Lighting Designers Denver | Illuminations by Design

BRIGHT TIPS: Make an Artistic Statement with Light

Lighting is possibly the most powerful tool you have when it comes to interior design. Why invest in beautiful furniture, rugs, paintings and accessories if you are living in the dark? When looking for a light fixture, think of yourself as a curator looking for a perfect piece of art.

Like art, a fabulous fixture can make a strong design statement as well as provide illumination for your space. Don’t be afraid to add interest by using a modern fixture in a traditionally decorated room or vice versa. Find one special piece and build your room around it.

RIGHT LIGHT: Let Light Set the Tone

Create a room for living by carefully choosing light fixtures that not only illuminate well, but also add aesthetic appeal. By creating an artfully balanced space, you create a comfortable and more enjoyable space.

Use at least four layers of light to create a space that can smoothly transition from lively to low-key at the touch of a switch. While a dramatic fixture or eye-catching pendants may set the tone, additional lighting (for example, recessed and track lights, sconces, portables, etc.) may be needed to create appropriate illumination and comfort zones.

For more ideas for lighting your home, visit IlluminationsByDesign.net

EXPERT ADVICE: Want more home lighting ideas? Ask a professional.

What is the best height for a sconce in a room with a 9-foot ceiling? – Brian A.
The recommended minimum height of a sconce for any ceiling is 5½ feet. This height works well for 8- or 9-foot ceilings. However, some designers choose to place wall sconces at 5 feet, 9 inches high with a 9-foot ceiling.

What is the maximum recommended size for a drum pendant light hanging over a 36-by-54-inch dining table? – Marsha H.
A rule of thumb for sizing a chandelier over a dining table is that the fixture should not exceed the width of the table less 12 inches. For a 36-inch wide table, the fixture should not be more than 24 inches in diameter.

Don’t waste energy or time by working in a dim space. A task area, whether for cooking, office work or laundry, is more efficient when illuminated properly. Prepare your work space by providing three main layers of light:

• Portable: When working on a detailed task or at a desk, a portable lamp usually provides the main source of light.
• Overhead: While usually providing a secondary source of light, overhead lighting – such as a chandelier, pendant or ceiling fan – is essential at night or other dark time of day.
• Ambient: Create a cozy, comfortable feel in a work area by utilizing ambient lighting to light bookshelves or accent artwork.

BRIGHT TIPS: Pendants Provide Perfect Task Light

Make the overhead lighting in a workroom more functional and pleasing by replacing outdated overhead lights with pendants. Two pendants will balance the illumination by evenly distributing light across a desk or counter. The more focused light from multiple pendants generates fewer shadows and less glare, resulting in a more productive work space.

Selecting the right lighting can completely transform a space from boring to va-va-voom.

MONEY WISE: HGTV Touts Lighting Updates to Add Home Value

Lighting can affect a home’s value, according to HGTV’s Front Door. The publication recently stated that understanding the different types of home lighting is crucial to brightening a space in the correct way. Leslie Sellers, president of the Appraisal Institute, says, “lighting sets the overall mood for your home. Washing the walls with the correct light will make a room feel more inviting, and many times, much bigger.”

HGTV’s Front Door lists changing out lighting as one of the five best value projects to add appeal to your home. Other value adding projects: cleaning and decluttering, painting, updating cabinet hardware, and adding decorative molding.

Lighting can completely transform a space by affecting mood, enhancing the design and architecture, facilitating specific tasks, and creating a focal point. A popular lighting trend is the use of LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Though more expensive than regular incandescent light bulbs, LEDs last much longer, are more durable, do not flicker and withstand temperature fluctuations.

To bring out the best in your home, it is imperative to understand the different types of light sources. For example, some areas, such as a kitchen, require task lighting, while other areas, such as a bathroom, may need more ambient lighting, and other rooms will need various light combinations. To read the HGTV article, click here.

To find the best lighting for your unique space, consult with a lighting specialist at Illuminations By Design.

