Archive for the ‘Lighting Tips’ Category
Stairway to Heaven
Monday, August 31st, 2009Pool Table Lighting
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
I grew up with a pool table in my house and still can’t play a decent game. That might be because it was of little interest to me at the time since I decided it was a game for my brother and his friends. I was much more interested in Barbie and my Liddle Kiddles anyway. In the last week, I have been a guest at three homes with pool tables so I pretended that I was a player. In reality, I was much more interested in the way the different rooms had been designed and how the lighting choices enhanced the game and the ambiance. I am happy to note, that not one of them had a Jack Daniels or Harley Davidson theme. When, and if, I ever get a pool table, I want this, this or a few of these to go with it!
Lighting the Dining Room
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Add “flattering” to Mr. Hadley’s quote and you got it going on. Besides the bedroom, I would venture to say that flattering lighting in the dining room is pretty darn important. Imagine sitting around the table with a big fat fluorescent light overhead. Not only are you going to look older than you would like to, there is the possibility that the fresh tomatoes and basil on the mozzarella are not going to look their best either.
For some helpful tips on designing with light in the dining room, check out this article on the American Lighting Association website.
Come On In!
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
The first thing you notice when you enter your home (or someone else’s home) is the lighting in the foyer or the entry way. Then again, you might not notice it because it is just right for the space and the feeling of that particular home.
My house has a crazy design feature known as a “split entry”. I used to call it a “split foyer” and then I finally came to the realization that I don’t actually have a foyer so I was exaggerating/lying/wishing. Anyway, some insane architect(s) came up with this idea of designing a house that involves opening the front door to step onto about 8 inches of space and then having to make the choice whether to take 6 steps up or 6 steps down. The only saving grace in my home is that the entry has vaulted ceilings and an absolutely beautiful hanging lantern that lights up the entrance in the most amazing way when evening comes. Every so often, when the time of day is just right and things are quiet and I take the time to look around, I realize that my lantern is the one thing that makes my entrance inviting and (even possibly) pretty!
Home Office Lighting
Monday, May 18th, 2009
One of the nicest things about working from home is that you have lots of freedom when it comes to decorating. The bad part is that you sort of need to keep your office clean since it is actually part of your home. I tend to build piles around my desk as my workload grows – and when I end up with more than 3 or 4, I decide it is time to spiff things up. I spent yesterday getting things in order, moving a few things around, and swapping out the lights that I normally have on and around my desk. Today, my husband (finally) set up his new computer and then proceeded to walk over to my desk and snag one of my desk lamps! Now I have to decided if I am going to go and snag a light from somewhere else in the house – or go out something new and fun!
When perusing various lighting options on the web – I noticed that almost every home office image has a very clean desk, an extra small laptop, a pencil cup, and fresh flowers. My desk is five feet long. I have two very large monitors, three pen/pencil cups, stacks of business cards scattered, a few cool paperweights, lip gloss, an iPod, assorted screws and earrings, and so on… Obviously, I need more than one cute little light. I already have some good ideas – like a lamp that hangs directly over my desk but diffuses the light, or one of those really cool tripod style lamps I keep seeing everywhere.
Swanky Swingers
Monday, May 4th, 2009
Get in the swing of things with a wall swing arm lamp (or two)! This is a great alternative to traditional bedside lamps, especially if you like the maximum amount of space for a stack of books at pillowside. Be sure to install the lamps so they cast the light over your shoulder and onto the page while you are reading. Functional and fabulous!