Author Archives: Bev Martin

LED Lights for Your Bathroom: A Cool Look and Feel for Your Home

January 3, 2018

Almost all homeowners have experienced the discomfort of a hot bathroom, especially during the summer months. However, many Kichler_Como_45170CH_45172CH_Bathroom_1000x807 don’t realize that most of that heat does not come from using your shower or bath. It comes from your lighting.

For a much cooler bathroom, consider installing LED lights. In fact, using LED lights will not only ease the heat in a room, but they will save you money too. They use less energy than regular lights and last longer. Because of this longer life, they cost less over time.

You can get LED lighting in many different styles. Choosing the right style to match your decor will enhance your bathroom and add interest to the room.

Two Cool Looking LED Lighting Options for a Bathroom:

Bubble Art Glass — These glass lights, mounted against a plate of chrome, brushed nickel or bronze, appear as if droplets of water are on the glass, making it a cool looking addition to any bathroom. You can choose a fixture with one to five lights, depending on your needs.

Iceberg Glass — These unique glass lights sparkle and shimmer. They appear like blocks of ice held together by polished chrome supports. Two lights come embedded in each iceberg. Select one to four sets of icebergs for your space, depending on the area you need to light. You’ll feel cooler just looking at these distinctive fixtures.

Traditional fixtures are also available for bathrooms as well as any other rooms in your home where you might want cooler and more efficient lights. Please contact us today for additional options, ideas, and information about LED lighting.

The Right Light is Everything

Remember as kids our parents told us to turn on more light when we were reading? Well they knew best after-all even though we child learns at night said we could see perfectly well. We were also right. As we age, our eyes vary. The need for more light to read by increases by 1%. So as that 10 year old, one could read by 40 watts or hardly any light at all but that sure changes as we grow older. By the time you’re 60, you’ll need approximately 100 watts.

No matter the age it’s important to consider the amount of light needed to avoid fatigue and eye strain that can often occur with ineffective lighting for studying or reading and doing other tasks as well. The right light is everything.

To ensure there’s enough brightness for your students heading back to school, consider these 5 tips:

Look for energy saving bulbs from eco halogen to LED, providing warm white light that’s easy on the eyes.
Use a 40 to 60-watt light bulb for tasks such as reading and writing.
Use a 60-watt light bulb for tasks such as using a computer.
Use a 60 to 80-watt light bulb for detail oriented tasks.
Avoid cool fluorescent bulbs that emit harsh lighting. They strain your eyes and make you feel tired.

At Yale Lighting Concepts and Design, we carry a variety of bulbs and we’re here to help you find the right wattage. Visit any one of our seven showrooms throughout Central and Southeastern PA, Northern DE, and Southern New Jersey or browse YaleLightingConcepts.com

Different Rooms Have Different Lighting Needs

Lighting encompasses so much more than simply sticking a light bulb into a socket. The fact is every room in your home needs a Progress lluma-Flex Kitchen Lighting different type of lighting. For instance, you certainly wouldn’t want the same bright lighting you need in your kitchen to also be present in your cozy living room.

Certain types of lighting evoke a certain type of mood in addition to being practical and useful. Not sure what type of lighting you need? We’re here to help you figure that out.

Lighting For The Living Room

Depending on what type of activity is going on at any given time, you might actually need more than one light source in the living area. You also want to keep in mind that, if you have large or numerous windows in that room, you won’t need as much lighting during the day.

Table or floor lamps often do the trick for this room, as most of the lighting is utilized in the evening hours. This is when everyone usually comes home from work, is finished with dinner, yet hasn’t retired for the evening. This type of lighting works well when watching television, reading a book or just relaxing in front of the fire.

Lighting For The Bedroom

Unless you’re a child or teenager, you probably don’t spend much time in your bedroom. With that consideration, it’s safe to point out that a child or teenager will need a lot more lighting in their bedroom than an adult will. In that instance, overhead lighting is usually better, with a small table lamp included when less light is needed.

