Category Archives: Indoor Lighting

Home Lighting For The Gaming Family

July 8, 2016

There is little doubt that video and computer-gaming is popular these days, but for family togetherness or a festive atmosphere going back to the more traditional concept of games can bring life to the party.

Defining the focal point of the room, you should adapt your lighting around it. If you have a billiard table, for example, it will have to be properly lite not only to emphasize the table, but to ensure proper lighting for playing the game as well. You may choose an old-fashion, Tiffany chandelier affect, or perhaps something more modern in chrome, depending upon the decor of the room. Billiard table fixtures are generally multiple-light in nature, with a minimum of three bulbs.

The card table may be used for canasta or bridge, but may also be used for board games accommodating children and adults alike. A hanging chandelier may be in order here as well, but perhaps something with a softened globe as to not particularly shine in the face, rather lighting the entire area.

Many rooms may have an abundance of light during daytime hours, where additional lighting would only augment that provided by nature. You may consider dimming switches that allow minimal effect during the day, but more pronounced lighting at night.

HGTV has an article posted on 12 Playful Game Rooms with some nice tips for creating one.

For proper lighting for your room call upon Yale Lighting professionals

A Ceiling Fan for Your Smaller Room

June 17, 2016

If you have a tiny space, you need something that won’t overwhelm but will still move the air. So what style ceiling fan is right for your small room?

The Disappearing Fan

If you’d rather not draw attention to the fan at all, you can go with a simple white ceiling fan that will all but disappear on a white ceiling. Why not step it up a notch? You can get a fan that doesn’t look like a fan at all. Try a ceiling fan that looks like a fancy lighting fixture, but actually serves double duty with a hidden fan! The Air Lonizing Fan D’Lier appears to be a drum pendant light with a beautiful silver mica shade, but hides a fan and includes a remote control. The Chandel-Air looks like a chandelier, but cleverly conceals a ceiling fan in a polished stainless steel nickel finish.

The Fan to Make a Statement

If you’re not looking to hide your small ceiling fan, you have even more options. The traditional style comes in many different colors to suit your room, but again, you can also try something completely different. This 36 inch fan is like nothing you’ve seen. It has a light, and two fans on flexible arms. It looks old-fashioned, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The fans have three speeds, go in reverse, and it comes with a dimmer/remote.

No matter what style fan you like, we can match you up. There’s no reason your smaller room should suffer not having a ceiling fan when there are so many options. Contact us today to find the fan for you!

Beautiful Pendant Lighting May Be The Answer For Your Home

June 3, 2016

Got a dark corner? Kitchen lighting not working for you? If you have a lighting problem, pendant lighting may well be the solution. We’re going to look at several areas of your home where pendant lighting can be the answer you’re looking for.

Living Room

If you have a corner where you just can’t see, the right kind of lighting can bring you out of the dark in style. An unusual pendant lighting choice will make it look like you went out of your way to make a personal statement rather than fixing a lighting problem. The Oberlin Collection makes a very dramatic statement indeed!

Kitchen

With today’s open floor plans, not only do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you also see it from more areas of your home. You want to make sure you make it worth seeing. Pendant lighting can go a long way to transforming your kitchen from boring to beautiful, while at the same time being functional in myriad ways. So many styles to choose from! Make sure that whatever rooms you can see your kitchen from will mesh with the style you choose. If chrome works well for your kitchen, we like the Evington Collection by Fiess. Industrial more your speed? Try our simple black pendant.

Outdoors/Foyer

Outside, pendant lights add class and elegance. Under a portico, our beautiful Mini Pendant with bronze finish, chain and sparkles adds interest and, of course, light. Your foyer is another area where you can go all out. An architectural two-light pendant will jazz things up.

Still not sure which kind of pendant lighting is right for you? Pendant lighting is all about function and style. Contact us for more on what pendant lighting can do for you in your home.

Make a Statement in the Heart of Your Home with Kitchen Lighting

May 20, 2016

The kitchen is one of the most important parts of your home, often referred to as the heart of the home. It’s where people spend a great deal of their time when they are at home. FEISS Prarielands-IslandChand-Kitchen

1) The Modern Chandelier

You may think of chandeliers as fitting only for classic, traditional homes. But they can be modern too, giving your kitchen a conversation piece at its ceiling. If modern is your thing, look for finishes like brushed nickel, clean lines, and purposefully little detail work.

2) The Basic Island Light

If your kitchen features an island, it deserves its own light. You will likely spend much of your time preparing foods or entertaining guests at this space, so you need to make sure it’s well-lit. But at the same time, you may be worried that the light will take away from the island itself. In that case, choose an island light with clean lines and plenty of glass to avoid attracting too much attention.

3) The Ornate Alternative

Finally, both chandeliers and island lights offer the ability to truly showcase your taste in more classical works. If you live in a traditional home, or simply like ornate features in your kitchen, look for character-heavy pieces with curves, details, and more. Finishes like bronze work especially well in that case.

All three of these options are very different in their style, but could work well in your kitchen depending on your taste. Of course, your options don’t end there – to find the perfect light for your space, browse our catalog or contact us.

Match Your Bathroom Lighting to Your Bathroom Style

May 13, 2016

Kichler_Como_45170CH_45172CH_Bathroom_1000x807 You’ve finally decided to remodel and have the bathroom of your dreams. Have you thought about your bathroom lighting yet? The style of your bathroom lighting should match the style of your bathroom. After all, it is one of the first things people will notice when they flip the switch on.

Does your bathroom have a modern or contemporary flair? You can go simple, with clean lines and chrome, or you can still make a bold color statement.

