior Lighting Ideas for the Master Bedroom

Choosing the right interior lighting fixtures for your bedroom is not the easiest task. To help you out, check out these top ten home interior lighting ideas. You should find something here where you can achieve light efficiency and get the look and feel that you are looking for in a master’s bedroom. Space-saving sconces. Wall sconces, whether modern or antique-inspired like the Kyoto 1 Light Sconce by Kenroy Home, are a great way to frame your bed. Such kinds of light sources do a good job of enhancing the contemporary yet romantic feel of a bedroom. Eclectic designs. In order to end up with a clean and balanced look with some dabs of eclectic design, one option to look into is symmetry. We suggest nightstands, bedside lamps, and the use of bedroom accessories in pairs. Light complements. When choosing lights for your bedroom, remember that aside from giving its obvious function, it can also give a stunning accent in your space. Pick one primary source of lighting and pick smaller fixtures to give soft additional lighting. Mix it up. In a big masters bedroom with so many decorations, coordinate  various kinds of lights that can enhance particular areas of the room without washing it out. To light up a master bedroom, for instance, install different light fixtures with various tasks in mind.] Contemporary look. To create a modern and space-saving look, hang pendant lights like the Carpyen Petra Pendant Light by Tango Lighting right above your nightstands. To add more interest to your room, hang them at differing heights. Bright whites. A separate seating area would need to have an illuminating light fixture of its own, although you can very well make use of natural light. When it is not an option, however, a swing-arm floor lamp like the Rodeo Floor Lamp by Adesso would be perfect. Serene atmosphere. For a sense of sensuality and ambience, use different types of lighting for your bedroom. Consider putting accent lights above the bed to enhance the artwork above the headboard as well as to give a good light source for reading. At-home getaway. Recessed can lights that are evenly spaced will enhance metallic hues of a master bedroom. To give added illumination, get table lamps that give focused task lighting around your bed and dressers. Enhanced ambience. One advantage of recessed eyeball lights that you can focus them on any part of the room that you are trying to draw attention to. You can use smaller recessed lights around the room along with hidden accent lights. Eucalyptus hardwood. The most widely planted and one of the fastest growing hardwoods, eucalyptus is a budget and environmentally-friendly flooring choice. It creates a stark contrast against white and bright yellow furnishings creating an elegant and calm ambience. So which one strikes your fancy? With all these options, it should not be hard for...