Downlights do exactly what the name suggests; the light points down. The light is usually produced by a small spot light that shines directionally downwards. The illumination offered by one light is not enough to brighten a whole room, but when teamed up with several the room becomes perfectly lit. Downlights can provide a wonderful atmosphere by clever positioning. Installing several onto different circuits allows you to have your room brightly or softly lit by switching different circuits on or off to suit the mood and ambience, or they can be fitted with a dimmer function. They are also available with a swivel fitting, allowing the beam to be turned to various directions. This can have the advantage of lighting a focal point in the room, such as a picture or ornament, or it can help to brighten a certain area for improved working arrangements, such as by a sink, mirror or desk.

Space Savers!

Space saving is also a big advantage. Tucked neatly away into the ceiling ensures that there are no swinging lights or lamps to be knocked into, or wall lights to get in the way of pictures. They are inconspicuous yet effective and can give any room warmth and atmosphere. Designs have progressed greatly, offering a wide range of variants to choose from. No longer do you need have plain recessed downlights, but you can now choose from different surrounds made from metal, Perspex or glass. Variants include square or round fittings or choose a stepped effect for something more three dimensional. For added interest select a metal strip embedded with two or three lights.

Installing Downlights

If you are looking to install down lights without having to cut into your ceiling, it is now fairly simple to fit a strip of lights direct into your overhead socket. These come in a range of designs and colours, including curved or straight rails or they can even be mounted within two wires that run the length of the ceiling. The overall decor of the room and its purpose will dictate the final choice. Downlights are available in halogen or LED versions. Halogen are less expensive to buy but the life span is much lower than LED so LEDs may work out less expensive in the long run. It is important to do your maths prior to purchase, as LEDs can last 10-20 times longer. You also need to check that halogens are properly installed as they can become hot. Ensure they are not touching any insulation and are checked by a professional.

To enjoy the benefits of downlights it is not necessary to undergo extensive installation into ceilings and there are so many designs on the market that you will easily discover the perfect way to illuminate and complement all of your rooms.

1. Try adding dimmer switches to different light fixtures – This can either add a soft, romantic touch to a room or be very practical in terms of energy use. Dimmer switches are easy to install and readily available at any home improvement store.

2. Position your lamps above waist level – This will give your room a glowing and natural light, enhancing the surrounding decor and furnishings. Additionally, this type of lighting is perfect for reading and quiet conversations, or just comfortable relaxation.

3. Add tinted bulbs to change the mood of a room – A soft blue or rose colour will add an artistic flair that cannot be achieved by any other means. The hue is dramatic yet understated and has an immediate impact on anyone entering the room.

4. Try directional lighting to highlight a painting or fireplace – Directional lights focus all eyes on a particular spot, so this method of lighting enhancement will command attention to your favourite family portrait, abstract painting or the centrepiece of a room, like the fireplace.

5. For shimmering glamour, add metallic accents – Lighting fixtures with brass or silver will reflect light in all directions, creating a sophisticated sparkle to the room. Try metallic accents with complimentary colours, like blue with silver and gold with white, for straight-out-of-a-magazine style.

These quick lighting tips will help you enhance the beauty of your home in a snap, and without costly professional intervention. Lighting is an easy way to showcase your style and with such versatility, you can add your own bright ideas to create a special look that will be the envy of the neighbourhood!

For instance, wall lights may be appropriate for the front door as well as the patio. This type of exterior or architectural light fixtures should go well with the home structure in such a way that it not only shows off the home but also provides a bit of security for visitors. This type of security lighting does not only have to be wall mounted as decorative lights along walkways in order to provide much the same function.

Landscaping and garden outdoor lighting is more likely to be used for special events such as holidays and even an informal get together with friends. The light can also be made to blend in with natural surroundings such as rock formations and trees or used to illuminate other landscaping structures such as fountains and gazebos. One can even find underwater lights for pools, which is ideal for those who like to have a swim under the moonlight.

Indoor lighting can have many of the same qualities but comes in a much wider variety than many outdoor lights. One can choose from wall fixtures, lamps, chandeliers and many other variations of these designs. For example, one may decide that a chandelier for the dining room will add the right amount of sophistication and elegance to the room and choose a design with crystals or other structures that bring to mind elegance and class. However, a chandelier for a child’s bedroom may be more playful.