If restoration is what you’re into, you can add a steampunk look that is reminiscent of Tesla or Edison, or go more retro with a downward facing fifties style vanity. There is also a gas lamp style that would fit into a restorative style bathroom very well.

Traditional more your speed? You may want to look for a fixture with scrollwork, or perhaps a filigree one-piece vanity. Traditional style can also include streamlined pieces, so don’t forget to look there if that’s more you than scrollwork.

If you’re going with Victorian, get to the scrollwork for real. Intricate is what this style is all about. You can also look for copper colors when your bathroom is Victorian.

This is only a small sampling of the kind of lighting you can access. Contact us so we can help you make the impact you want so people will remember the style of your bathroom. After all, the lighting is one of the last things they’ll see as they flip the switch off on their way out.

Ceiling Fans Save Energy in Every Season

April 15, 2016

Most homeowners know that ceiling fans can save energy in the summer. But did you know that ceiling fans can save energy all year?

In the Warmer Months

Ceiling fans have direction switches, so depending on the model of your fan, switch the direction of the fan blades so that when you stand under it, you feel a breeze. Then turn your thermostat on your air conditioner up a few degrees. When you are in the room, the circulating air will make you feel cooler, while not actually reducing the temperature.

The caveat to these savings: make sure you turn the ceiling fan off when you leave the room for long periods of time. If no one is there to enjoy the moving air, having a fan running is wasted energy.

In the Colder Months

When the air turns cool, your fan can still create energy savings. Warm air rises in a room, and without good circulation, that warmer air can end up staying near the ceiling instead of warming the people on the sofa. If you flip the direction switch on your fan, your ceiling fan blades will rotate in the opposite direction (you should not feel a breeze). The fan will begin to circulate the stagnant warm air throughout the room. The result? Warm air mixes with cooler air, and those in the room will feel a more even temperature.

To achieve maximum energy efficiency, there are several other considerations when choosing a ceiling fan. Are the blades at the proper length for the room? Will you hang your fan at the appropriate height in the room?

If you want to make the right decision for your living space, contact us. We will be happy to help you choose the perfect ceiling fan.

How Does Your Garden (and Landscaping) Glow?

April 9, 2016

Spring is a kind of sensorial celebration – vivid colors, sweet scents and the gentle buzz of life reawakened. Now through the end of fall, your outdoor spaces become an extension of your home. What better way to celebrate the return of outdoor living than to invest in some energy-efficient landscape lighting to showcase nature’s beauty? Hinkley Landscape 115_HardyIsland_16022MZ

Today’s landscape and garden lighting options highlight your best garden and landscape features, while using less energy than ever before.

• Honor a favorite tree with strategically-placed, recessed well-lights. They provide seamless up-lighting for a beloved tree and require less energy when powered by an easy-to-install low-voltage system.
• Highlight your best features with landscape accent spotlights. They’re ideal for illuminating large shrubs, flower beds and trees, and can also be wired to a low-voltage system.
• Add a little shimmer to your pond with an LED pond light kit. LEDs offer superior protection against water corrosion and have an extra-long lifespan.
• Step up safety and style with LED-powered step lights. Available in a variety of finishes, they help guests navigate their way safely while adding a distinctive ambience.
• Get all decked out with deck lighting. Rail, post-cap and wall-mount lights powered by a low-voltage system will save you green and extend the use of your deck well into the evening hours.

Feeling inspired? Browse our online catalog for a huge selection of outdoor lighting options, or visit a Yale Lighting Concepts & Design showroom today!

Cool Comfort: Five Ways to Get the Most from Your Ceiling Fan

April 2, 2016

With warmer weather on the way, any opportunity to keep cool without cranking on the A/C is a win. To keep your home comfortable and energy bills in check, nothing quite beats the ceiling fan. Today’s ceiling fans are affordable, easy-to-install and quieter than ever. Plus, they can help you save up to 40% on your energy bills in the summer. It’s no wonder we’re such fans! Craftmade Bedroom SLider CI52BN

Shopping for a new fan? Want to get the most from your home’s existing ceiling fans? Here are some tips for savings throughout the seasons:

1. Size Up Your Fan. Rooms up to 75 square feet, like a bathroom, do best with a fan 36″ or smaller. Medium-sized rooms up to 144 square feet can fit ceiling fans from 36″- 42″. Larger bedrooms and family rooms around 225 square feet are most efficient with fans that are 50″- 54″.*
2. Choose the Right Downrod. Downrods are used to position a fan for optimal efficiency and stability. As a general rule, blades should be positioned eight to nine feet from the floor. That means that ceilings higher than nine feet will require a downrod extension.
3. Enjoy Year-Round Comfort. In the summer, operate your ceiling fan in the counter-clockwise direction to create a wind chill factor. In the winter, operate it at a low speed in the clockwise direction to force warm air near the ceiling down into the room.
4. Buy with Confidence. The key to a long-lasting ceiling fan is a quality motor. Look for one with a manufacturer’s warranty. Blade pitch and construction are also important. Go for more angled blades (12 to 15 degrees or greater) constructed of hardwood.
5. Turn It Off. Ceiling fans don’t alter a room’s temperature; they just create a wind chill that makes it feel that way. When you leave the room, there’s no need to keep your fan running. Turn it off to save energy.

For more on getting the most from your ceiling fans, the lighting experts at Yale Lighting Concepts & Design are here to help. Stop by one of Yale Lighting Concepts & Design’s seven showrooms throughout Central and Southeastern PA, Northern DE, and Southern New Jersey or browse our huge selection of ceiling fans and fan accessories.

* Source – American Lighting Association