EXPERT ADVICE: Get Answers to Your Home Lighting Questions

We are remodeling our kitchen. What are the best options for using LED lighting for the different types of lights needed in this room? – Louise C.

There are many options available today in the LED lighting category. Recessed downlighting and undercabinet lighting offer the most product options. A number of lighting manufacturers have developed a comprehensive line of LED products for use in residential applications. The Internet and Illuminations By Design‘s showroom are great sources of information about the many LED products available including the quality and amount of light they produce.

A beautifully lit space makes living and entertaining much more enjoyable. To create a well-lit space, light must be layered. This technique allows you to illuminate each feature separately to control the aesthetic focus.

Layering does more than just provide optimal lighting for reading and conversing. Lighting can draw the eye to the detail in trim work, emphasize cabinet grains or even draw attention to the texture of flooring.

To make your living room a place for truly living, follow a few simple steps:

Replace a large chandelier with two smaller ones, each on its own dimmer. Especially in larger spaces, multiple small chandeliers can help break up large ceiling expanses.
Rotate shade colors on sconces and chandeliers by the season. It’s a great way to freshen up a space without spending a lot.
Add low-voltage lights as accents and spotlights. Re positionable fixtures offer flexibility and control in directing light individually toward chairs and artwork.

For more lighting design ideas, click here.

What is a good guideline for spacing and number of recessed lights for a kitchen area?

Place the edge of the recessed fixtures approximately 30 inches from the wall. That distance will allow the light to flow over your shoulder and onto the kitchen counter. The fixtures should be placed four to six feet apart.

If you have an island or peninsula, the fixtures are best placed directly above the surfaces with the same distance of separation.  Keep in mind that the bulbs you use can dramatically change the light output.  These dimensions are designed to work based on their location, but the amount of light that you receive will vary depending on the bulb.

Creating a beautiful landscape does not have to be expensive. A few well-placed low-voltage path or accent lights can have a huge impact. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• No lawn is too small. Even modest homes or those with limited yards or gardens can benefit.
• Low-voltage outdoor lighting is inexpensive, safe and relatively easy to install. A handy homeowner can put in a low-voltage lighting system over a weekend. All you need are basic tools, a transformer (to reduce standard 120-volt household current to the safe 12-volt level), outdoor low-voltage copper cable and low-voltage light fixtures.
• It is not necessary to do everything at once. For your initial project, install a transformer that is larger than required, because it will only consume the amount of electricity being used. The larger capacity transformer will already be in place when you install additional fixtures.
• Buy well-constructed fixtures. They will last decades longer than cheap fixtures. Find high-quality fixtures at your local ALA-member showroom.
• Remember that a little light goes a long way outdoors. For example, a 50- to 60-foot pathway can be adequately illuminated with three to four high-quality lights.
• Save electricity by using a timer or photo cell. A photocell automatically turns the lights off and on when it becomes light or dark outside.

An entertainment room can serve as a place to watch movies and sports, play video games or just hang out with the family. To make one room flexible enough for different activities, think in layers of light. The objective of using layers is to create lighting options for multiple tasks and activities in the same space. A lighting layer is defined as a specific type of fixture that is unique from others in the same area. For example, a room with recessed downlights, a decorative fixture in the center of the room, and wall sconces on one wall is defined as having three layers of light. Each of the three types of fixtures would be controlled by separate switches. If the idea of combining several different types of light sounds complicated, just ask a lighting professional at an ALA-member lighting showroom for help. The process can be very simple and inexpensive with advance planning and some guidance.

As people age, changing the surrounding lighting can go a long way to enhance reading ability and increase comfort.

Everyone experiences changes in their eyesight as they age. Around age 45, most people start to notice a diminishing ability to focus on close objects. For many, it means using reading glasses to read a menu, newspaper or other small print. By 60, most people have a fixed focus optical system and need glasses. After age 60, eye and visual system changes accelerate, so less light reaches the eye and more light is needed to see details.