Light fixtures can also help tie a room together and make it more inviting. A quoizel light fixture is a timeless choice that is both modern and traditional; therefore it goes with nearly any existing décor. This lighting can come in any form from hanging lanterns to wall sconces to create any illusion. Even mirrors may have quoizel light options. Choosing lighting for the inside or outside is just as important as any other decorating decision.

When is it being viewed?

It sounds obvious but you need to know when someone is viewing your property. A lot of the time they will be visiting in the day so you only really need to add light to rooms that do not get that much natural light. The bathroom is a good example as they tend to have smaller windows and therefore have a lot less natural light. You can do this by adding a little extra light overhead or by adding them to bathroom cabinets or other areas of the bathroom.

Energy Efficiency

If you have a home that uses older tungsten based incandescent light bulbs then you ought to consider replacing them with more energy efficient models. There are two reasons for doing this. The first is that a more energy efficient bulb means less energy used and this can save people money in the longer term.

Another reason is that the energy efficient model lighting tends to use a white light compared to the yellow light of the tungsten based models. This light is slightly dimmer while the white light makes the room appear brighter.

Crystal Chandeliers

This may sound strange but crystal chandeliers can help you sell your property! You may read this and think it is about creating an air of opulence and showing off. However there is a practical reason for using crystals to light your home. Because you have a number of crystals reflecting the light it helps to make the room feel more relaxing and it is this relaxed atmosphere that you want when you want to persuade someone to buy your home!

Security lighting

Even if someone is visiting you during the day having automatic timers on lights or some kind of security lighting can reassure people that your home has extra security features so it is worth investing in some in your hallway or outside your home as these will often be the first things that someone walking onto or into your home will notice.

Be careful

Remember to use the right light in different rooms. A warmer yellow or orange light is better in bedrooms as this will make them feel cosier, whereas white light is fine for kitchens and bathrooms. If a room is painted a light colour make sure there are plenty of light sources as this will prevent the room from appearing drab.

Special features

One of the best benefits of lighting is attracting attention towards certain specific features. Directed lights like overhead track lighting are great for showing off special features like antique furniture or a beautiful fireplace. While these things may not necessarily be vital they can often be the extras that help to seal a deal.

There are also practical reasons for doing this such as having specific lighting in the kitchen over stoves and other equipment to make it easier for people to prepare food.

Naturally this needs to be done subtly. With the right people consulting on this and the right type of lighting you can draw people to see what they need to see and make them feel more at home!

Anne Mckenna is a Director at KES Lighting and an expert in home lighting. She offers advice and tips on improving all aspects of lighting within the home.

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Garden & Patio

Because LED lights come in a variety of colors, they can be used to create a color scheme in the garden. Strings of lights can be hung over the garden or tucked into the perimeter to accentuate different types of flowers and plants. Awning lights, European style cafe lights, and rope lighting can be used in backyard patios and screened in porches. Neon colored cubes with LED lights are both practical and decorative. They can be stacked in a variety of patterns or used for seating. The color and the brightness can be controlled and changed. Red, white, and blue cubes can be set around the patio for a Fourth of July party. The lights can be changed to pretty autumn colors for a Labor Day party. LED floralytes are small candle-like lights that can be used to decorate patio tables and picnic tables for outdoor dining.

Driveway

Garden Lighting: Contemporary Exterior Lighting for the Garden

Driveways and walkways are not only lit to enhance the beauty of the landscape but for safety. LED light bases can be set along the edges of the driveway and plants placed on each of them. Smaller lights can be set varying distances apart along the driveway. There are also lantern style LED lights that can be put into the ground a few inches beyond the perimeter of the driveway.

Ponds and Water Features

Using LED lights on the outer edges of ponds is a good way to keep the area well lit at night. For fountains and miniature waterfalls this lighting can create a mesmerizing glow, especially if using colored lights. LED balls that float in the pool add an elegant touch for evening swim parties.

Seasonal Uses

For people who love decorating for the holidays, LED lights can create a gorgeous ambiance for almost any holiday or occasion. Christmas lights around the outside of the house or in the trees will look beautiful. Red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July, and a variety of pink and red hues can be used for Valentine’s Day. LED ornaments shaped like snowballs and stars can be hung from tree branches and around window frames. Keep in mind that the lights don’t get warm enough to melt off snow. Depending on geography and the season, homeowners will need to keep the lights snow and ice free.

