Author Archives: Bev Martin

When thinking about new lighting, it’s important to consider which lights will go in which rooms. All rooms are certainly not created equally, and what’s good for one room might be simply awful for another. So what do you do?

You can start by considering the mood you’d like to create in each room or space. We’re going to take a look at three particular areas in which homeowners most often have specific needs.

Living Room Lighting

Much of your home’s activities will take place in the living room or living area. What you need for that room will depend on several factors. For instance, do you have small children or older children? Perhaps you no longer have children living in the home. For this room, you might consider a mid size chandelier or a few nice floor lamps.

Foyer Lighting

The lighting in your foyer needs to be bright and inviting. As you or your guests enter your home, this can set a wonderful homey scene with the right lights in place. It also helps to maneuver your way through the home if you happen to come in late at night, or leave before the sun comes up. In either case, the right lighting can move things in the right direction.

Bathroom Lighting

You definitely want adequate lighting in your bathroom. The wrong color bulbs can leave you wondering about your hair, skin and makeup. On the other hand, placing your lighting in the wrong areas can leave you with large areas of shadows in all the wrong places. For this room, various kinds of lighting will work, or you could combine certain pieces to give you just the look you need.

For instance, a chandelier is nice but you might want to shave in the shower. In such a case, a nice recessed light with a watertight seal makes a great addition. Recessed overhead lighting gives a nice clean look, while wall mounted fixtures can create a perfect reflection in the mirror.

For more information on which lighting works best in the room you’re looking to illuminate, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to assist you!

Adding lights to your landscape design is an excellent way to make your landscaping more visible and functional at night. It is also a good way to showcase certain areas of your landscape design that you think are especially beautiful or important. Here are three great locations for your landscape lighting.

Sidewalk

A great place to incorporate landscape lighting is along either side of your sidewalk. You can choose to go with lights that are flat on the ground, or those that stick up and add more of a decorative accent to your landscaping. The lights can also be placed as far apart or as closed together as you’d like, depending on your lighting budget and how much light you would like. This will make it much easier to see your sidewalks at night, which can go a long way in making them safer.

Flower Beds 

Another great location for landscape lighting are your flower beds. These are areas of your landscape design that are exceptionally beautiful. Because of this, you likely want to show them off, whether it be day or night. The landscape lighting will act somewhat like stage lights, coming up from the ground to showcase your flowerbeds at night. Depending on the size and shape of the flower beds, you will want to pick out the size of lights that you’d like, as well as where to strategically place them.

A Man-Made Waterfall

The decision to build a man-made waterfall as part of your landscape design is a great one. It creates a beauty that is hard to match and you will likely enjoy how peaceful it is to watch the water run down the rocks. A great way to enhance your man-made waterfall is to add landscape lighting to it. You can choose from a variety of waterproof and weather resistant lights that can be installed within the rocks of your waterfall. The lights shining underneath the water will create a sparkling effect at night that is absolutely stunning. To make things even more fun, you could choose lights that have the ability to change colors as the water cascades over them.

Landscape lighting can add to any landscape design and can be perfect for walkways, flower beds, and man-made waterfalls.

To learn more about landscape lighting, you can visit us here.

When you’re searching for lighting as well as ceiling fans for your sunroom, consider a unique design that differs from what you’d usually choose for a standard room in your home. A sunroom customarily embodies the natural and open feeling of the outdoors in a setting protected from any harsh weather. Let this decor style also be reflected in your lighted ceiling fans.

Great Designs for a Sunroom

Rattan Blades – For a traditional sunroom appearance, consider a fan with spectacular hand-carved blades made from solid wood with a vintage walnut finish and gorgeous rattan inlays. Pair this with an elegant bowl light in a Peruvian bronze finish or even a light made from Tiffany-style leaded glass for a look that will become a focal point in your sunroom.

Bamboo Blades – To reflect a contemporary style in your sunroom, opt for bamboo blades that come shaped like large leaves, which will bring a trendy outdoor look indoors. Choose an oak-colored bamboo with multiple round lights in tea-stained glass and a chic espresso finish. Or opt for woven white bamboo blades with a craftsman style bowl light for a fabulous transitional look.

Whimsical Blades – For a genuinely distinctive appearance, select a ceiling fan with two tiers of blades shaped like flower petals where the upper and lower ones rotate independently. Choose from a variety of lovely color combinations such as pink and green or teal and cherry or pink and white. Match this fan with a bowl light that comes in a white finish to create a beautiful, nature-inspired look in your sunroom.