Most bedroom could get by with floor or wall lamps, or even a chandelier type of ceiling lamp. All of these can add a simple elegance that goes with nearly any decor.

Lighting For Bathrooms and Kitchens

In these two rooms, you are most likely to need the most amount of light. The activities that go on in these rooms are of a nature that lighting is of the utmost importance. Good, strong overhead lights, track lighting and even chandeliers will be right at home in these rooms.

The bathroom and kitchen would also be good places to try out LED lighting, if you have been considering them. Since you need good light in these rooms, you’ll know quickly whether or not they will work for you.

If you’re still stuck and unsure about exactly what type of lighting you need, please feel free to contact us today. We look forward to helping you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Picking the Right Ceiling Fan

The warm weather gets people thinking about ceiling fans. They are perfect for creating a breeze on those still nights and provide a charming ambient noise that is perfect for falling asleep to. There are factors to consider before you pick your ceiling fan.

Where You Are Putting The Fan

The space you have will influence your choice in blade size, fan type and fan material. If your room is on the narrower side, you might want to pick shorter blades to balance the decor. You might want longer blades in bigger rooms to make them more cozy and maximize airflow. Additionally, if you already have your room’s decorations in place, you will want to pick a fan that complements what you put together.

There are ceiling fans that have short stems and don’t hang down. You might consider these if you are putting it in a room with a low ceiling or if you think something discreet would better fit your decorating style.

The room you are contemplating could be outside. Ceiling fans are a great addition to verandas and gazebos, but some types of fans are better suited to the outdoors than others. They endure weather better and complement outdoor furniture well.

What You Want The Fan To Do

Yes, you want to cool your space, and ceiling fans do that. They do other things as well. They make rooms with really high ceilings feel more human-sized. They increase air flow so that you can have a refreshing breeze wherever you are. They give a space a classy look. So what do you want your fan to do?

The best fans for producing a breeze hang 10 to 12 inches from the ceiling and have a powerful motor. You can ask a ceiling fan expert about the ideal blade length for cooling your place. You can ask them about Hugger fans, too. Hugger fans are designed to give great airflow while staying close to the ceiling, however.

The number of blades don’t matter, but they can make a real fashion statement if you pick some striking-looking ones. You can make your ceiling both a practical boon and a focal point of your interior design with ceiling fans.

It’s not too late to beat the heat with a ceiling fan. If you are thinking of adding one to your home, contact us. We can help you pick the best one for your space.

Save Energy With These Outdoor Lighting Trends

Solar lights work well as security lights or to illuminate pathways. Some solar security lights are motion sensitive and only turn on

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as someone walks by, which further saves energy and money. With these lights, you don’t have to worry about running wiring to odd places and the lights come on automatically when it gets dark.

LED lights are soft and help create a mood for relaxing or romance. Not only are they energy-efficient, but they are easily programmable so you can set them the way you like them. Use them to gently light areas around your garden, such as near trees or shrubs.

Low voltage lights are easier to install because you do not need to bury the lines deep beneath the ground as you do with standard 120 volt lighting. Low-voltage lighting only use 12 or 24 volts of power and they are great for spotlights or floodlights. You can also use them to down or up lighting trees or other landscaping elements. You do need to a transformer to convert the power to low voltage, but this also allows you to easily control the lights, such as when you want to dim them.

Do you need help finding the right lighting for your home improvement project? Contact us and we’d be happy to help you.

2 Stunning Lighting Ideas for your Master Bedroom

Your bedroom is supposed to be your relaxing, peaceful haven; a place for you to escape and unwind at the end of a long day. And Kichler 43750OZ_Emile_Bedroom part of what will help you achieve a serene ambiance is having the proper lighting. In this post, we will take a look at two stunning lighting ideas for your master bedroom.