Research shows that a 60-year-old needs twice as much light as a 30-year-old. Most of the commonly found lighting guidelines are written with the 30-year-old in mind.

If you or someone in your home is older, turn on a portable lamp while watching TV to help reduce the contrast that occurs between the bright screen and the surrounding darkness of the room. Experts recommend using a table lamp or torchiere that provides an uplight as well downward illumination for versatility. Look for a lamp with a separate task light attached or with a glass bowl at the top that will bring some light downward.

BRIGHT TIPS: Learn the Truth About New Lighting Standards

While much has been reported about new lighting standards signed into law recently, some information is confusing and inaccurate. Following are some important facts:

• Incandescent lights are not going away.
• Decorative bulbs will not be affected. The new standards apply only to typical screw-type bulbs that are 40, 60, 75 or 100 watts.
• You will continue to have a variety of choices when purchasing lights, including compact fluorescent, incandescent, halogen and LED.
• The new bulbs will save you money by lasting longer and using less energy.
• The U.S. will gain new manufacturing jobs as bulb manufacturers retool to meet increased demand for the more efficient lights.

For more information about new lighting standards and changing bulb technology, visit the ALA website or the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.

That’s Entertainment Homeowners spend a lot of money on home entertainment systems. Without proper lighting, this investment may not be maximized.

WINNING LOOK: Create Perfect Ambiance with an Integrated Dimming System

After creating a space with the appropriate layers of light, bring it all together to create the most entertaining and enjoyable atmosphere with an integrated dimming system. Having an integrated dimming system is key to successful layering. Imagine being in a movie theater and having all the lights abruptly turn on at the end of the film. The experience would be diminished, just as it would be if the same happened in a home entertainment room. A dimming control system allows a person to control the lighting in order to create a genuine movie theater experience. Integrated dimming systems have become very affordable, and are available through most ALA-member lighting showrooms.

EXPERT ADVICE: Get Answers to Your Questions

What is the best way to light a family and entertainment room with 19-foot ceilings? The room has large exposed beams and trusses on about 15-foot centers, the bottom of which are at 9 feet above the floor. Due to the large size and variety of activities that take place there, experts recommend using a minimum of three layers of lighting. The first step is to define how you want the light to look and the tasks that will need the best light. To achieve the best light, here are three tips: You can easily install lighting above the beams or within the trusses to direct the light toward the ceiling. This indirhttp://lightingdesignersdenver.com/wp-admin/edit.phpect lighting effect can be achieved with either low-voltage linear strips or new LED strips. These can be mounted on the beams and trusses so they are not visible from below, and the effect is very effective for creating a soft, comfortable level of light. Dimming this type of light is essential and provides great flexibility. Also useful and attractive would be small, inconspicuous track lighting at the bottom of the beams and trusses.

Don’t assume that all the light in a tall space must come from the ceiling. The addition of a variety of table and floor lamps will provide good task lighting and a sense of human scale that will balance the ceiling height.

One more method of lighting such a tall space is the addition of wall sconces, provided there are appropriate mounting surfaces.

Do you have questions about lighting your home? Click here to submit your questions for an ALA-trained lighting professional.

All it takes is a few small upgrades and improvements in lighting to make a huge impact on the warmth and inviting feel of your home. During the cold, dark days of winter, the right lighting is especially important. Using a dimmer will help create the perfect ambience for indoor activities.

In a room where a central lighting fixture dominates the space, dimming allows that fixture to provide a more subtle and comfortable light, and lets other fixtures provide appropriate contrast. The addition of one or two portable light fixtures will help set the perfect stage, especially if they are connected to a table-top dimmer, which can be found at most ALA-member showrooms.