When deciding on lighting along with ceiling fans for any sunroom, opt for a design that will separate your decor from the norm to create a distinctive look. For more information about high-quality lighting and fans for your home, please contact us today.

Earth Day on April 22nd is the perfect time to revisit your home’s lighting and your carbon footprint. Better still, give Mother Earth a present and switch your CFL (the tubular swirly type) or incandescent bulbs to LEDs, known in April as ‘Love Earth Day’ lights!

Lifespan

The largest difference between a CFL and LED bulb is life. The average lifespan of a CFL is 10 years, calculated on 3 hours’ use per day.  This is without any other detrimental factors, such as frequent switching on or off which detracts significantly. The average lifespan of an LED is 15 to 25+ years. In simple terms switching to LEDs means –

• Convenience. Much less bulb changing for you, the homeowner.
• Reduction in waste
• Reduction in hazardous waste (CFL’s contain small amounts of mercury)

Watts, Lumens and Energy Consumption

The days of choosing between a 60 or 100 watt incandescent bulb are history. Today it is much more important to be aware of how much light the bulb provides than the power it consumes. Light is measured in lumens and the higher the lumens, the brighter the light.

• 100W Incandescent = 1600 lumens. An equivalent CFL consumes 23W, a LED consumes 14W.
• 40W Incandescent = 450 lumens. An equivalent CFL consumes 9W, a LED consumes 5W.
• There are energy and related cost savings switching from CFL to LED, as you can see, but nothing like the reduction seen if you have yet to switch from incandescent bulbs.
• Because an LED uses very low wattage, there is very little heat generation. If you have an old lamp saying “Max 40W”, you can use any high lumen LED in it today and enjoy much brighter light quality.
• The use of lower wattage helps Mother Earth in that fewer fossil fuels are used in the making of the electricity.

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has developed some great insight into today’s light bulb terminology to help with your understanding and energy efficiency goals. NRDC also recommends looking for the “Energy Star” endorsement. This guarantees the product meets minimum efficiency, lifetime and quality standards.

Other Factors When Buying LEDs

• Many LED bulbs and fixtures are dimmable. Consider if this is important.
• Color. LEDs typically come in Warm White (softer more yellowish glow) or Daylight (cooler bright hue).
• Shape. LEDs come in all shapes and sizes. The traditional sno cone or bulb shape is good for many applications but does not offer enough downward light for a reading lamp for example. Ask us about options for your decor and specific lighting needs.
• Instant full brightness (CFLs have a “warm up” time before full brightness is achieved)
• Cost. Take advantage of Earth Day promotions. While LEDs can seem more expensive, the convenience in never having to change a bulb is a big factor along with their durability. If you still have incandescent bulbs, the cost will be recovered quickly through decreased energy usage. Bottom line: lower electric bills.

If you’ve looked at LEDs in the past and had difficulty finding a suitable bulb, talk to us. LEDs have come a long way in recent years and there’s a replacement LED now for almost every kind of fixture.

At Yale Lighting Concepts & Design, we’re committed to conserving our natural resources and are always here to help you with the selection of the best lighting that balances quality of life with the environment. Contact us today for more insight and ideas.

When you entertain guests, your formal living room often becomes the area where people gather. You’ll, of course, want your decor to reflect your fabulous taste and a chic style — and that includes the lighting. With stunning light fixtures, you can make a huge impression on everyone who enters your home.

Lighting Suggestions for a Fabulous Living Room

Chandelier — Make an elegant chandelier the centerpiece of your room. Opt for crystal, a classy look that goes with almost any decor. A design with hundreds of glistening gems and strands of sparkling clear or golden-teak crystals dangling from elaborate tiers of glass-coated steel arms will create a look that will awe all of your guests. Depending on the style of your home, choose a finish in black, chrome, gold, golden-teak, or white so that it coordinates with the rest of your furnishings.

Table Lamps — For a traditional look, multi-colored gems of amethyst, tourmaline, and clear diamonds for a more modern appearance.

Wall Lamps — If you own a few extraordinary pieces of art and have them displayed in your formal living room, you can highlight them with wall lamps. Choose a swing-arm design so you can adjust the lighting however you want it. You can select a finish of brass, bronze, or nickel to match the other finishes in the room. Almost all artwork looks impressive and even more expensive when illuminated, whether it’s a painting, a sculpture, or any other exceptional creation.

The lighting you choose for your rooms will make just as much of a statement as the rest of your decor, so choose fashionable-looking fixtures that will impress. For more information about exquisite, high-end lighting options, please contact us today.