Lightbulb Wholesaler Inc is a leading supplier of quality LED light bulbs that are available in a variety of brands, shapes and sizes.

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As spotlight, or a searchlight as it is called in some circumstances, is a piece of apparatus essentially comprising a bright light which can be swivelled around on its axis to focus sharply upon its subject. Its uses are plenty, but it is particularly widely used in the military, and also in the theatre.

In military campaigns the most obvious deployment of a spotlight would be to locate an enemy in the distance under conditions of darkness, especially perhaps during an air raid. However they have also been used as a weapon with which to dazzle the enemy in preparation for an attack, as well as to create “artificial moonlight” in order to facilitate a nocturnal assault.

Their use in war has not been beneficial on every occasion. Towards the end of the Second World War the advancing Soviet army directed searchlights at German forces across the Neisse River in an attempt to temporarily blind them, only for the fog to diffuse the light and to make silhouettes of the attackers, making them easier to spot. The Soviets suffered heavy losses as a direct consequence of this.

Spotlights at the theatre and in the home

In the theatre spotlights are widely used to create a pool of light on the stage. Their use was once particularly common for movie premieres, as a kind of visual fanfare proudly announcing the start of some special event.

Back in the earlier part of the twentieth century, and especially in the inter-war years, big political rallies were very popular and sometimes they attracted many thousands of people. When these were held at indoor venues spotlights were often used to good effect, both to highlight the speaker but also on occasions to draw attention to disruptors, making it easier for them to be identified and ejected.

Spotlights do also of course find popular usage in domestic lighting. Of particular value is the fact that their light source can frequently be redirected. Often they are to be found as a “strip”, with multiple units pointing simultaneously in different directions for maximum exposure.

When used for the purpose of home lighting the spotlight can be stark in the sense of lacking the ornate or decorative character of other light forms, but its effectiveness is actually targeted directly onto the subject.

Many of us also get the urge to redecorate and freshen our home decor palettes and furniture. Often it can seem as though a lot needs doing – but there are ways to create a fresh look and atmosphere in your home without spending a fortune; something of interest to most in these cash-strapped times!

Look at colours and shades

Spring demands a fresher and lighter colour palette. After the deep and comforting rich shades of Winter, most of us look for pastels, neutrals, whites and natural woods – brighter shades that reflect the increase of natural light outside and the re-emergence of spring flowers. Easy ways to freshen the home include painting walls a zingy new shade, re-wallpapering, putting up some lighter coloured curtains in a sheer or thinner fabric that’s more in keeping with the warmer days to come and packing away the warm, heavy and comforting winter items such as heavy throws, velvet cushions, thick curtains, bedspreads and the like.

Consider lighting

Lighting is also a surprisingly easy way to make a room feel very different. By simply moving around a lighting arrangement, the room’s atmosphere and arrangement can change dramatically. Look to get the balance of lighting right – an ambient soft light, such as that created by a pendant in the centre of a room, combined with accent lighting such as funky wall lights and then task based lighting such as reading lamps to highlight key activities.

There are a great range of lights available on the market nowadays and many of them start at very reasonable prices. You can even just change lampshades on many models rather than replacing the entire fixture – a really simple way to create a new colour scheme.

Look at fashions and trends too – you’ll be surprised at the new items on the market. Pendants in funky colours and finishes are very popular at the moment and look great if you have a young family home or a funky urban home. Traditional types of lights are always popular with country-themed or classic English houses and there’s a vast range of quirky, experimental, classic, ‘lights as art’ and children’s lights available too. Always go for brighter bulbs over darker ones – unless of course you do like the muted and slightly dimmed feel in your rooms. A better approach can be to use a dimmer switch to create the atmosphere you may want when watching television or eating dinner and then provide brighter task focused lighting when reading or carrying out activities in the home.

Low energy lighting is also a great way of making the most of your lights and ensuring that you can run them cheaply too!

If a bath is decorated with an old fashioned theme using a claw foot tub and a cabinet with a vessel sink, the lighting can be chosen to fit the design. There are a number of wall lights made with antique brass bases and frosted lamp shades. The shades can be designed in the narrow hurricane style reminiscent of old time oil lamps. They can also come in tulip styles with decorative etchings along the outer surface of the glass. The old fashioned lighting fixtures can also be found in styles using wood bases.