 Save Money and Stay Cool with Ceiling Fans It’s easier than you think to beat the heat this summer while saving money. “People tend to forget that ceiling fans reduce energy. Using them allows you to run your air conditioner less frequently,” notes Nathan Frampton, president of Fanimation. “If you aren’t using your ceiling fan during these hot summer nights, you are costing yourself mega-bucks,” he adds. Illuminations by Design’s lighting showcase has a wide variety to choose from.

“The best way to understand the benefits is to do a few simple calculations,” explains Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association (ALA) and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design. “If the ambient air temperature is 78°, your body will feel as if it is 72° if you are seated under a ceiling fan operating at a low speed. The fan makes you feel cooler by flowing air over your skin, which causes your perspiration to evaporate faster.

” Zeynep T. McLeane of Emerson Air Comfort Products agrees. “A ceiling fan can make a person feel as if the room is 10° cooler,” he comments. “It runs on a fairly low amount of energy that is equivalent to a 100-watt bulb – and even less if it is an Energy Star®-qualified fan.

Where is the ideal spot?
” Where’s the ideal spot? The best place to install a ceiling fan is any room where you will be spending a lot of time (i.e. family rooms, bedrooms, and recreation rooms). “There really isn’t an area in the house where people are not installing ceiling fans,” McLeane states. “Bathrooms, garages and closets are also good applications. With outdoor spaces gaining popularity and the increase of damp- or wet-location UL-listed products, homeowners can easily put up a ceiling fan in their covered porch areas.

” Cliff Crimmings of Craftmade provides another scenario. “The laundry room is a great place to install a ceiling fan,” he notes. “Running the fan will balance the moisture content and heat to match that of the other rooms in the home.

Does it matter how many blades a ceiling fan has?
Believe it or not, what’s more important is selecting a ceiling fan that is the right size for the space. “Rooms that are approximately 150 sq. ft. or larger require a 52-inch diameter fan to be most effective,” Rey-Barreau advises. “Smaller rooms can use either a 42- or a 48-inch diameter model.” Larger great rooms may require bigger fans with up to a 72-inch span.

“The majority of ceiling fans sold have five blades, but this is more of an aesthetic consideration rather than a practical one,” Rey-Barreau says. “A fan with fewer blades actually moves more air. That’s why if you look at fans located high in a space such as a warehouse, they will typically be industrial-grade, three-blade fans. However, unless a home has extremely high ceilings and the objective is to move a significant amount of air, it is generally acceptable to buy a fan with four or five blades.

” A wise choice is to buy a reversible model. “In the winter, you want to mix the air in the room with out creating any chill factor. The best way to do this is to reverse the fan and run it on low only,” Crimmings advises.

Which style is right for me?
Fifteen years ago, consumers were happy with a simple white fan, however, the range of style options today has made ceiling fans an important part of décor. The decision of whether or not to use a light kit depends on need; it does not affect performance. “If a room does not have other light sources, then a light kit is a necessity,” Rey-Barreau notes. “Many light kits are almost an integral part of the fan, making the look of the fan even more desirable.” 
 One of the biggest advantages of buying a ceiling fan from an ALA-member lighting showroom is that they have expert sales associates to help you with the selection process. The range of fan sizes, styles and types of fans can be overwhelming when it comes to making a decision. The personnel in a lighting showroom are highly trained, and are able to match your needs to the appropriate fan. Another incentive? “Lighting showrooms offer customizable products not available a big box retailer,” McLeane remarks. “There are products that come in a box ready to go, but if customers want, they can customize the finish of the housing, select from wood or hand-carved blades, add light fixtures to their fan, add ceiling medallions to the ceiling, and get the perfect control system they need at a lighting showroom. Another benefit is service: most dealers will assist you with any problems that might arise and can recommend installers at reasonable rates.

” Crimmings adds, “Showrooms will also help you plan how far away from the ceiling to install your fan to achieve the best overall effect for the room. The lighting showroom staff will also advise you on the perfect way to control your fan either through remote control options or wall switches compatible with the fan product as well as your homes wiring and electrical plate trim.”