Hanging Pendant Lights: Want lighting fixtures that actually take up less space and add a hint of ultra contemporary chicness to your bedroom? Opt for pendant lights that hang from your ceiling instead of lamps that sit on your bedroom nightstand. If you add one hanging pendant light on each side of your bed, you’ll have enough lighting for nighttime reading without so much brightness that it becomes overpowering.
Consider Installing Some Colored Light Bulbs: If you want to strike the right tone for your master bedroom, particularly one that prioritizes a serene atmosphere, you might want to consider including some colored light bulbs for the room. Having the right colors can put you in a relaxing mood and even help your sleep better at night. The other key thing you want to consider if you decide to include colored light bulbs in your room is the location of the lighting fixtures. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself by putting too many colored light bulbs in the bedroom, so having the right amount of them in the right areas of your room is paramount.

Looking for more master bedroom lighting ideas? Don’t hesitate to contact us today!

3 Benefits of Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting is an excellent way to accentuate landscaping as well as improve the visibility and aesthetics of the property. Kichler_Landscape_Front_Walk

A well-lit property will allow you to appreciate your landscaping even after dark. It does not matter if you wish to illuminate house numbers, walkways or the entire property, outdoor lighting will add an extra dimension to any property.

Let’s discuss three benefits of landscape lighting.

1. Overall Look of the property: Landscape lighting will highlight the beauty of your building and increase the value of your property as such lighting represents an investment in the property. Well placed lighting will enhance your landscaping and property and give it around the clock curb appeal.

2. Create outdoor living space: Exterior lighting extends your living space to the outdoors and will allow you to take advantage of the great outdoors after the sun sets. Landscape lighting will also create an atmosphere for entertaining family and invited guests.

3. Safety: A property with well placed exterior lighting will deter crime that often takes advantage of darkness. By lighting vulnerable areas of the home such as doors and windows will keep you and your family safe and give everyone a feeling of security. Such lighting provides safety for you and invited visitors after dark by providing lighted walkways and parking areas, as well as sitting and eating areas. Unexpected stairs in an unlit area can cause a fall and injury to your family or invited guests.

If you would like to explore the world of landscape lighting, please contact us and let one of our lighting professionals show you what we can do for you.

Give Your Bathroom Lighting a Facelift

October 10, 2017

Thinking about giving your bathroom a facelift? Considering some upgrades for better energy efficiency? Whether it’s injecting some updated style, enjoying better convenience or trimming back your electricity bill, these emerging advancements in lighting and technology and practical tips can help you meet your bathroom remodeling goals.

1. Illuminate from all directions. Eliminate harsh shadows by placing light above and on either side of the mirror. Stylish sconces and well-placed recessed lighting can help diffuse illumination for more pleasing lighting you’ll be glad to wake up to.

2. Ventilate with efficiency. Effective, efficient ventilation is a must in the humid, high-moisture space defines a bathroom. Today’s ventilation fans are designed to minimize noise and maximize energy efficiency. Many feature motion sensor activation, built-in heaters and humidity sensors for the ultimate in convenience.

3. Dim for ambience. Setting your bathroom lights on a dimmer provides adjustable lighting levels. Lower lighting levels provide a relaxing atmosphere for unwinding in the bath while higher levels better accommodate getting ready. As a bonus, dimmers offer significant energy reduction that will help save green.

4. Heat for better comfort. Nothing quite shocks the system like a cold bathroom floor. For the ultimate in warm comfort, consider a radiant floor heat system, which is more energy-efficient than baseboard heat. Installing infrared lamps mounted outside the shower or tub is another great way you can take the chill off.

5. Inject some style. Set on an energy-saving dimmer, a decorative light fixture positioned over the bathtub or by the vanity provides warmth and style. From decadent chandeliers to minimalist fixtures, you’ll find a variety of options available at yalelightingconcepts.com.

Ready for a fresh, new take on bathroom lighting? Stop by one of Yale Lighting Concepts & Design’s showrooms or browse our huge selection of indoor lighting including bathroom vanity lighting, sconces, chandeliers, dimmers and more.