People with contemporary styled bathrooms also have options available for the lighting they want to use. Lights placed on metal bars are often used in modern settings. The bulbs placed on this silver bar can be left as uncovered clear bulbs or have round globe shades. Rectangular lamps shades are also popular and can be found on bases made of metal for use as wall mounted lighting. The metal can be silver or black with the shade made in a semi-transparent white.

Image courtesy of Flickr.

Plain bulkheads in either red or white are ideal for providing illumination to paths, garages and doors. There are versions that have LED bulbs that are very bright and offer a clear sparkling light. They also use far less energy to operate than traditional bulb lights and their bulbs do not become hot in the same way, making them safer too.

Outdoor wall lights can also be used as sensor security lights and be set to trigger when someone is present on the property. These can act as a deterrent but can also be useful for family members coming home and attempting to find the lock for their key!

Look for the various ranges of lights now available for style inspiration. Traditional outdoor lights tend to be of the lampshade variety and may have styling features such as wrought iron curls and coloured glass. These look very pretty and stylish for more traditional homes.

Modern lights may have unfussy designs and more minimalist styling features, such as stainless steel and smoked glass. Up and down lights will provide illumination both above and below the fitting and are likely to be very cleanly styled, often with hardened glass, urban shades and sleek metal finishes.

There are even more quirky designs that are suitable for outside illumination for parties and gatherings, such as garden ‘chandeliers’ that are very visually appealing and cast a soft glow, although these are unlikely to be as good for security purposes. Similarly, some designs will be based on styles that are particularly reminiscent of Mediterranean holidays or Moroccan lamps and these can be great for creating a strong design theme in your garden.

With all outdoor lights, it’s best to organise professional installation to check that the lights are safely affixed to the house and wired in correctly and to the right voltage. Correct installation will also help ensure that they remain in good working order for as long as possible. Also get advice on siting your lights for the most practical benefit and to ensure that they won’t cause a problem within the home. For example, a very sensitive security light may cause problems if its light floods into a bedroom at night and keeps the family awake!

Make sure that you keep any warranties in safe keeping in case of issues and regularly check your lights to ensure that they are in good working order. Keep an eye out for the regularly changing styles of outdoor lights and new technological developments in energy efficient lighting.

Gorgeous photo courtesy of Flickr.

Security lights

When looking at which lights you need, consider how you want to use your outdoor space. Security lighting will always be a must for larger properties and those with outhouses, garages and similar. Put your security lights out of reach of tampering and to avoid a dispute, make sure that they don’t flood neighbouring homes. A good electrical installer will be able to advise on the best positioning.

Safety lights

Wall lamps and lanterns are very useful for providing sensor-lit illumination for pathways, side paths and alleys and hanging lanterns are very attractive in doorways and also provide light when attempting to retrieve a front door key in the dark.

Decorative lights

In the back garden, there are plenty of gorgeous decorative outdoor lights to make the most of your landscaping and features. For example, you can highlight a cascading water feature or pond with coloured water lights to draw attention to an attractive garden feature. You can string solar powered fairy lights around decking areas and miniature trees to make an attractive atmosphere for alfresco dining and hang Moroccan inspired lamps from branches and hanging basket brackets for an intimate party atmosphere. It’s also nice to put down lighters or spotters into any decking steps in order to highlight their presence and to provide a pretty soft glow for the evening. You’ll be amazed at how lighting can transform an outdoor space when the sun starts to set and when you invest in good lighting, you’ll be far more inclined to spend time outdoors after sunset, perhaps eating a family meal or entertaining. In this way, good outdoor lighting can facilitate time spent outdoors and extend your living space naturally. Team good lighting with a patio heater for when the temperature chills!

Solar lights

Solar lights are a great option for the outdoors because they don’t cost electricity to run – simply put them in a space where they can catch natural light and they’ll glow throughout the night, even in winter. The technology is improving all the time, so these lights are becoming ever brighter and lasting for longer. In fact one benefit of the new energy efficient lights is that they last far longer as a whole than the traditional incandescent bulb lights of old. There are a wide range available, from functional driveway markers to funky novelty lights and small markers that can be used to pick out the edge of a border or path and really make your night time garden glow!

Image courtesy of Flickr.